This year’s release for the Marvel cinematic universe, Doctor Strange,  brings in a new aspect of said universe not seen before in any recent Marvel Studios production.

The movie begins with a scene in a dim library, where we are introduced to the primary villain of the film, Kaecilius, one of the many sorcerers in this universe. In the darkened library he captures the librarian, relieves him of his head, and takes a few pages from a book that is chained to a wall full of other, similar, chained books.

Following this dark scene, the Zealots (what the rogue sorcerers are referred to as) are featured in the first fight scene of the movie. Here we are introduced to the fighting style of the sorcerers. They wield energy that they pull from other dimensions that they shape into weapons of their choosing.

As well as wielding energy, one of the sorcerers opposing the zealots wields the power to shift the world around them. This power is demonstrated by the sorcerer molding the buildings to their wish, changing the very fabric of reality.

From there the audience is introduced to Dr. Stephen Strange, an arrogant, know-it-all doctor. He has immense skill with his hands, removing a bullet from a man’s brain with no guiding tools.

Strange heads to a speaking arrangement, but on the way gets into a severe car accident when he is talking on the phone while driving. From this accident, he loses the use of his hands’ full capabilities, as by the time they find his wrecked car, he is past the point of no return for nerve damage.

The loss of his use of hands leads him to speak experimental procedures, from obscure corners of the medical world, to restore his hands so he can return to work. None of these have any effect, which leads him to search for other means of healing.

This search leads him to the sorcerers and their leader, The Ancient One. He begins training with them, hoping to restore the use of his hands.  During his training he learns of Kaecilius and his actions. It is at this point that it is revealed what Kaecilius is planning — the addition of earth to the dark dimension, where he believes that everyone will never die.

From this point, all of the action starts occurring with Strange learning more and more about this new world he has been introduced to, and his unfound powers that he is learning to control while battling evil to save the world.

Director Scott Derrickson uses rotating wide-angle shots with a mix of close-up shots during the extremely fast-paced battle scenes to craft an immersive experience that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. He uses still camera angles during the calmer story progression scenes.

This film’s dialogue, while mostly tense due to the plot of the film, is interlaced with funny quips that sometimes serve to ease the tension of the moment with various results, most are effective, but some just make the moment cringe-worthy.

Overall, this movie is an excellent foray into the magic side of the Marvel cinematic universe, and a worthy addition to the lineup of movies made by Marvel Studios.