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When we last saw the X-Men in summer of 2000, Wolverine was on his way to places unknown, in search of a past that had escaped him. Magneto, having been defeated by the X-Men, was put away in a plastic prison, vowing to his former friend, Charles Xavier, that things were not yet finished. Relationships had developed, budding romances were blossoming, and a live wire had infiltrated Washington, D.C., in an attempt to quell the growing storm concerning the status of mutants in society. ***

With only a few very subtle references to his original hit, director Bryan Singer picks up where things left off with "X2: X-Men United," a movie that is sure to wash the bad aftertaste of February's "Daredevil" from anyone's action-thirsty mouth. Reflecting the sheer playfulness of last year's "Spider-Man" while also remaining true to its own roots, "X2" builds on the solid foundation laid by "X-Men," enhancing the character development, furthering the plot with a seriousness that does not mar the comic origins, and incorporating more than twice the action and thrills that its predecessor merely touched upon. It's pure sequel, to be sure, but it also happens to be on par with "The Empire Strikes Back" as one of the best sequels to ever get the green light. ***

The story for this new adventure introduces a new villain, far more dangerous and ruthless than Magneto (reprised by Ian McKellan) ever was. General William Stryker (Brian Cox), in the aftermath of a mutant-related attack on the President of the United States, proposes a plan of invading a small secluded establishment in New York: Xavier's School for the Gifted. Professor Xavier himself (Patrick Stewart) carries on with the schooling of impressionable mutants, with the help of his teachers, Cyclops (James Marsden), Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), and Storm (Halle Berry). When Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) returns to the school, he finds Rogue (Anna Paquin) has now become close with Bobby (Shawn Ashmore), whose powers are frigid in every sense of the word. ***

When Jean and Storm capture Kurt Wagner (Alan Cumming)- otherwise known as Nightcrawler- the mutant responsible for the White House attack, they discover a plan that involves the kidnapping of Xavier and the reconstruction of a new Cerebro, which Stryker plans to use in order to obliterate the world of all mutants. Thus begins our new adventure, which will require old enemies to become one force against a much more sinister opponent. ***

To go any further with plot details will ruin the experience, which plays like a classic comic book reading of the highest order. It has the essence of not wanting to be missed for a single moment: you know, when you simply can't stop reading page after colorful page until you reach the back cover? This is that experience on celluloid: "X2" is never once boring or saggy, with a plot whose political relevance and social commentary extend beyond the boundaries of the regular comic-turned-film fare. Singer expands upon the subject of intolerance through the experiences of his characters: when Bobby returns home to admit to his family his secret, the scene is so closely related to any number of real-life situations (coming out, for example), that it takes on a much more important meaning than that of simple plot advancement. The entire plot itself revolves around this theory, and Singer co-writer Daniel P. Harris weave the tale so that it never loses its importance or relevancy to our own world. ***

Along with the more-engrossing plot is an improvement in character. "X-Men" wax merely a means of establishing names, faces, and personalities, and a solid effort, no less. "X2" builds upon that, furthering old relationships while creating new ones, and giving us a much closer and intimate view of their plight. We see more of Jean Grey's instability, Wolverine's emotional state of unrest, and new addition Nightcrawler's reliance on his faith in God to get him through darker times. The acting is once again rock-solid, from new and old cast members alike; even those with less screen time do not fail to make a good impression. We come out of the experience with a much richer appreciation and understanding for the players on both sides, and it's going to be interesting to see what is done with these characters in the inevitable third installment. ***

And anyone who was disappointed with the lack of action in the first movie will undoubtedly embrace the visual sheen of "X2." Singer and his creative team have come up with a stunning array of exciting scenes filled with tension, thrills, and all the popcorn-munching enthusiasm of ten big-budget blockbusters combined. When you see Storm's manipulation of the weather give birth to a storm of endless twisters, or the exciting finale, you'll know what I mean. The filmmakers walk the tightrope of keeping the action and the plot working as one force, and they successfully reach the other side with nary a teeter or totter. It's got the characters, the plot, the action, and even a surprise-twist ending that no one in my audience of fellow filmgoers saw coming. In short, I think it's safe to say that "X2" is 2X the intrigue, 2X the energy, and 2X better than its predecessor.

"X2" was one of Fox's biggest moneymakers at this summer's box office, so it should come as no surprise that the studio has taken great pains to make sure that it looks and sounds absolutely glorious on DVD. Available in separate widescreen and fullframe formats, there is no contest: the wider "X2" is, the better. ***

The transfer is measured at 2.40:1 with anamorphic enhancement, and it looks excellent, to say the least. All the special effects and minor details are captured nicely here, with clarity looking its best, and edges lacking enhancement halos for a nice, pristine look. Color schemes throughout the movie change somewhat, from fully saturated in the beginning and middle, to a somewhat drained appearance when the action moves to the dam. All of this looks great here, with saturation levels performing accordingly, and no smearing or bleeding. Fleshtones are accurate throughout the transfer, as are natural tones, and blacks are rock-solid all the way. Contrast is also very pleasing, and shadow detail adds an incredible about of depth to the image. One thing I did notice is the mild abundance of film grain visible in some darker scenes; while this tends to be bothersome in transfers for more modern movies, given the context of the material, it works in its favor. In short, this is one hell of a transfer. ***

The audio comes in two different flavors: DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1. Much like the movie, this is a non-stop thrill rides for the ears, a wonderfully mastered set of mixes that truly brings the theater experience into your home. With loads of sound effects and a well-recorded score by returning composer John Ottman, there is surround usage aplenty here; the rear channels are alive always, either with music or atmospherics, and in some cases an aggressive mixture of the two. Imaging and channel transparency are mind-bogglingly good, especially in scenes involving multiple overlapping voices that come at you from all sides. The .1 LFE is nicely done, putting out lots of deep, smooth bass that underscores the many effects to perfection. And dialogue, as expected, sounds natural and remains centered throughout. ***

In terms of the differences between DTS and Dolby, it's the same old story you've heard about most other DVDs offering both options. The DTS has the upper hand in terms of transparency across the soundfield, and it is slightly more refined when it comes to the low end frequencies. But that doesn't mean that one should fret over having to remain restricted to the Dolby track: it does just fine for itself, and doesn't fail to please. You thought the mixes for the first movie were good? You haven't heard anything yet!

Once news got out that "X2: X-Men United" managed to make $85 million in its opening weekend alone, it was pretty much a given that Fox had a big success on their hands. And as such, the movie is getting one of the year's better DVD treatments, coming home in a two-disc special edition that is every bit as informative and entertaining as the "X-Men 1.5" DVD released earlier this year in February. ***

Disc Two carries the brunt of the extras, and will take some time to digest. The disc kicks off with the section "History of the X-Men," which in turn begins with the featurette "The Secret Origin of X-Men," in which we hear from Marvel creator Stan Lee and other X-Men comic collaborators on the early development of the fabulous collection of characters that make up one of his most successful comic superhero groups ever. Those with an interest in the inspiration for the movies will want to check this out, and it's fascinating to see how much of the original vision of the comic (i.e. issues of tolerance and acceptance) have been incorporated into Singer's feature films. Then we have "Nightcrawler Reborn," which is a basic glorification piece for what is perhaps one of the best characters of the whole ensemble. Writer Chuck Austen talks about the origins of the comic character, as well as discussing his background, his devout religious beliefs, and how the two coincide with one another on many occasions. ***

Following this is the section "Pre-Production," where we start off with "Nightcrawler Attack," a multi-angle interactive feature that allows us to view the opening attack sequence as an animatic, an unfinished effects sequence, or two split-screen comparisons of these two along with the final complete shot. As is the case with many of these types of features on other DVDs, the more options you have to view, the better, and there are plenty here for the partaking. After that we have "Evolution in the Details," which breaks down the production design of the movie by showing us everything from still photos and behind-the-scenes footage to concept art stills and interview clips with designer Guy Dyas, who can be seen giving us a walkthrough of several sets. And in "United Colors of X," returning costume designer Louise Mingebach takes us through the process of dressing the X-Men for success, which wasn't as easy as you might think, especially when it came to Halle Berry's character, Storm. ***

In "Production," we have a great deal of material that makes up the disc's most comprehensive section. Up first is rehearsal footage of the ultimate match between Wolverine and Deathstrike. As far as I can tell, due to the fact that this features stunt performers in rugged settings, this was probably used as a guideline for the actual scene in the film; oddly enough, it's cut to the final audio composite from the movie. Then we have the very informative documentary "The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men," a nice, lengthy dissection of the evolution of "X2" by way of interviews with many of the filmmakers and the cast members, all of whom have something to say about the ease with which the second chapter came to life on paper, and the difficulties of bringing it to life on the screen. There's a great deal of behind-the-scenes footage and paraphernalia here as well, all of which is very engaging, and from the looks of it, despite the oppressive schedule and budget, everyone seemed to be having a good time making this movie. Continuing the Nightcrawler craze is "Introducing the Incredible Nightcrawler!" in which cast member Alan Cummings talks about taking on the very physical and spiritual role, as well as his collaboration with movement coach Terry Notary, who is also featured here. The section continues with animatics and rehearsal footage of the opening Nightcrawler attack, followed by "Nightcrawler Time-Lapse," which shows the fascinating progression by which Cummings was transformed into the character through extensive make-up work. This section closes out with "FX2," which covers the extensive visual effects work done for the movie; effects junkies will eat this up. ***

"Post-Production" is a rather miniscule section that starts things off with "Requiem for Mutants," which details the scoring of the movie through interviews with composer John Ottman, and "X2 Global Webcast Highlights," which is basically Singer sitting with a studio publicist answering questions coming from fans over the Internet. The disc then moves on to a collection of eleven deleted scenes, many of which are quite engaging and fit right in with the rest of the movie; these are followed by extensive stills galleries featuring a wide variety of topics, and theatrical trailers.