Doctor Strange

Having never taken drugs that alter my perception of reality, I can only commend filmmakers who wish to convey these visions of madness with the rest of the world and throw all their money at CGI artists to make this possible.

That being said, "Doctor Strange." (And it has to be DOCTOR with the same amount of insistence that Jack Sparrow has to be called CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow)

The fine folks at Marvel Studios give their take on the most magical, mystical hero in their roster, Doctor Strange, showing us his origin from a thrill-seeking, arrogant God-complex dude who undergoes a horrific accident, finds a way to help himself and thus uses this newfound power to save and protect people after having his eyes opened that there's more to life than just his massive ego and intellect.

...oh wait, that's Tony Stark.

While this may have shades of the Iron Man story, the Marvel movie formula can arguably all be summed up with the thought of selfish and unlikable a-hole goes through a journey to become a better person and an actual hero. Plus, this is a much more visual spectacle and Benedict Cumberbatch delivers with a (somewhat) passable American accent and a whole lot of sass. Further honorable mention goes to the most zen and Yoda-like of the kung-fu wizards, the bald Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One who teaches Sherlock how to combat the darkness within and the dark dimension pressing in on the home turf.

What's even more fascinating is that just like the sorcerers of this movie, who swipe energy from other dimensions to make magic, the filmmakers here swiped the vibe and feel from other movies to make their magic. (To name a few, Iron Man, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Karate Kid, Aladdin, Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, Inception, and Edge of Tomorrow)

Highly recommend if you want to be taken on a ride of fun and crazy, but less terrifying than Willy Wonka's tunnel of uneasy psychedelicness.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.

 It FINALLY paid off!