Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith star in this blockbuster as the Men in Black, regulators of all things alien on Earth. With our planet crawling with extraterrestrials cleverly disguised to blend in with the clueless human population, top-secret organization MiB is charged with monitoring and controlling alien activity while keeping it all a secret. World-weary Agent K (Jones) and his enthusiastic young partner, Agent J (Smith), are investigating several mysterious alien deaths with the help of the coolly resourceful Dr. Laura Weaver (Linda Fiorentino), deputy medical examiner of New York. On the trail of an intergalactic criminal (Vincent D’Onofrio) with a deadly agenda, K and J face a simple imperative: track down the interloper or the Earth will be destroyed. It’s all in a day’s work for the Men in Black.
For thoughts on Men In Black, please check out my unboxing on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
The new 25th Anniversary 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Men In Black offers a substantial uptick in quality over the accompanying Blu-Ray that was very pleasing when it was first released years ago. The film was already released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray five years ago as a part of the MIB Trilogy, but I do not have access to that release. From my understanding, that release is very pleasing and the only noticeable difference on the video side of things with this new release is the inclusion of Dolby Vision, which can often tidy up encode issues in addition to more vivid colors.
This transfer sports a picture that has spectacular film grain that resolves perfectly without being clumpy or unnatural. Even the toughest gradients do not betray the picture with loose grain or banding, always leaving you impressed. Rest assured, there has been no digital tinkering on this transfer, so this disc is free of DNR, compression artifacts and other encode issues. Skin tones appear way more natural than the Blu-Ray with healthy doses of fine detail apparent on faces such as pores. The production design and makeup that is a signature of this world is presented with perfect clarity and immense depth. Take a look at gears within some of the gadgets to see a wide array of minute details that are visible thanks to the 4K resolution. The costumes and textural output of the scenery is simply marvelous to behold with everything rendering without any issues.
Perhaps the greatest gain for this transfer is in the employment of the color spectrum. The Dolby Vision/HDR really harnesses the visual wonder that Director Barry Sonnenfeld and Production Designer Bo Welch have on display and features it to its full potential. Colors are more rich, natural and accurate to what was intended by the creative team. Even the more mundane colors such as the shades of brown and gray in Edgar’s house offer a glorious stability. The highlights in the film are more defined with the antiseptic whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. The black levels are especially awe-inspiring in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. This is a very natural looking transfer that offers up a virtually flawless presentation that should please fans of the film.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray ports over the previous Dolby Atmos track that gives the film a dynamic soundscape with a real vitality and immersive quality. More importantly, though, is that this new 25th anniversary 4K UHD Blu-Ray provides the original soundtrack in glorious lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. Both of these tracks are spectacular in their own ways, but it is terrific news that Sony realized the original audio should be a choice for fans who want it. Those who choose to embark with the original track may not utilize every speaker you have, but you will be granted a complex, natural sound without any age-related flaws.
With the Atmos track, you get the natural emphasis on the front channels for dialogue and other distinct sounds, but activity extends to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers to make the world feel more robust and all-encompassing in a way you will not soon forget. The sounds up above are not constant, but they make you feel as if you are in the thick of the action during set pieces. The low end effects from the subwoofer give many moments that desired extra weight to enrich the experience. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. The film really satisfies when it comes to the music, as the magical Danny Elfman score and certain songs wash over you in a really enveloping manner. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting trampled by the music or sound effects. The original DTS-HD 5.1 track is not quite as all-encompassing as the Atmos track, but it handles the material every bit as much as you would want with power and stability. Sony has done great work with both of these.
Special Features
Sony has provided Men In Black with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is truly lovely in person. The front artwork is an animated depiction of several key characters from the film, and the rear features more of the same with an emphasis on the aliens in the picture. The interior sports a solid dark blue appearance that is not creative in any particular way. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.
4K UHD
- NEW Notes From The Director’s Chair: A new 12-minute conversation with Director Barry Sonnenfeld in which he discusses his belief he was making a tiny buddy movie, the chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, the ad-libbing of Will Smith, the lengthy pre-production process which even allowed time to make Get Shorty, the amusing ways in which TLJ ruined takes, the dramatic difference in the plot that was originally intended and how they changed things last minute, the layers of nuance that are added knowing how things play out in Men In Black 3 and more.
- NEW Designing Men In Black: A new 20-minute conversation between Director Barry Sonnenfeld and Production Designer Bo Welch in which they discuss the dramatic overhaul in the look of the headquarters, the real-life places from which he drew inspiration, the ways in which the shifting script complicated the design of the film, utilizing the wonders of New York as a location, and more.
Blu-Ray
- Audio Commentary #1: Director Barry Sonnenfeld and Tommy Lee Jones provide a “Telestrator Commentary” which takes a Mystery Science Theater 3000 approach where you see the silhouettes of the two participants with some occasional writing on the screen to highlight certain bits of the screen. These two have a lovely rapport where Jones gets to probe Sonnenfeld with questions about how scenes were executed, their expectations of the film going in, memories from the production, anecdotes about different developments on screen and more. You can also listen to this without the on-screen graphics.
- Audio Commentary #2: Director Barry Sonnenfeld appears again accompanied by alien makeup effects artist Rick Baker and the Industrial Light and Magic team, including second unit director and visual effects supervisor Eric Brevig, Rob Coleman, the animation effects supervisor, and John Burton, the computer graphics supervisor. The setup of this track does not allow for an easy flow of information, but there is some great technical information provided that hardcore fans of special effects work might appreciate.
- Intergalactic Pursuit – The MIB Multi-Player Trivia Game: An option to play a trivia game centered on the movie and its stars.
- Ask Frank The Pug!: In need of some sage wisdom? Frank The Pug can guide you in the right direction thanks to some broad category options in this interactive feature.
- Extended and Alternate Scenes: Five scenes of unused material is provided here totaling almost five minutes of material including a longer bit of Jay’s MIB audition, Jay learning the truth about his teacher and more. These are all provided in rough form.
- Metamorphosis of Men In Black: A 23-minute featurette which gives a decent overview of the creation of the film including how the cast came to the project, the special effects work, how certain scenes and storylines evolved and more.
- Original Featurette: A seven-minute piece which gives a very basic overview of the film with a few soundbites from the creative team.
- Visual Effects Scene Deconstruction: An option to view a couple of scenes with technical commentary along with an analysis of the scene in various stages including Storyboards, Bluescreen, Lighting & Animation and more.
- Character Animation Studies: You can go through the same process when it comes to animating a character including Adding Skin & Texture, Lighting, Compositing and more.
- Creatures – Concept To Completion: Go from concept to completion with five different characters.
- Galleries: This disc includes a Storyboard Gallery, Conceptual Art and Production Photos.
- Storyboard Comparisons: An option to view how a scene looked in Storyboard form compared to what it looks like in the film.
- Scene Editing Workshop: Become the editor of the movie as you choose how to construct a scene and then compare it to how the scene looked in the film to determine who did a better job.
- Music Video – “Men In Black”: The four-minute video for the titular song is provided here in standard definition in Dolby Digital 2.0.
- Trailers: This disc provides the Original Trailer (2:30) and the Teaser (1:43).
Final Thoughts
Men In Black remains one of the most fun and inventive sci-fi action comedies to ever be released thanks to the commitment to honesty and whimsy brought by Barry Sonnenfeld. This was an element that made The Addams Family such a delight; Men In Black treats its premise with respect as you explore the weird with an open heart. The performances from Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are two of their best, and Vincent D’Onofrio completely disappears in his role. This team created a world which you wanted to explore, and 25 years later it is still worth exploring.
Sony Pictures has released a truly stunning new Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook in celebration of the film’s 25th anniversary featuring a miraculous A/V presentation, including newly-implemented Dolby Vision and the original theatrical audio, as well as a plethora of special features both new and old. Even if you have the previous 4K UHD Blu-Ray, there are many compelling reasons to pick up this new set. If you only own this one on Blu-Ray or not at all, this package is a no-brainer for anyone looking to add the best version to their collection. Highly Recommended
Men In Black: 25th Anniversary Edition is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.