7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A police officer joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth.
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip TornAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 59% |
Comedy | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
1500 years ago, everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago,
everybody knew the Earth was flat, and 15 minutes ago you knew we were alone on this planet.
Can you imagine what you'll know tomorrow?
In the great tradition of the alien/monster/comedy sub-genre that features such films as
Mars
Attacks! and Eight Legged Freaks, Men in Black is likely the most popular
offering the genre has ever seen due to its exciting visuals, over-the-top characters, and the
dynamic duo that is Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Released in 1997, the film features a
young Will
Smith who, at the time, was just finding his cinematic stride with the hits Independence Day
and
Bad Boys under his belt. In contrast, Tommy Lee Jones
brings a commanding, veteran
screen presence to his role with an Oscar nomination (Best Actor in a Supporting Role,
JFK)
and an Oscar win (Best Actor in a Supporting Role, The Fugitive) as well
as
a plethora of standout performances, including his roles in Under Siege, Natural Born Killers,
and Cobb on his resumé. Before you begin to think this information is worthless filler,
there is a point
to
it: both actor's careers, at the time Sony released Men in Black, seem to parallel their
on-screen characters almost precisely. Smith, with a short but impressive resumé, plays the
brash, up-and-coming, still wet-behind-the-ears, energetic, new kid on the block; Jones portrays
the grizzled veteran who's been in the trenches, knows the business (both acting in his "real life"
job
as well as the MiB in the movie) inside and out. As such, Jones commands a great deal of
attention and
respect the
moment he steps on-set or dons the black MiB suit when director Barry Sonnenfeld (RV) yells "action".
The film is expertly casted; both Jones
and Smith are the perfect choices for their respective roles, and that, above all else, is the primary
reason
why Men in Black works as well as it does.
So, we look even sharper now?
Sony's commitment to releasing the finest Blu-ray products is evident with every spin of a Sony-branded disc. The consistency of product -- from the
latest blockbusters to the most cherished classic titles from years gone by -- is arguably tops in the entire industry, and why shouldn't it be; Sony
was a lead Blu-ray design and advocacy outfit, its PlayStation 3 console offered disc playback and instant wide format adoption, and the first wave of
titles released back in 2006 bore the
Sony label on the spine. Since then, and through a few growing pains and spurts -- a bloody format war, a misstep or two, the transition from Dolby TrueHD to DTS-HD Master Audio -- the
studio has emerged as the most trustworthy in the industry when it comes to its Blu-ray product. When it says Sony, chances are extremely
high that the movie is going to look
(and sound) about as good as the format allows. Now, Sony is recalling the days of its "Superbit" DVD releases with the emergence of "Mastered in
4K"
(*)
Blu-ray discs. The
new
transfers are sourced from 4K masters but here's where the giant asterisk comes in: they're then downscaled to standard Blu-ray 1080p resolution.
That
means buyers can enjoy them on their regular old Blu-ray players and their regular old HDTVs -- no fancy new hardware required. The downside is
that
viewers aren't really seeing the material in 4K; even those who shell out the large sum of cash for a new 4K TV will be treated only to an upscaled
presentation, much the same way today's regular old TV/playback 1080p device combos upscale standard definition DVDs.
Watching the "Mastered in 4K" transfer in 1080p does yield some benefits over the standard 1080p Blu-ray releases, even if it's not a true 4K
experience. The discs
take advantage of a significantly higher bitrate than regular old Blu-ray discs, meaning more muscle to produce the finest picture quality, revealing
superior details and showcasing that perfect cinematic, pleasing grain texturing for pictures photographed on film and more accuracy for those
photographed in the wholly digital realm. "Mastered in 4K" discs also promise superior color balance and accuracy, reproducing a more
faithful-to-the-source palette that will reveal the sort of natural shading and subtle nuance even the best of 1080p Blu-ray cannot match. More, Sony
promises
enhanced viewing on its own line of 4K TVs thanks to a proprietary upscaling algorithm that's designed to squeeze the most out of
the "Mastered in 4K" line of Sony discs, above and beyond what any competitor's display can offer. Makes sense considering some branch of Sony is at
work
along every step of the process. Unfortunately, one of Sony's shiny new 4K televisions was not available for review purposes, but suffice it to say that
either of the launch displays -- the 55" and 65" XBR-labeled sets -- will undoubtedly offer the best consumer viewing picture to date, whether joined
with a Sony "Mastered in 4K" disc or a regular old Blu-ray from any studio.
Men in Black earns a healthy visual upgrade with its "Mastered in 4K" presentation. While the original release looks quite good for a five-year-old Blu-ray, the 4K master marks
an obvious improvement. Here, colors appear deeper, more accurate, and a bit more naturally bold. Whether loud reds and yellows, slimy greens and
blues, or darker shades of brown and gray, the palette sees a nice surge in stability and accuracy in every instance. Flesh tones, too,
look great, while black levels never stray towards crush or, on the other side, paleness. Details prove quite a bit more accurate, too.
Image clarity earns a significant boost. Fine textures are naturally pronounced, whether skin and clothing intricacies or more effects-heavy visual
elements that rely on complex goings-on to sell the authenticity of the alien. The picture enjoys a very strong film-like texturing with a fairly sharp
and moderately heavy grain structure. On the downside, there are minor bouts of noise and a couple of edge halos. Nevertheless, it's a noticeable
improvement over the previous
release.
Men in Black crashes down on Blu-ray with a high-octane, sci-fi extravaganza Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This soundtrack offers a wide array of sound to bombard your senses and utilizes every millimeter of every speaker in your home theater. When Mikey is killed at the beginning, the sound crescendos to a nearly impossibly loud ensemble of sound, involving highs, lows, and everything in between. Another fascinating sonic sequence comes when Edwards arrives at MiB training grounds and listeners are treated to a wide array of interesting sounds, including the fans blowing as he enters the facility, the screech of the table he drags, and the ringing of the gunshots during a "trial by fire." There is generally a surround presence heard throughout the movie, be it the film's score, the bustle of the MiB command center (including the chaos that is the ball that caused the 1977 New York blackout), or ambient city noise. Dialogue is precise and clean, always played at a perfect volume in relation to the film and its soundtrack. The film's action scenes are sure to give the best home theater systems a harsh workout. The first time Agent J fires the "Noisy Cricket" outside of the jewelry store and the action scene that follows is a brief exercise in action done right, sonically. Pushing the "little red button" results in the second-finest example of chest-rattling bass in the movie (keep watching for the best), not to mention some fantastic directionality as a "car" speeds through a tunnel from the back of our screening room to the front. Like its video quality, Men in Black's audio track isn't the best, but you'll be hard-pressed to find ten+ year-old catalogue titles that sound much better, and this is easily the best this film has sounded on home video.
This 4K Blu-ray release of Men in Black contains no bonus content.
Men in Black is a film that works well thanks in large part to its ensemble cast. Along with a fantastic concept, an interesting cast of alien characters, and plenty of humor, Men in Black's popularity as a sci-fi/comedy favorite is easily justifiable. Sony's "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray release of Men in Black features standout video that's an upgrade over the previous release. Audio remains excellent but all supplements have been removed. Recommended to mega Men fans, but probably not worth it to most.
1997
25th Anniversary Edition
1997
Hombres de negro
1997
Combo Pack + $5 Vudu Offer
1997
1997
1997
1997
Blu-ray Essentials
1997
2012
2002
2019
2007
2009
2011
2008
2018
1971
30th Anniversary Edition | Mastered in 4K
1984
2013
1998
2015
2018
2007
2010
1970
2012
2024
Theatrical & Unrated Cuts
1972