Based on the comic book by Daniel Clowes, “Ghost World” is not like other comic book adaptations. Unlike “Batman” or “X-Men,” which rely on special effects and the comics’ outrageous plots to tell a story, “Ghost World” uses atmosphere, dialogue and well-thought-out characters to create its world and present its ideas.

“Ghost World” follows two girls, Enid and Rebecca (Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson) the summer after graduating high school. This is not another “teen movie,” however; it’s a cynical, thoughtful and at times humorous look at the world and how the two main characters relate to it and people around them.

It is from the view of Enid and Rebecca that we see the world, and it is these characters that make “Ghost World” such an intriguing and enjoyable story. Not only is it fun to sit and watch as they try to make sense of – and make fun of – the strange behaviors of our society and its people, but more importantly, it’s easy to relate to them on some level.

Within these two girls lie characteristics that many viewers can relate to, even if just briefly, and this makes them great focal points of the movie. Also, the world that is created in “Ghost World” could be almost any town in the U.S. and is therefore easy to identify with. With all of these qualities, “Ghost World” presents its ideas and comes off as both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Despite the fact that “Ghost World” is an interesting film, the DVD itself is disappointing and drab. It seems as though MGM Studios went through little effort to provide the content of the DVD, despite the film’s critical praise. The extras provided do little for the enjoyment of the film and really fail to take advantage of the format.

What “Ghost World” does have is trailers for other movies, a music video, deleted and alternate scenes and a “making-of” featurette.

The trailers and music video really offer nothing for the film and are an unnecessary addition to the DVD altogether. In addition, the deleted and alternate scenes are uninteresting and really show nothing new.

The featurette is the only gem in the whole lot, and even it disappoints. It does give some background information on the ideas and production of the film, as well as some cast and filmmaker interviews. However, it is rather short and plays like a TV special (which it may have been) and is not up to par with the more serious or absorbing featurettes found on other DVD releases.

The presentation of ‘Ghost World’ is good enough, with a clean transfer of the movie and decent sound. Considering ‘Ghost World’s’ nature as a dialogue-and-story-driven film, however, these features are really not necessary anyway.

In the end, “Ghost World” is the type of movie that begs for more: a director’s, writer’s or actors’ commentary track; more featurettes giving insight into the film; or some deep background information on the comic book and its creator to help viewers understand where the ideas come from. Sadly, none of this exists and because of that, “Ghost World” as a DVD fails.

In part, this is OK, as “Ghost World” is a great and meaningful movie that is good for multiple viewings. Whether for the humor, the wry wit, the cynical views, the deeper meanings or the subtleties of the detailed world, it can be enjoyed time and again. Despite the lack of impressive extra features, this makes the DVD worth it for the movie alone. However, it is also the type of movie that a “Special Edition” DVD will most likely be made for, so purchasing this DVD may mean reinvesting at a later date.

** 1/2

Chris Weishaar is a sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication from Bronson.