Rating: 
Summary: X-Men 1.5 rooked me too
Review: First I have to say I love X-Men the movie, and this is a great dvd. But I cannot give it the five stars I would like to (or that I gave the first X-Men dvd) because I feel that they have cheated the fans. Much like the comic books themselves, they've devised a way to take more money from the fans. Why wasn't all these extras on the original dvd? Even Bryan Singer himself says in the introduction to the dvd that he hates to do it, and that he hopes a group of people are sitting around watching the 1 dvd they bought (then why did you do it Bryan? whay didn't you just put all this good stuff on the original dvd?)First of all, the menus aren't as cool as the original dvd. Sort of cheesy in fact. Now, both the original and 1.5 come in slipcover cases, but the original has a nice design, with a metallic type sheen to it--very x-meny. 1.5 has much less of the sheen, horrid red letters, and instead of a small tasteful cover art, a large picture of Wolverine, flanked by Mystique and Storm. It looks all right, if you haven't seen the original slip case design. And inside is almost good. it has a nice red and black design (not the vulgar read of the outer cover, but a more tasteful and subdued red), and only loses it when you see a cast lineup. From a design perspective, 1.5 is definitely weaker. Disc One
The X-Men movie is on this disc. I won't go into a review of the movie, because I already did that in my review of X-Men. I will say that it is a great movie, Singer does a great job, and the casting is inspired. There is a commentary track on this dvd, something that was missng from the original. Singer does a great job talking about the film and the filmmaking process. I just have to ask, why wasn't this on the original dvd? There is also an Enhanced Viewing Mode on this cd. It contains extended/deleted scenes, where they would have been placed in the film (also on the original dvd). The problem is that you can't go to them seperately, you can only access them in their place in the Enhanced Viewing Mode (a definite weakness, and not a problem on the original dvd). The Enhanced Viewing Mode also has 17 different behind the scenes footage, at various locations in the film (these you also can only access through this mode and not in a seperate menu. a minus). Disc Two
Here is where Singer's introduction and apology is located. "It's not my nature to be putting out multiple dvds of a film" --then why Bryan, why did you do it? But the orchestra is nice (you'll see what I mean). There are two menus here. One is X-Men 2, which has a Daredevil teaser (there's a movie I won't go see) and has an X-Men 2 sneak preview (I understand why this isn't on the original dvd, and it is a great addition, but not worth buying a whole new dvd). The other menu is titled Evolution X. Under it you'll find all sorts of goodies, which can all be played in sequence, or accessed one at a time (which I recommend), and there is branching her as well, but I'm not sure if you have to go at it all together or not, but I suspect you can only get it if you choose the 'Play All With Branching' option, which really isn't such a bad way to go. There's a 'Production Documentary Scrapbook' where you can watch the train sequence from all different camera angles, and without the post-production and multi-angle fight rehearsals. 'X-Factor' which contains costume tests, toad's makeup test, and an image gallery. 'The Uncanny Suspects' (my that's witty) which has a character gallery and Hugh Jackman's first reading and screen test. 'Special Effects of the X-Men' contains all sorts of effects featurettes and extras. 'Marketing the X-Men' which has trailers, tv spots, and internet spots. And finally 'Reflection of the X-Men" which has footage from the Ellis Island Premier and premier's around the world. And don't forget all the xtras found in the branching option. Overall you do get a lot of good stuff that you won't find on the original dvd. But what you will find on the original dvd that you won't find on 1.5 is the easter egg Spider-Man gag, which is great (but you will get something similar where a Wolverine appears in the original yellow costume), nor will you find the Fox Special "The Mutant Watch", which isn't esential to the film (actually, it doesn't fit great continuity-wise), but it is entertaining, and should be on the 1.5. Now, should you buy X-Men 1.5? I did, but that's because I'm a huge fan of the X-Men (in film, cartoon, comics, toys, and fiction), and the huge X-Fans will end up doing this. Also, I'm a student of film theory and criticism, and this dvd has things I couldn't pass up. But if you have the original dvd, then I'd either rent 1.5 or borrow it from a friend. If you don't have either, I'd say go ahead and pick up 1.5 (borrow the original dvd from a friend, you've got to see the Spider-Man gag). 1.5 does give you the better value, it's just that this stuff should have been on the original dvd. Instead, in the grand Marvel tradition, we screw the true fans.
Rating: 
Summary: X-men 1.5 second disc ruled
Review: I think that XM 1.5 was da bomb. It had behind the scenes footage and Interviews with the actors in the first X-men. Along with costom information and much more! Now I'm more of a fan of the XM comic's and cartoon, but watching the trailor for X2 gave me the goose bumps! Whether your a die hard XM fan, a little boy or girl that enjoys the animated series or XM:E, or even a movie collector this is on item you don't want to miss. And for all the fans that don't like the movie because it dosen't stay true to the comic , think about having men and women saving the world in yellow, blue & green spandex, that would be way to corny!
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Okay DVD
Review: I didn't get the first DVD release of "X-Men", and I'm glad. I got the 1.5 edition and finally finished watching it four days ago. This movie doesn't exactly copy the comic books, but don't worry; it's great. It deals with prejudice against people who are different - in this case, those who are born with special abilities. Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants believe that mutants and regular humans can't coexist in peace and want to conquer them. Professor Charles Xavier and his X-Men fight to protect the humans who fear them from Magneto's group. The DVD contains a lot of documentaries on the making of the film, interviews with the cast and crew, the cast goofing off on the set (Famke playing Cyclops and James playing Jean are hilarious!), and other features. The only negative points are that the six deleted scenes can't be viewed separately, only within the movie; more of the filmed deleted scenes were not included; and the FOX "Mutant Watch" special, which was on the first DVD release, is missing here. Overall, though, this is well worth your money - even if you have bought the first DVD release. If you know nothing about the X-Men, give this DVD set a rent.
Rating:
Summary: X-Men 1.5, I bought it for the free ticket
Review: I only have two complaints, pet peeves, if you will. First the DVD only comes in a widescreen version. I HATE THOSE BLACK LINES,ARRGH !!! Second, and this is about the movie itself, if you are going to use "non-actors" as villians, don't be afraid to give them some lines. If you're afraid to give them some lines, then use real actors. Other than that, I loved this movie.
Rating:
Summary: I Hope all Future Comic Book Films are this Good.....
Review: When the announcement came that a film was going to be made about the X-Men, after Marvel sold the rights, I wasn't too happy with the news. Previous films based on comic books did not do that well. Judge Dread and Spawn are just two examples. I didn't expect much from the film but when I heard that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen where going to play two of the main characters I was lifted and I thought the film might not be so bad after all.
When I went to see this at the cinema I was surprised with the film in whole and with individual items. In whole the plot of the film is good and the way the film unfolds as to who Magneto (Ian McKellen) really wants is done in such a way as to mislead you to who he really wants until the X-Men finally find out what his intentions are. Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison) is played very well and the fear that he, and many others, feel about mutants. The argument that takes place near the beginning of the film with Dr Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) is very well directed and the argument is a valid one as well, making good points and the points being made all making sense.
In the individual parts of the film the characters stay true to there characters in the comic books apart from the fact that the X-Men now wear uniforms instead of "yellow spandex!" The actors are well chosen and seeing as though I haven't seen many of the actors in any other films they really did bring the characters themselves come to life. Rebecca Romijn- Stamos who played Mystique had to spend 10 hours in make-up just to look the part! Everything that takes place in the film that is related to the X-Men stay true to the comic. Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), better know as Professor X has a school set up for "gifted" people where other mutants teach them how to control their powers and also get a education while being in a safe environment. Professor X himself being a mutant who broke his back and is now confined to a wheelchair. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is one of the most favourite characters out of the X-Men (not forgetting Cyclops (James Marsden) and his character features a lot in the film. His past is unknown and the reason why he has a super strong metal, known as adamantium, which gives him the ability to extend and retract steel claws from between his knuckles is implanted though out his body is a mystery and leaves the story open for a sequel.....
All the actors who played all the main characters in the film also deserve praise as they played the characters well and they did truly represent the characters from the comic book. The DVD of the X-men includes a number of "extras" as well as the original and an extended version. Don't expect much from the extended version of the X-Men as it is not a complete individual film itself. It takes the original film and when extra pieces of the film, that were removed or deleted from the film for a number of reasons, are just inserted into the film. This means that you get a rough version where you sometimes have to watch parts of the film that doesn't really fit in well or have to watch the same part of the film twice but with different scripts. I suggest you watch the original version first before you watch the extended version so you don't get confused. The DVD also includes interviews with the Bryan Singer who directed the film, the screen test for Wolverine (why!?!), all the adverts from the USA and the UK that appeared on the TV advertising the film at the cinema, the advert for the soundtrack, the animation test for two parts of the film, a gallery section (and for those who have a Playstation 2 you will need a hand control to view these) and a little section called "Mutant Watch"
Mutant Watch is really good. It is about 20 minutes long and it shows an separate version of the court case where Senator Kelly argues his case about mutants and has video evidence which are parts of the film. This section is acted out specifically for DVD and it is a clever way to advertise the X-Men film while also explaining some parts of the film to those who don't know, don't understand or are unfamiliar with the X-Men world. Anyway this film is good for die hard fans or new comers and it is a DVD I strongly suggest you buy or at least rent.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not worth buying again.
Review: This is an interesting if uninspired superhero movie. It's no "Spiderman", but it also isn't "Batman and Robin" or "The Punisher". I bought the 1.5 edition because I hadn't bought the disk previously, and I would say the good but pretty standard extra features don't warrant buying another version if you own the previous release. Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine was probably the best part of this movie, especially since the character is steeped in so much fan adoration and comic mythology. Its too bad Hugh went on to do [movies]like "Swordfish" and "Kate and Leopold", oh well X-Men 2 is almost here. I would like to see X-men develop into a major franchise, there is certainly a lot of great stories to adapt for the screen, and they have assembled a good cast for the roles. Some people might argue that James Marsden was a weak link as Cyclops, but I actually thought he wasnt that bad in 2000's "Gossip", especially for a guy whose previous credits include Saved by the Bell the New Class". I think that X-men as a franchise could do well by following the example of "Ultimate X-men" part of Marvel's re-imagining of its own universe. The series re-introduces familiar characters helping a new generation gain access into the X-men universe, but also changing those characters so they are still interesting to long time fans like myself.
Rating:
Summary: X - Men
Review: I have never been a fan of X - Men comics, or any comics for that matter. That being said, I watched this movie because I was bored; and I did not have an open mind at that time. After thirty minutes my mind was completely changed. The acting in this movie is well above average, and the the script was very well written. The plot just seemed to flow together to become an excellent choice if your out looking for a Science Fiction/Action movie. Also, on a side note, this movie is so well written that if I did not know any better, I would say that under a strange circumstance, this could actually happen.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie , decent DVD
Review: The movie is solid, smart and well acted. It's one of the few films where you can sympathize with both the lead protaganist (Xavier) as well as its antagonist (Magneto). Growing up with the X-men I was not dissapointed and clearly could see the reasons behind the changes that they made. Director Bryan Singer juggles the ensemble with little difficulty and manages to introduce newcomers to a thirtysomething year history while sating the diehard zealots by treating the material with respect. That being said, when watching the behind the scenes documentaries, I found it dissapointing that not a single cast/crew member was an X-men fan before the film. Screenwriter Desanto being the only exception. A feature on the DVD is the "enhanced" version of the film. Similar to Spider-Man and Moulin Rouge when the symbol pops up on the screen in the lower corner it takes you to a three to five minute behind-the-scenes vignette. But the similarity ends there. These snippets are uninformative and really have no point. The camera just rolls and no one explains why they are showing you what they are showing you, save for an exception on the costumes. The same with the "Video Scrapbook" segment.
The flipside to that is the commentary is very good. Singer is modestly proud of his work and loves to share interesting tidbits that you may not know and may have missed. There is also another guy on there who never really clarifies who he is, but the two play off of each other well making this fun to listen to. Since I don't have the first offering of this DVD, I really can't say if you should buy this movie again. But I can say that I'm glad I got it and recommend it for those who do not yet have it.
Rating:
Summary: Solid SF-action movie
Review: With the second X-Men movie rolling out this summer, I decided that it would be a good time to get off my backside and watch the first. What I found was a very enjoyable action movie, with more brains than one usually finds in that genre, with a good cast and excellent direction. If the sequel is this good, then it will definitely be worth watching. In recent years, an increasing number of people have been discovered to be mutants, whose DNA has taken a leap forward and given them superhuman powers. Now their freedom is threatened. Rogue, a girl whose touch can kill (Anna Paquin) and Logan/Wolverine, (Hugh Jackman) a man with steel claws and amazing regenerative abilities are attacked in Canada, only to be rescued by mutants and taken to a top-secret "school for the gifted" in New York. It's run by the mind-reading/controlling mutant Carles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), to teach and protect his fellow mutants, known as X-Men. But there are others without such benevolent plans. Magneto (Ian McKellen), a Holocaust survivor who can generate powerful magnetic fields, anticipates a coming war between mutants and ordinary humans. With the help of the reptilian shapeshifter Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), savage Sabertooth (Tyler Mane), and nasty Toad (Ray Park), he abducts and artificially mutates a U.S. senator, then threatens the entire population of New York with a bizarre weapon. And only the X-Men can hope to stop him. Yes, it sounds cheesy, but it's done well. In fact, most of the movie goes under the listing of sounds-stupid-but-is-done-well. The superpower-enhanced action sequences are well done, and the mutants are given human edges and attachments that keep them from just being pretty faces with superpowers. They may not be homo sapiens any longer, but in personality they are quite human. The special effects are surprisingly muted, and usually kept in tune with the storyline. Though this is an action movie, it bothers to have a complicated plotline including politics, history, and a bit of commentary on intolerance and mindless prejudice as well. Patrick Stewart does a good job as a benevolent father-figure to all the mutants (they're even referred to as his "children" in one scene). Ian McKellen is flawless as Magneto; this is not some random wanna-conquer-the-world villain, but someone who is embittered and determined to the point of potential genocide. (An interesting parallel is that he is a survivor of the Holocaust, yet he seeks to establish a "master race" of mutants) Hugh Jackman does a good job with Wolverine's tough-guy image that covers his confusion and loneliness, since he doesn't know who he is or who put metal all over his bones. Anna Paquin annoyed me as Rogue, because she seems to cry a lot. Famke Janssen (as telekinetic Jean Grey), Halle Berry (as weather-controlling Storm), and James Marsden (as laser-eyed Cyclops) are all good supporting roles, although Berry's role is somewhat thinner than her costars'. This movie is also a bit darker than films like Spiderman, more adult and more disturbing (especially with the themes about prejudice and discrimination). This movie isn't quite flawless, unfortunately. Some of the costumes are a bit overdone, especially Storm's -- is there any logical reason for her to wear that silver catsuit and cape? Most of the characters are fine, like Cyclops and Wolverine, but occasionally the costumes get a little silly. Additionally, many of the scientific aspects of the movie are never explained at all, such as Kelly's transformation into the human jellyfish. How exactly does Magneto do this? I'm a little fuzzy on how that radiation is generated and how it affects ordinary humans. Despite these flaws, "X-Men" is a good solid action/SF movie, especially since it so easily could have been a total disaster. Pop popcorn and sit back.
Rating: 
Summary: A re-examination of lost potential....
Review: This could have been a great film adaptation of one of the most extensive comic franchises in history but the director and producers chickened out. They went for the "easy mark": 'Let's Put Wolverine In Everything' formula mixed with a 'Continuity-Shmontinuity' attitude made this film a confusing mess. Half of the founding members of the X-Men are kids, Angel - the guy who finances the X-Men and a founding member IS NOT EVEN MENTIONED. The Beast? Vapor. Anna Paquin as Rogue??? Holy Cow, that was a mistake! No Gambit, No Longshot, No Nightcrawler, No Colossus, Pyro is studying under Professor X etc... They tried to introduce everyone, out of sequence and then left out some key players. What did they do right? Casting Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart as Magneto and Professor X saved the movie from being a complete waste of time, adding Bruce Davidson to the cast was a good idea (great actor!). Showing the reason behind Magneto's fanatacism (the death camp scene) was good. Hugh Jackman did do a decent job as Wolverine. They scene at the train station. This DVD version promises some extra goodies and better sound which may not be worth it. That extra stuff really does'nt do that much for me. But this DVD also contains some scenes from the sequel. Oooh, how will Magneto escape from his prison??? (Anybody with a brain knows that he will attack the iron in the gaurds' blood). At least Nightcrawler will be in it.
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