7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.
Starring: Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett Smith, Larenz Tate, Arnold Johnson, MC EihtCrime | 100% |
Drama | 57% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Bonus View (PiP)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Having watched Boyz n the Hood several times over the years, I was curious to sit down and finally take in Menace II Society, the much-hyped coming-of-age tale that’s similarly set within a predominantly black ghetto. Released in 1993 to wide critical acclaim, Menace II Society marked the directorial debut of the Hughes Brothers, who went on to direct Dead Presidents and From Hell. Well-known for its over-the-top violence and profanity-laced dialogue, the film has been praised by many fans for its unflinching portrayal of life in the “hood”, which I admittedly don’t have much perspective on.
"Break yourself!"
Presented in 1080p utilizing the VC-1 codec (at an average bitrate of 22Mbps), Menace II Society offers and average visual experience that seems to accurately portrays the drab neighborhood of Watts, California. The level of fine object detail on display remains fairly proficient from scene to scene, but lacks the texturing we'd expect on the surface of faces or the fabric of clothing. Judging from New Line's track record on prior releases, I'd wager the lack of detail is a direct result of the excessive application of digital noise reduction to remove some of the grain the plagued prior releases of the film. From a color standpoint, the spectrum maintains a natural appearance, which translates into a predominance of dingy, brownish-yellow hues. I wasn't a big fan of the choice to film several party scenes with red light bulbs illuminating the interior shots (since it tends to bleed out detail), but this is simply a stylistic choice and not a deficiency in the transfer. Moving along, black levels are relatively deep, but there are several nighttime shots where contrast struggles to differentiate between the light and dark features in the picture, resulting in a minor loss of shadow detail. Taken as a whole, most fans will be pleased with the visual upgrade Menace II Sociey has undergone on this Blu-ray release, but you'll still want to temper your expectations to reflect the suspected use of excessive DNR.
This is where the fun really begins. Presented in TrueHD 7.1, Warner has delivered a bombastic audio track that's a clear contender for "subwoofer workout disc of 2009". The hip-hop infused soundtrack has a punchy yet deep characteristic that accurately reflects the musical scene of the early 90's. In addition, expect to hear a couple of motown tracks thrown in to provide a contrasting element to the harsh beats and lyrical anger of the hip-hop offerings. Fortunately, the musical compositions aren't the only aspects of the track that shine. We also have excellent spacial separation to incorporate the use of surround speakers (this is 7.1 after all) as gun blasts register from every direction. If you turn the volume up high enough, you'll probably find yourself jumping in your seat during a couple of the aggressively violent scenes. Turning to the dialogue, the mix delivers a nice level of clarity, but I was a little disappointed in the low volume levels from time to time, which required several receiver adjustments to clearly make out some of the softer speaking parts. It's not extreme enough to hinder the enjoyment of the film, but remains a minor setback in an otherwise impressive audio track.
Gangsta Vision-Making Menace II Society (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0, 21:36 min): dominated by interviews with the Hughes Brothers, this recent featurette is a look back at the themes incorporated into the film and an analysis of the difficulties they ran into throughout the production. Even if you're not a fan of the film, this is still an interesting special feature to sit through, since it delivers a clear message about the goals the filmmakers attempted to accomplish.
Interview with the Hughes Brothers (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 10:52 min): As a contrasting perspective, this interview was completed around the time of the film's original release. Out of the entire interview, I found it interesting to hear them comment on the violence and exploitation aspects of the film, which reflects an extremely small segment of the black culture (they use Goodfellas as a comparison with its portrayal of Italian culture). Judging from their recent interview, it seems their opinion of what their film represents has changed over the years (likely due to the positive critical response from the inner-city youth portrayed in the film).
Rounding out the extras, we have a standard definition theatrical trailer, and a socially informative audio commentary (Hughes Brothers, Darin Scott, Ryan Williams, Tyger Williams and Larenz Tate) that delves deep into the history of black culture within the "hood". I wish I'd viewed the film with the commentary first, since it better explains the motivations and way of life presented in the film.
Menace II Society is a film that will likely polarize audiences. Judging from its positive critical reception back in 1993 and the cult status it's maintained over the years, there are plenty of viewers out there that don't share my dislike for the film. I'm not in a position to judge the accuracy of the film's portrayal of life in the "hood", but I found it easier to connect with John Singleton's superior entry in the genre (Boyz n the Hood), and will likely stick with repeat viewings of that classic rather than this release. From a technical standpoint, the disc should offer fans a significant upgrade in the audio category that complements the visual proficiency on display. If you've been waiting to revisit Menace II Society, there's no better time than the present.
Director's Cut
1996
1991
25th Anniversary Edition
1998
2008
1991
2003
1993
2011
1996
2002
1993
Paramount Presents #41
2005
1987
1990
2010
2008
Theatrical Edition
1997
1992
1997
1998