Something to talk about: three enhanced films

Recent DVD extras for theatrical releases have tended to forgo audio commentary by filmmakers and to beef up the documentaries. But three major films arriving today buck that trend.

That’s especially fortunate on “The Queen” (Miramax, $30), because the two audio commentary tracks are scrumptious. The first features director Stephen Frears and screenwriter Peter Morgan, both of whom were nominated for Oscars for this drama about Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren, who crowned her awards with an Oscar for best actress).

Frears and Morgan possess that wry British wit and banter about the production and its budget constraints.

British historian Robert Lacey, who wrote a bestselling biography of Elizabeth in 1977 and served as a consultant on the movie, supplies the second track. More of the stiff-upper-lip type, Lacey offers informative tidbits that help illuminate the complexities of the monarchy.

Shawn Levy, director of “Night at the Museum” (Fox, $35), is front and center in the lively two-disc set of the family-friendly fantasy about the new night watchman (Ben Stiller) at New York’s Museum of Natural History, who discovers the museum comes to life at night.

Levy comes off as a human dynamo during his entertaining pair of tracks on the movie and the several deleted scenes and an alternate opening.

Equally kicky is the tongue-in-cheek commentary from screenwriters Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, who discuss the challenges of transforming a children’s book into a feature-length script.

The second disc is filled with behind-the-scenes documentaries -- including a sidesplitting gag reel.

Director Tony Scott, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and co-screenwriter Bill Marsilii hold court with a solid commentary track for the romantic sci-fi thriller “Deja Vu,” the third collaboration between Scott and actor Denzel Washington.

The trio discusses the genesis of the project as well as the challenges of filming in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

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Also new

“James Cagney -- The Signature Collection” (Warner, $50): The majority of the legendary actor’s “signature” films -- “The Public Enemy,” “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “White Heat” and “Love Me or Leave Me” -- have already been released on DVD. But Cagney is such a magnetic presence that this set of five second-tier films is pretty irresistible. The best of the lot are the sexy 1940 romantic adventure “Love Me or Leave Me,” the rousing World War I adventure “The Fighting 69th” and the rollicking 1941 romance “The Bride Came C.O.D.” Rounding out the quintet are “Captains of the Clouds” (1942) and the 1950 musical “West Point Story.” Extras include trailers, short subjects and cartoons.

“The Documentaries of Louis Malle” (Eclipse, $80): Although the Oscar-nominated French filmmaker of “Atlantic City” and “Murmur of the Heart” fame is best known for his dramatic films, he also created a series of personal documentary films. This must-have six-disc set features his acclaimed “Phantom India,” “Calcutta,” “And the Pursuit of Happiness,” “God’s Country,” “Humain, Trop Humain,” “Place de la Republique” and “Vive le Tour.”

“Ironside -- The Complete First Season” (Shout Factory, $60): After the demise of his CBS series “Perry Mason,” Raymond Burr returned to TV in 1967 in this NBC cop series set in San Francisco. Quincy Jones supplied the theme music. The set features all 28 episodes from the first season and the 1966 pilot.

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susan.king@latimes.com