The most telling quote in the extras-laden Blu-ray release of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” comes from the man who gave birth to the hirsute hero.

“The less you know about a character, the more interesting they are,” says Len Wein during a lively chat with Marvel Comics God Stan Lee.

Wein is right, of course, something “Wolverine” told us back in May. But the film still has its appeal, from Hugh Jackman’s rugged lead performance to several eye-popping action sequences.

The Blu-ray edition’s extras offer a few more reasons to revisit the “X-Men” franchise spinoff.

The aforementioned Wein/Lee chat should be catnip to comic book fans. Who could ever tire of Lee talking about his comic creations?

Here, he breaks down the inspiration for creating a group of super mutants – he got tired of concocting clever origin stories for his superheroes, he says with a wink of self deprecation.

Lee adds how much his collaborations with artist Jack Kirby added to his comic creations, and he seems gob-smacked that we’re still talking about the X-Men so many years after he created the comic.

The obligatory deleted scenes don’t offer much besides a quick shot of a young Ororo – AKA Storm – in one of the movie’s early sequences.

Far better is a special effects breakdown of the motorcycle chase, with every key player behind the sequence sharing how they all worked together to make the moment happen. The sharp featurette illustrates how a smart combination of old-school effects and CGI can make for stunning results.

The disk also includes several commentary tracks, a series of X-modes which let people watch the film interrupted by production sketches and other behind the scenes tricks as well as character portraits of the key X figures in the film.

(Photo: Hugh Jackman reprises his role as the mercurial Wolverine in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” now available on DVD/20th Century Fox Home Video)

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The “commie, homo loving sons of guns,” as Sean Penn put it during last night’s Oscar telecast, have spoken.

To be fair, the 81st annual Academy Award presentation wasn’t as political as we’ve seen in recent years. No Michael Moore sightings. No President George W. Bush to kick around anymore.

The annual telecast was more concerned with shaking up its own formula, desperate to bring back audience members who fled in recent years. The show bent over backwards to appeal to John Q. Public, trotting out teen sensations like Zac Efron and Robert Pattinson of “Twilight” fame and overloading clip montages with populist fare like “Wanted“ and “Iron Man.”

Oscar producers want to have it both ways.

They continue to honor only Serious Films and Important Biopics while dismissing comedy, action and other worthy genres. But they inject those genres into the ceremony via highlight reels meant to remind us why we love movies in the first place.

The show even included several wink-wink gags to remind us that, yes, they know the Oscars suffer a permanent disconnect with the public at large – ha, ha, no one has seen the movies we‘re about to honor! But they’d rather joke about it than actually fix it.

Until that happens, expect audiences to keep on dwindling. And the show’s cultural cache will recede in kind.

This year’s telecast did feel different. The stage twinkled a tad brighter and host Hugh Jackman brought some razzle dazzle to the affair. Jackman dispensed with the normal Oscar host duties – namely a comedy monologue meant to praise and sting Hollywood all at once.

Instead, he showed off his song ‘n’ dance skills and seemed like he was having a blast during the modestly engaging opener. For a while, his chipper mood proved contagious.

Some modifications worked wonderfully. Having five past best actor/actress nominees announce – and salute – this year’s chosen actors proved heartfelt and personal.

But audiences can only take so many obscure award presentations. By the halfway point that very Oscar sense of “is it over yet?” came flooding back, cosmetic changes be darned.

Early highlights included the late Heath Ledger winning for Best Supporting Actor for “The Dark Knight.” The camera flashed to a number of actors fighting back tears as Ledger’s family accepted on his behalf. The moment felt anything but inauthentic.

The biggest laugh came courtesy of Ben Stiller, clad in the Joaquin Phoenix 2009 collection – scruffy beard, dazed expression and utterly inarticulate.

Brilliant.

The night’s best hope for Oscar magic came courtesy of Jerry Lewis, on hand to accept an honorary Oscar. Eddie Murphy stepped on stage to prep the moment – he was a “Nutty Professor,” too, get it? But Murphy didn’t bring much passion to the assignment. And Lewis kept his speech short, either afraid of offending the audience or too frail to stand on stage for a lengthy dissertation.

President Obama’s favorite word, “change,“ came up as Jackman clumsily segued into an unnecessary dance number featuring Beyonce. What Oscar producers fail to grasp is that movie lovers love movies … not Broadway-style productions. But we get ‘em every year, like it or not. And they’re usually awful.

Even with Hollywood’s favorite candidate in the White House the community’s liberal ideology couldn’t be suppressed.

During the tribute section for those who passed over the last year, audience members could barely bring their hands together when the late Charlton Heston’s image flashed on the screen.

Maher, presenting the Best Documentary Oscar based solely on his one-sided “Religulous,” used his allotted time to smite religion. Note to Oscar producers: If you don’t want to alienate any more viewers, stop inviting verbal bomb throwers like Maher.

“Milk” screenwriter Dustin Lance Black struck a less aggressive, more heartfelt note with his acceptance speech. He told gay viewers, “very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours.” Naturally, Black didn’t chide President Obama for his opposition to gay marriage.

The erstwhile Jeff Spicoli smarmily greeted his fellow travelers while accepting his second Oscar, this time for his strong performance in “Milk: “You commie homo-loving sons of guns. I did not expect this, and I want it to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me, often, but I am touched by the appreciation.”

He went on to praise America for electing an “elegant“ president, as if that’s a key qualification for the Oval Office. Then again, if Penn were in charge, he’s probably import either Fidel or Raul Castro.

Despite all the changes, last night’s Oscar telecast felt … small. Where were Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Jodie Foster or Tom Hanks? Hollywood’s biggest night had precious few stars, and one suspects next year’s telecast will have even fewer viewers no matter how much “change” comes to the format.

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Wanna know how Wolverine got those sharp claws?

The new “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” promises to fill in the blanks.

But if you can’t wait for its May 1 release, check out a trio of 60-second sneak peaks heading our way starting Sunday.

The first spot airs February 15 on “Family Guy,” the second on Monday (Feb. 16) on “House,” and the third on Tuesday (Feb. 17) on “American Idol.” The clips will then be seen online.

“Wolverine” co-stars Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, and Ryan Reynolds, as well as Taylor Kitsch, will.i.am and Lynn Collins.

(Photo: Hugh Jackman reprises his most popular role to date, as the hirsute mutant known as Wolverine, in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” coming May 1, 2009)

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Films like “Australia” all but say “bring it on,” to critics.

How dare a movie try to work on an epic level with an epic-sized budget? And it’s old fashioned to boot?? Release the hounds!

“Australia” got nailed by some savage, and inaccurate, pre-release blog rantings. The actual film is an engrossing production, assuming you can look past its assembly line of flaws. You’ll also have to wade through the first 20 minutes which are as bad as those cranky bloggers foretold.

Nicole Kidman plays Lady Ashley, a porcelain doll of an aristocrat visiting Australia to support her husband’s latest business venture – a cattle deal Down Under. She’s barely set foot on Aussie soil when she learns her husband has been killed, leaving her to manage his affairs.

She gets a helping hand, and then some, from a hunky rancher named Drover (Hugh Jackman). They team up to drive her late husband’s herd to its destination as well as thwart the local villain (Bryan Brown) from swiping their deal out from under them.

Along the way the duo all but adopt an Aborigine child (scene swiper Brandon Walters) and watch as World War II engulfs the nation.

Is “Australia” “Titanic 2.0?” Not even close. The beginning could use a gallon of WD-40 and it would still creak along like a wagon train with a missing wheel. Kidman remains an actress who works in only one gear – steely resolve. When she melts in Jackman’s arms, it’s clearly a parlor trick, nothing more.

Jackman, still searching for a signature role that doesn’t involve metal claws, deserves a more ravishing dance partner.

“Australia” won’t have you checking your watch despite its bloated running time, and the action-packed finale manages to be both visually and emotionally complex almost despite itself.

It’s an epic, all right, but neither another “Heaven’s Gate” or “Dr. Zhivago.” It sits comfortable in the middle, and what a shame more movies don’t find their way there, too.

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The “Australia” PR machine finally got something to trumpet this week.

The new film, hammered by poison press so far, features the Sexiest Man Alive – Hugh Jackman.

Will it help? Hard to know, especially since some savvy scribes think the film is scientifically designed to fail.

That may be true, but early buzz doesn’t tell the whole story.

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Have you heard about the disaster that is “Australia?”

No? Maybe because you haven’t seen it yet. Few people have – it comes out Nov. 26.

That hasn’t kept the knives from being drawn by the movie press. Film scribes are eagerly reporting the film’s woes, rumors that the ending is being tweaked and other unflattering tidbits.

“Australia” director Baz Lurhmann has even been dubbed arrogant — (OK, Kyle Smith has a point here).

Worst of all, I already know the ending. While some movie writers emblazon the word “spoiler” on the comments, others don’t, apparently.

Let’s take a deep breath and remember another bloated romance with horrible buzz before it opened.

Yeah, that “Titanic” sank like a stone.

(Photo: Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman star in the sweeping romance “Australia.” Photo credit: James Fisher)

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