SuperBit upgrade time again. This time it is for Men In Black II.
Here we go again! Sequel mania is sweeping Hollywood again, and Men in Black is the latest in a series of films whose attempts are in cashing in on what made their predecessors and their studios rich. Some fail miserably, while others achieve the same level, if not a greater level (ala the Austin Powers' sequels) than the original. Men in Black II falls somewhere in the middle.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back as Agents J and K, again finding themselves smack dab in the middle of an attempt to save the planet from destruction. The alien bad guy this time is a bad girl; none other than the Practice's Lara Flynn Boyle. After taking shape of a lingerie supermodel, the evil Boyle scours Manhattan looking for an alien relic that she desires for ultimate power, and in turn sets off a path of destruction of Earth. Rosario Dawson (Sidewalks of New York) is Laura, a hapless witness to the evil Serleena's (Boyle) interrogation and murder of her boss, another alien who apparently was hiding the relic Serleena desires. Joining Serleena is Johnny Knoxville (Jackass) as the idiotic two-headed alien combo of Scrad and Charlie, in one of the film's weaker attempts at humor. Agent J (Smith) must de-deneuralize Agent K (Jones) who is now back in his normal life as a Postmaster of a small New England Post Office. Shortly his return to the MIB, the two are back on the case together, trying to relive magic of glory past.
Director Barry Sonnenfeld has seen better days. While MIBII feels the same as the first, the jokes are not nearly as original, and the film lacks the overall spark and imagination of the predecessor. Smith simply roles with the punches in this one, leaving Tommy Lee Jones to carry the film's best lines and performance. MIB II isn't bad, it makes for an entertaining 2 hours; it just falls short of the magic and humor that made the first film so good.
This SuperBit release features the film in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen. The improved compression offers a few improvements over the past release, but given that one came out so recently, the improvements are not huge. Those with bigger displays are more likely to benefit from the SuperBit improvements. Those with smaller displays will likely have a tougher time noticing much of a difference. The biggest improvement would be a diminishing of digital transition adverse affects. What's that you say? I refer to the moving of scenes with intricate backgrounds and lighting that tend to result in halos and shimmering. Such was not bad on the first DVD, but here on the SuperBit release the issues are fewer and more difficult to notice. Also, perhaps just my imagination, but the transfer seemed a bit cleaner. I recall seeing a couple of print issues, but didn't notice them here. Colors, blacks, detail, all is exceptional. Such as was true on the first release. This is definitely a tough one to recommend for upgrading given the marginal differences. Guess the biggest factor would have to be having DTS audio.
Two 5.1 tracks included, one Dolby Digital and the other DTS. Both are terrific tracks, and both sound very similar. Separation, directionality, and great surround use are factors in both tracks. The range on both is superb with excellent highs, lows, and very active mids. I will say that the DTS is not a stand out winner over the Dolby track. They are just too identical.
No extras as this is a SuperBit title and not a SuperBit Deluxe one. If you want the extras then stick with the prior 2 disc release.
Fans of MIB likely will be pleased with MIB II. It is more of the same with a little bit less of the charm found in the first one. As for the SuperBit upgrade, this is probably the first one I have reviewed where I would say upgrading is probably not worth you time and money. If you don't have the prior release, and don't care about extras, then by all means get the SuperBit release. It has fantastic video and audio and is a great release. So was the first one though, and the improvements in video for the SuperBit upgrade are not, at least in my opinion, that substantial. There are some no doubt, but you do have to look for them. The other big SuperBit feature is the addition of a DTS track. For MIB II, the DTS doesn't really add a thing over the Dolby Digital track. This SuperBit release is one that is only for DTS fans and videophiles. Everyone else should probably stick to the original release as it has a second disc of extras.
