As a Christian allegory, director Scott Derrickson’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is impressively thorough. Proud and worldly neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, cockily joking even as he fumbles with his accent) is cast down from his throne, seeks healing from a keeper of ancient spiritual wisdom and power, comes to believe in a world beyond his senses, learns that strength comes from humility, and finally finds that he’s been subtly recruited into a titanic struggle between good and evil. (The bad guy promises nothing less than eternal life.) There’s even tension between natural law and personal conscience! As a movie, it’s silly (jump scares for laffs, etc.), sloppy (lots of talking about mystical realities that turn out to be largely arbitrary) and spectacular (as in spectacle, as in trippy, kaleidoscopic, reality-bending special effects). The silliness and sloppiness don’t detract from the ultimate goal, however, because the ultimate goal is a certain sort of dazzling, feel-good entertainment — and the addition of one more chapter to the continuing saga. (2016) — Matthew Lickona
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