SUBMITTED BY Fred Hill
October 2, 2006 — X-Men 3 - The Last Stand comes out on DVD on October 3, 2006. It is the third film in a series that has not disappointed fans. This movie was under new direction and was a hit but the standard edition DVD is great with the movie but lacking with any sort of features beyond the basics.
There will be two editions of the DVD. There is the standard one disc edition (which will be reviewed here) and The Stan Lee Collector's Edition. We were not able to review this edition of the DVD however I am sure that the features this one are for the diehard fans. The features of the edition can be found at the end of this review. There has been no word from Fox when the high-def editions might be released.
At the start of the DVD you have the choice of joining the brotherhood or fighting with the X-Men. The only difference between these two choices is the background images and music. I didn't notice a change in options or layout. If anything I found it more of a pain on a DVD that you would mainly buy for the movie itself and think it should have been saved for the special edition.
The picture and sound quality are great on the DVD. The picture is clear and colors are sharp. If you have a high end TV then you will not disappointed. The sound quality will rattle the walls no matter what set-up you have, as long as you have a good sub. There are three audio configurations to choose from (DTS 6.1 ES, Dolby 5.1 EX, and Dolby Surround). Put the DVD in, turn the lights down, turn the sounds up and enjoy.
The movie itself is the same picture that was shown in theaters. In the features section you have the choice to watching 10 deleted or extended scenes plus 3 alternate endings. You have the option of turning on a commentary from Brett Ratner, Simon Kinberg, and Zak Penn while watching them. Most of the cuts were made rightly so and you can see how certain scenes and the ending went through the editing process.
You also have the choice of hearing two commentaries while watching the movie. The first is with Brett Ratner, Zack Penn, and Simon Kinberg and the second is with Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Ralph Winter. Both were interesting in their own part but I have to confess that I didn't make it through each of them. I was too distracted by the movie itself and zoned out the commentary. However for those diehard fans that want to know all of the processes that went on throughout the filming of the film then you will not want to miss them.
What wraps up the rest of the features are a load of trailers from past Marvel movies, upcoming features & DVDs, and movies that went stright to DVD. I think there are a few too many on the DVD but it also filled up a lot of space and Fox can say that it is packed full.
Also found on the DVD is a "sneak peak" at The Simpsons movie. It is a teaser trailer for sure and there is not much of a "peak" of the movie. I know there are diehard Simpsons fans out there and I want to warn you now that if you are thinking this is a good look into the movie and you bought the DVD for this, then be prepared to be disappointed. Just wait a few days for it to hit the Internet after the DVD comes out.
If you are looking for the basic movie and deleted scenes then you will be happy with this edition of the DVD. If you want one that is loaded with actual special features and a look into the movie then get the collector's edition. You can get the DVD starting October 3, 2006 and the prices are below for each from Amazon.com.
 
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