Reaction: Doctor Strange OVA

Marvel digs into its second-tier cast for their latest Lions Gate animated production. I don't know much about Doctor Strange other than that he is the Sorcerer Supreme and that he fights a demon called Dormammu... and that Stephen Strange is a former surgeon who stumbled on the mystic arts when he couldn't practice anymore... and he trained under "The Ancient One." Oh alright, maybe I knew a bit more than I thought.

The Doctor Strange movie is basically retelling the origins of that mythos in the Marvel Universe. Marvel has decided to populate it this little corner of their universe with a secret society of magic users. It's actually pretty cool that there are just enough character moments that you think there's more to them than being token casualties to die in the line of duty (and for plot purposes).
In fact, if I remember my comics lore correctly, the movie actually fleshes out the tale and tackles why Strange comes off as a jerk. We are introduced via flashbacks to Strange's personal history. He was once a caring happy young man and a personal loss drove him to learn all he could about neuro-surgery. He's also surrounded by a cast of characters who, despite his rough treatment of them, seem to care about him. Fate, however, would lead him away from medicine and into mysticism. Strange must deal with classic themes such as jealousy, betrayal, self-discovery... I might argue that as far as one-shot stories go, this was the best remakes Marvel had put up yet.
I think the Marvel Animation team has been gradually improving since their first outing. Clocking in at 95 minutes, it stretches a little bit more than Iron Man did, but it felt just right thanks to perfect pacing. It hits the ground running and doesn't stop until Doctor Strange's ascension to the position of Master of the Mystic Arts.
Marvel and Lions Gate give us that same glossy metallic slip-cover again just like Iron Man. The only thing that bugged me was having a completely irrelevant sidebar in the bottom-left corner. The disc does contain a new documentary looking back at the origins of the character. But the best part was a montage of concept art overdubbed with snippets of music and dialog from the finished film. And if you were smart enough to grab your copy from Wal-mart, the package also included a digital comic about the Marvel Illuminati. That cost a whole 70 cents more than if I'd gotten it elsewhere.
Get it now.