X-Men

The X-Men DVD provides an impressive 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and THX sound, but the supplementary material feels rushed. While the viewer has the option of watching ten minutes of extra footage reinserted into the film through "extended branching," the transition is not seamless; most of the scenes are from an unfinished working print and are not anamorphic like the rest of the film. The featurette "Mutant Watch" is a television "making of" special that is at least creative in its execution, if not very substantial. Segments from a Charlie Rose interview with director Bryan Singer are also included, but it would have been nice to see the interview in its entirety, while the Hugh Jackman screen test is a feature better placed in the context of a more expansive documentary about the production. The art and animatics galleries feature remarkable concept designs and computer animated storyboards, as well as two hidden "Easter eggs." Highlighting the rose in the trailer menu shows a brief on-set gag involving Spiderman, while Wolverine's dog tags in the art gallery provide concept art for two characters cut from the film. While X-Men has the appearance of a special edition DVD, it will certainly be supplanted by a more authoritative version in the future.