X2 - X-Men United on DVD
The president of the United States has been attacked in a most frightening
manner, and obviously by a mutant. This puts more pressure on the government
to take care of the mutant problem one way or another once and for
all.
Does this mean war? If so, on whom would you want to bet? The mutants, with
their strange powers, or the US military with its huge numbers and high technology?
X2 - X-Men United picks up pretty well where the first movie leaves off. Magneto
(Ian McKellen) is in his special prison, which makes it unlikely that he could
have spearheaded the attack on the president - or so it would seem.
So who could have done it?
Well it isnt just mutants who can manipulate stuff, it turns out, because
theres a rather nasty piece of humanity (Brian Cox) at work manipulating
mutants for his own nefarious ends. Hes also a blast from Wolverines
(Hugh Jackman) past, and could have the answers to that X-Mans questions
about who he is and from whence he came.
This may be a comic book turned into a movie, but it doesnt feel like
a comic book. Rather, its more like a grand science fiction adventure,
populated by textured characters that have depth, with their own foibles and
strengths. Credit the writers and director Bryan Singer with going the extra
mile and giving us a ripping yarn instead of just throwing special effects at
us.
Of course, they do throw special effects at us and theyre very good,
but they serve the story rather than the other way around.
We get to see personal growth in our X-Men, too, from a budding romance for
Rogue (Anna Paquin), the resolution of the romanctic triangle involving Cyclops
(James Marsden), Wolverine, and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). And much more.
Then theres Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), the good
X-Mens mentor who, while not a new character, almost ends up being
their undoing.
There are new X-Men, too, chief of whom is Nightcrawler (Allan Cumming), a
deeply religious man (and whod have thunk that a Hollywood movie would
treat his religion with such respect?) who can teleport himself and other people/things.
Last movies adversaries, the good and the bad mutants, are forced to
put their differences aside to work for the greater good - but reluctantly.
Will their union lead to a happy marriage for all time?
There are also some gorgeous locations (the Alkali Lake sequences in particular)
that make the heart of this reviewer race with joy because they were shot in
Kananaskis country, Alberta, about an hour from where this review is written.
Ah, the beautiful Canadian Rockies!
Yep, theres a lot of stuff happening in X2, and it makes for a terrific
ride in the home theater.
20th Century Fox has also released another fine DVD with X2, though we must
caution readers that theyve inflicted separate anamorphic widescreen and
Pan&Scan versions onto the market - so beware! Wed recommend that
anyone who wants to buy the disc get the widescreen version, because as sure
as God made little green apples your next TV is bound to be a widescreen one
and if you buy the Pan&Scan version you wont be happy when you make
the transition.
So if you cant stand black bars, and dont mind losing half the
picture when you slice the sides off the it, rent the Pan&Scan version -
but save your hard-earned purchasing dollars for the real McCoy.
Other than that, were really impressed with this disc. It isnt
a THX-certified transfer, but youd never know that from the quality of
this release: audio and video are both superb, and this DVD makes a great test
of your home theater.
The video quality of the anamorphic widescreen version we tested mades us wonder
why all DVDs arent this good. The image is razor sharp, colors are
deep and rich, and the whole shebang is a visual delight.
Likewise the audio, which gives you surround choices of Dolby Digital or dts
5.1 surround, is excellent. Highs are clean and not shrill, theres plenty
of deep, rumbling bass, dialogue is clean, and all the channels are used very
well.
For what more can a DVD fan ask?
Well, how about a bunch of extras?
X2 is a two disc set, so one would assume theyve piled on the supplementary
material. And youd be right.
You get commentary tracks on disc one: one by Bryan Singer and Tom Sigel and
another by Lauren Schuler Donner, Ralph Winter, Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris,
and David Hayter.
The extra meat is spread over to the second disc and gives you such stuff as
the obligatory theatrical trailers, a documentary "The Second Uncanny
Issue of X-Men" Making of X2, and a total of 11 featurettes: "The Secret
Origin of X-Men," "Nightcrawler Reborn," "Evolution in the Details - Designing
X2," "United Colors of X," "Wolverine Deathstrike Fight Rehearsal," "Introducing
the INCREDIBLE NIGHTCRAWLER!," "Nightcrawler Stunt Rehearsal," "Nightcrawler
Time-lapse", "FX2 - Visual Effects," "Requiem for Mutants - The Score of X2,"
and "X2 Global Webcast Highlights."
If that isnt enough to satisfy you there are enough deleted scenes to choke
a horse, as well as galleries of still images.
In all, a wonderful DVD.
X2- X-Men United, from 20th Century Fox Home Video
134 min. anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1, 16x9 TV compatible)/Pan&Scan (SOLD
SEPARATELY), Dolby Digital and dts 5.1 surround
Starring Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen,
James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Anna Paquin
Produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter
Written by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris and David Hayter, directed by
Bryan Singer
Tell us at TechnoFile what YOU think