MEN IN BLACK + MEN IN BLACK II DOUBLE PACK [1997 / 2002 / 2012] [Blu-ray] [UK Release]
Protecting the Earth from the Scum of the Universe! Cool Slick and Very Funny!
MEN IN BLACK [1997] Follows the exploits of Agent Kay [Tommy Lee Jones] and Agent Jay [Will Smith], members of the top secret organisation established to monitor alien activity on Earth. The Men in Black find themselves in the middle of a deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist Edgar the Bug [Vincent D’Onofrio] who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies. Agent Kay and Agent Jay 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.’
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1997 Awards Circuit Community Awards: Nominated: Best Sound. Nominated: Best Visual Effects [Runner-Up]. Nominated: Best Original Score for Danny Elfman. Nominated: Honorable Mentions (The Next Ten Best Picture Contenders). 1997 MTV Video Music Awards: Win: Best Video from a Film for Will Smith for Will Smith: ‘Men in Black.’ 1998 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Makeup for David LeRoy Anderson and Rick Baker. Nominated: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration for Bo Welch (art director) and Cheryl Carasik (set decorator). Nominated: Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score for Danny Elfman. 1998 Golden Globes: Nominated: Best Motion Picture in a Comedy or Musical. 1998 BAFTA Film Awards: Nominated: Best Special Effects for Eric Brevig, Peter Chesney, Rick Baker and Rob Coleman. 1998 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Win: Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. Win: Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for Vincent D'Onofrio. Win: Saturn Award for Best Music for Danny Elfman. Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Actor for Will Smith. Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Director for Barry Sonnenfeld. Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Writer for Ed Solomon. Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Make-Up for David LeRoy Anderson, Katherine James and Rick Baker. Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Special Effects for Eric Brevig, Peter Chesney, Rick Baker and Rob Coleman. 1998 American Music Awards: Win: Top Soundtrack. 1998 Art Directors Guild: Nominated: Excellence in Production Design Award for Feature Film for Bo Welch (production designer) and Tom Duffield (art director). 1998 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Win: Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures for Patrice Rushen and Will Smith for the song "Men In Black." 1998 BMI Film & TV Awards: Win: BMI Film Music Award for Danny Elfman. 1998 Cinema Audio Society, USA: Nominated: Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Feature Films for Lee Dichter (re-recording mixer), Michael Barry (re-recording mixer), Peter F. Kurland (production mixer) and Skip Lievsay (re-recording mixer). 1998 Grammy Awards: Win: Best Rap Solo Performance for Will Smith for "Men In Black." Nominated: Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television for Danny Elfman for the main theme. 1998 Hugo Awards: Nominated: Best Dramatic Presentation for Barry Sonnenfeld (director), Ed Solomon (screen story/screenplay) and Lowell Cunningham (based on the comic book). 1998 Kids' Choice Awards, USA: Win: Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Actor for Will Smith. Nominated: Blimp Award for Favorite Movie. 1998 Mainichi Film Concours: Win: Readers' Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Film for Barry Sonnenfeld. 1998 Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA: Nominated: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing and Sound Effects & Foley. Nominated: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing, Dialogue and ADR. Nominated: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing for Music (Foreign & Domestic). 1998 MTV Movie + TV Awards: Win: MTV Movie Award for Best Movie Song for Will Smith for "Men In Black." Win: MTV Movie Award for Best Fight for Will Smith fFor the fight between Will Smith and an alien giant cockroach. Nominated: MTV Movie Award for Best Movie. Nominated: MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance for Will Smith. Nominated: MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo for Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. 1998 Online Film & Television Association: Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Picture for Laurie MacDonald and Walter F. Parkes. Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Actor for Tommy Lee Jones. Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Actor for Will Smith. Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Music, Original Comedy/Musical Score for Danny Elfman. Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Music, Original Song for Freddie Washington (music and lyrics), Patrice Rushen (music and lyrics), Terry McFadden (music and lyrics) and Will Smith (music, lyrics and performed) for the song "Men in Black." Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for Anthony Veader, Christopher Allen Nelson, David LeRoy Anderson, Laini Thompson, Mark Alfrey, Pierce Austin, Rick Baker and Rob Hinderstein. Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Visual Effects for Eric Brevig, Peter Chesney, Rick Baker and Rob Coleman. 2018 20/20 Awards: Win: Felix Award for Best Score Comedy or Musical for Danny Elfman.
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Mike Nussbaum, Jon Gries, Sergio Calderón, Carel Struycken, Fredric Lehne, Richard Hamilton, Kent Faulcon, John Alexander, Keith Campbell, Ken Thorley, Patrick Breen, Becky Ann Baker, Sean Whalen, Harsh Nayyar, Michael Willis, Willie C. Carpenter, Peter Linari, David Cross, Charles C. Stevenson Jr., Boris Lyoskin, Steve Rankin, Andy Prosky, Michael Goldfinger, Alpheus Merchant, Norma Jean Groh, Bernard Gilkey, Sean Plummer, Michael Kaliski, Richard Arthur, Debbie Lee Carrington, Verne Troyer, Mykal Wayne Williams, Tim Blaney (Frank the Pug voice), Mark Setrakian (Rosenberg Alien voice), Brad Abrell (Worm Guy voice), Thom Fountain (Worm Guy voice), Carl J. Johnson (Worm Guy voice), Drew Massey Worm Guy voice), Christina Benitan (uncredited), Sean Bunch (uncredited), Tom Bysiek (uncredited), Lowell Cunningham (uncredited), John Darrah (uncredited), Danny DeVito (uncredited), John Elsen (uncredited), Newt Gingrich (uncredited), Karen Lynn Gorney (uncredited), Lee Harris (uncredited), Adrian Lee (uncredited), George Lucas (uncredited), Marshall Dancing Elk Lucas (uncredited), Patricia McPherson (uncredited), Isaac Mizrahi (uncredited), Fred Newman (Aliens voice) (uncredited), Stephanie Paliferro (uncredited), Joe Paparone (uncredited), Anthony Robbins (uncredited), Al Roker (uncredited), Eliot Sash (uncredited), Marshal Silverman (uncredited), Barry Sonnenfeld (uncredited), Chloe Sonnenfeld (uncredited), Steven Spielberg (uncredited), Robert Stahoviak (uncredited), Sylvester Stallone (archive footage) (uncredited) and Dionne Warwick (uncredited)
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Producers: Graham Place, Laurie MacDonald, Steven R. Molen, Steven Spielberg and Walter F. Parkes
Screenplay: Lowell Cunningham (comic book) and Ed Solomon (screen story/screenplay)
Composer: Danny Elfman
Cinematography: Donald William Peterman, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD Audio
German: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD Audio
Czech: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Hungarian: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Polish: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Russian: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH, German, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Swedish and Turkish
Running Time: 97 minutes
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MEN IN BLACK II [2002] Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are back as the scum-fighting super-agents Kay and Jay, regulators of all things alien on planet Earth. Their latest mission: to save the world from a total intergalactic disaster! When a renegade Kylothian monster disguised as a lingerie model threatens the survival of the human race, the boys of the MIB get the call to step up and get busy. With their headquarters under siege and time is running out, Agents Kay and Jay enlist the help of Frank the Pug and a posse of hard-living worms to help then kick some seriously sexy alien butt!
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 2002 Golden Schmoes Awards: Win: Biggest Disappointment of the Year. Nominated: Worst Movie of the Year. 2002 MTV Video Music Awards: Nominated: Best Video from a Film for Will Smith for Will Smith Feat. TRÂ-Knox: Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head). 2002 MTV Video Music Awards: Nominated: Best Video from a Film for Will Smith for Will Smith Feat. TRÂ-Knox: Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head). 2002 Teen Choice Awards: Nominated: Film Choice Movie, Drama/Action Adventure. Nominated: Film Choice Actor, Drama/Action Adventure for Will Smith. Nominated: Film Choice Movie of the Summer. 2002 The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards: Win: Stinker Award for Most Distracting Celebrity Cameo Appearance for Michael Jackson. Nominated: Stinker Award for Worst Supporting Actress for Lara Flynn Boyle. Nominated: Stinker Award for Worst Screenplay for a Film Grossing More than $100 Million Using Hollywood Math for Barry Fanaro and Robert Gordon. Nominated: Stinker Award for Worst Sequel. Nominated: Stinker Award for Worst Song or Song Performance in a Film or its End Credits for Will Smith for "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)." 2003 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. 2003 BMI Film & TV Awards: Win: BMI Film Music Award for Danny Elfman. 2003 Kids' Choice Awards, USA: Nominated: Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Actor for Will Smith. 2003 Razzie Awards: Nominated: Worst Supporting Actress for Lara Flynn Boyle. 2003 Visual Effects Society Awards: Nominated: Best Visual Effects in an Effects Driven Motion Picture for Bill Westenhofer, Erik Mattson, John Andrew Berton Jr. and Tom Bertino. Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in an Effects Film for Will Smith.
FILM FACT No2: Principal photography began for ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ on the 11th June, 2001 and ended on the 23rd September, 2001. The climax of the story was originally started filming against a backdrop of the twin towers of the original World Trade Center; but after the September 11 attacks, the climactic scene was re-filmed. Other scenes incorporating views of the twin towers likewise had to be edited, or reshot. Supervising sound editor Skip Lievsay used a Synclavier to recreate and improve the original recording of the neuralyzer sound effect from the first film (which was the sound of a strobe flash as it recycles) by removing some distortion. For some of the scenes with the Serleena creature, the sound crew "took tree branches, put them inside a rubber membrane and pushed that around and added some water." For the special effects scene where the subway train is attacked by Jeff the Worm, a specially designed “vise” was used to crush a subway car and make it look as if it had been bitten in half.
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Rip Torn, Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson, Tony Shalhoub, Patrick Warburton, Jack Kehler, David Cross, Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine, Peter Spellos, Michael Rivkin, Michael Bailey Smith, Lenny Venito, Howard Spiegel, Alpheus Merchant, Jay Johnston, Joel McKinnon Miller, Derek Cecil, Sean Rouse, Peter Spruyt, Kevin Cotteleer, Marty Belafsky, Rick Baker, Martha Stewart, Michael Jackson, Sid Garza-Hillman, Tom Whitenight, Nick Cannon, Andre Blair, Jeremy Howard, Mary Stein, Martin Klebba, John Alexander, Denise Cheshire, Ernie Grunwald, Chloe Sonnenfeld, John Andrew Berton Jr., William E. Jackson, Doug Jones, Biz Markie, Peter Graves, Linda Kim, Paige Brooks, Stephanie Kemp, Barry Sonnenfeld, Victoria Jones, Michael Garvey, Michael Dahlen, Kevin Grevioux, Derek Mears, Sonny Tipton, John Richardson, Philip Goodwin, Tim Blaney (Frank the Pug voice), Greg Ballora (Sleeble voice), Carl J. Johnson (Gleeble voice), Thom Fountain (Neeble voice), Brad Abrell (Mannix voice), Richard Pearson (Gordy voice), Rick Avery (uncredited), John D. Bair (uncredited), Michael Beardsley (uncredited), Michael Buonomo (uncredited), Kristin Charney (uncredited), Ty Copeman (uncredited), Patrick Coleman Duncan (uncredited), Jovette Elise (uncredited), Paul Evans (uncredited), Darrell Foster (uncredited), Ned Gorman (Cockroach on Sidewalk voice) (uncredited), William Jackson Jr. (uncredited), Gene LeBell (uncredited), Pete Macnamara (uncredited), Dory Manzour (uncredited), Drew Massey (uncredited), Jon M. McDonnell (uncredited), Matthew McGrory (uncredited), Christopher Metas (uncredited), Nikki Milican Bedwell (uncredited), Bart Mixon (uncredited), Alexandra O'Hara (uncredited), David Patykewich (uncredited), Martin Pfefferkorn (uncredited), David C. Roehm Sr. (uncredited), Leo Rogstad (uncredited), Thomas Rosales Jr. (uncredited), Brandee Sanders (uncredited), Hannah Sim (uncredited), Peter Siragusa (uncredited), Daniel Browning Smith (uncredited), Brian Steele (uncredited), Mark Steger (uncredited), Alan Tuskes (uncredited), Shannon Watson (uncredited), Bo Welch (uncredited) and David K. Zandi (uncredited)
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Producers: Graham Place, Laurie MacDonald, Marc Haimes, Stephanie Kemp, Steven Spielberg and Walter F. Parkes
Screenplay: Lowell Cunningham (comic book "Malibu Comics"), Robert Gordon (story/screenplay) and Barry Fanaro (screenplay)
Composer: Danny Elfman
Cinematography: Greg Gardiner (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
French: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
German: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Italian: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Spanish: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish
Running Time: 88 minutes
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Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Columbia Pictures / SONY Pictures Home Entertainment
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘MEN IN BLACK’ [1997] This is a playfully hip and hilarious comedy about an unofficial government agency of the same name that protects the Earth from the scum of the universe, teams Smith with the formidable Tommy Lee Jones. This is Tommy Lee Jones at his best in being terse, coiled, and fiercely funny. Instead of competing, Tommy Lee Jones complements Will Smith's endearing quality with his own distinctively witty growl. Barry Sonnenfeld deftly orchestrates the intricate two-part harmony, and with Smith and Jones, you definitely have a powerhouse a dynamic comic pair, that makes it all look very easy.
You'll marvel at the creature effects devised by Industrial Light and Magic and makeup whiz Rick Baker. The wallop would be far less, of course, if Barry Sonnenfeld and screenwriter Ed Solomon hadn't adapted the Lowell Cunningham comic-book series, The Men in Black, with an eye to keeping the flights of fancy grounded in character. Smith's cop is as cynical as we are when Jones' Agent Kay, a veteran at MIB and tells him that there are thousands of aliens walking around on our planet. "Luckily," says Agent Kay, "most of them are concentrated in Manhattan." The Big Apple is the location of MIB's secret headquarters, run by a boss man played with gleeful bluster by Rip Torn. It is inside this Ellis Island for ETs that visiting species are processed for entry. A crafty joke involves aliens in human form being monitored for mischief on a giant video screen. I caught TV weatherman Al Roker and Steven Spielberg, MIB's executive producer, among the suspects. At least I think I did. Stay alert. At 90 minutes and $90 million (a million a minute!), ‘MEN IN BLACK’ keeps its jokes, sly and silly and coming at hyper speed!
Inventively photographed by Don Peterman, the film takes on the aura of a live-action cartoon. Men in Black is not out to change your life, but in a time of shoddily made clone jobs, escapism crafted this artfully deserves a "bravo." It's unlikely that a livelier display of comic fireworks and star power will be blazing your way this summer. To quote the film's wisest alien, who just happens to be occupying the body of an ugly-ass pug dog, "You don't like it, you can kiss my furry little butt."
MEN IN BLACK MUSIC TRACK LIST
MEN IN BLACK (Written by Will Smith, Patrice Rushen, Freddie Washington and Terry McFadden) [Performed by Will Smith featuring Cheryl Gamble]
THE PROMISSED LAND (Written by Chuck Berry) [Performed by Elvis Presley]
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Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ [2002] "Same planet. New scum" smirks the tagline for the return of Barry Sonnenfeld's alien-busting crime fighters, catchy, eh? But the marketers might as well have added "Same movie," for ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ and sticks true to the timeworn studio mandate for blockbuster sequels: This remake compared to the first film is not quite as good, but is still enjoyable
This film was a sleeper hit in 1997, whereas ‘Men in Black’ was a slick blend of James Bond cool, 1950s monster movies, and X-Files paranoia. Plus it boasted the improbably successful double act of street-smart Philly rapper Will Smith and professional Texan grump Tommy Lee Jones as Agents J and K, the wisecracking, shade-sporting, smart-suited, protectors of the Earth from the scum of the universe. This was sci-fi it was OK to like: geek chic.
Second spin and the roles, Will Smith the rookie, Tommy Lee Jones the veteran are reversed, as Will Smith must retrieve his ex-partner from the mind-wiped obscurity where part one left him. Turns out that, just as in the original there's a planet-threatening MacGuffin which they must get off the earth and its location is buried deep in Tommy Lee Jones's memory banks.
So far, so good. We want aliens! We want jokes! We want action! And we get it all that but it just lacks some spark. Despite a five year break between movies, ‘Men in Black II’ was rushed into production ahead of last year's threatened actors' strike and it shows. Smith and Jones gamely try and work with a script that was being written as they filmed, but while the publicity for the movie has trumpeted the return of the whole original team, one man is missing: writer Ed Solomon.
With the plot misfiring and the stars struggling, it's left to small mercies to save the movie: a beefed up role for smart-mouthed dog-shaped alien Frank the Pug; Rosario Dawson's love interest; Lara Flynn Boyle's breasts. ‘Men in Black’ fans prepare to be whelmed: this is effective button-pushing sci-fi entertainment, but you won't need to be neutralized to forget it. Although the film easily made its money back, it was considered by many critics and moviegoers as a mediocre sequel at best, the real highlight being not the comedy nor the performances, but Industrial Light & Magic‘s effects and Rick Baker‘s unique makeup.
‘MEN IN BLACK II’ is a fine follow compared to the original ‘MEN IN BLACK’ film. It never quite lives up to the outstanding beginning, and the final third again feels rushed, but nonetheless it is a very entertaining movie. Will Smith steals the show and demonstrates Tommy Lee Jones obsolescence in terms of the narrative. Many of the laughs come from the supporting characters and many of the best of them are the alien monsters. There are minor casting quibbles but they don't derail the film, as the laughs and effects laden action rolls on at a breakneck speed. It is a pleasure to say that ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ is as good as the original and is a cracking slice of sci-fi comedy.
MEN IN BLACK II MUSIC TRACK LIST
I WILL SURVIVE (Written by Frederick J. Perren and Dino Fekaris) [Performed by Tim Blaney]
WHO LET THE DOGS OUT (Written by Anslem Douglas) [Performed by Baha Men]
SPEED DEMON (Written by Ron Keel) [Performed by Keel]
PLANET OF THE WOLVES (Written by Seiji Anno, Hideaki Sekiguchi and Toru Kuvibayashi) [Performed by Guitar Wolf]
BLACK SUITS COMIN’ (Nod Ya Head) (Written by Will Smith, Mark Sparks, Ron Feemster, Lennie Bennett, LeMar Bennett and Lance Bennett) [Performed by Will Smith introducing TRÃ-KNOX]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘MEN IN BLACK’ + ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ makes its brilliant Blu-ray debut with a nice 1.85:1 aspect ratio and an even more stunning 1080p transfer from SONY. This is a big, bright image with plenty of detail in both close-ups and wide shots. The interior of the MIB headquarters sparkles and every wrinkle is visible on Tommy Lee Jones's face. The detail is so good that some of the effects appear worse for the wear. Colours are perfectly saturated, but skin tones are slightly anaemic. Blacks are deep and do not crush and the image retain a light layer of grain. I did notice some light edge enhancement and some minor shimmering, but this is another nice catalogue effort from Sony.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – With ‘MEN IN BLACK’ + ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ brings you 5.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio experience and the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks on both Blu-ray discs are very strong, and it provides an immersive action environment for viewers. Dialogue is crisp and audible, and clarity is excellent in both soft and loud exchanges. Ambient effects fill the sound field and the bustle of MIB headquarters and the busy city streets envelop the viewer and action effects bring the subwoofer and rear speakers to life. The audio mix is not quite as active as those for more recent releases, but ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ sounds even better and greater.
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MEN IN BLACK Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary by Director Barry Sonnenfeld: Director Barry Sonnenfeld delivers a fast-paced and enthusiastic commentary, and also a fairly straightforward commentary in terms of information shared. He speaks on the construction of the opening television moment, visual effects work, the performances and greater bodies of work of the cast, shooting locales, the ups and downs of the shoot, and more. This isn't a must-listen, but definitely for hard-core nerdy fans who will want to try it out and be careful you might find yourself dropping off to sleep with total boredom.
Special Feature: Intergalactic Pursuit: The MIB Multi-Player Trivia Game: Welcome to the ‘MEN IN BLACK’ Recruitment Program! Here you get to test your knowledge to see if you have what it takes to become an MIB Agent. You can even pit your skills against other MIB applicants to see who is at the head of the Class. Know that your speed counts! You will have only 10 seconds to choose the correct answer. Your score will also be calculated based on how you can respond!
Special Feature: Ask Frank The Pug!: What you get to view is a choice of question to ask Frank the Pug, and then what you do is select from one of five categories: Career; Health; Everything Else’ Money and Romance, and what best fits the question you had in mind, Frank the Pug then provides a completely random response and especially sarcastic ones.
Special Feature: Extended and Alternative Scenes [1997] [480i] [1.37:1] [4:21] Here you get to Five different scenes and they are as follows: Outside Leschko’s Diner; Jay’s MIB Audition; Mrs. Edelson; Chinese Restaurant and Bouncing Ball [without the special effects]. As usual, you can either watch each item separately or Play All.
Special Feature: Metamorphosis of ‘MEN IN BLACK’ [1997] [1080i] [1.37:1] [23:12] This is a very straight forward mini-documentary, that includes interviews and also amongst a few of the crew. It's a fairly decent overview of the basics of the shoot, with a particularly emphasis on the special effects. It's far too slim to really count as a great and thorough making-of documentary. Contributors include: Barry Sonnenfeld (Director), Tommy Lee Jones (Kay), Will Smith (Jay), Lowell Cunningham (Comic Book Writer), Bo Welch (Production Designer), Rick Baker (Alien Make-Up Effects), Eric Brevig (Visual Effects Supervisor), John Alexander (Mikey the Alien), Jean Bolte (Viewpaint Artist)and John Andrew Berton Jr. (Digital Effects Supervisor).
Special Feature: Original Featurette [1997] [480i] [1.37:1] [6:38] Here we take a look behind-the-scene of the filming of ‘MEN IN BLACK’ and we do get some input comments from the cast and crew. This is mainly a basic overview of the filmmaking that provides no relevant information we cannot find elsewhere when viewing the film or the other special feature supplements. Contributors include: Will Smith (Jay), Tommy Lee Jones (Kay), Linda Fiorentino (Dr. Laurel Weaver), Vincent D’Onofrio (Edgar the Alien), Barry Sonnenfeld (Director), Laurie NacDonald (Producer), Walter Parks (Producer), Rick Baker (Make-Up Effects) and Eric Brevig (Visual Effects Supervisor).
Special Feature: Visual Effects Scene Deconstruction: Watch the evolution of Two Visual Effects Masterpieces. You have to select a scene and navigate through various states of the visual effects. You get to view the following: Director’s Introduction; Tunnel Scene and Edgar Bug Fight Scene. When you click on the last two, you then get to view in stages, which are as follows: Storyboards; Bluescreen Shoot; Bluescreen Composite; Lighting & Animation and Final Cut. With the last three, you have a choice of hearing a Technical Commentary.
Special Feature: Character Animation Studios: Here you get to view each character that goes through several stages in the process of development. So what you have to do is select any character and navigate through four layers of animation and here is what you get to view: Director’s Introduction; Mickey; Jeebs and Worm Guy. Then while watching each of the three items, you select the following: Preliminary; Adding Skin & Texture; Animation With Lighting and Final Character Into Scene.
Special Feature: Creatures: Concept to Completion: Here you select a Character and use the ENTER button on your remote control to start to view the animated creature from the original concept to completion and you keep pressing the ENTER button until you are happy with the result. The creatures you get to view are as follows: Edgar Bug; Jeebs; Mr. Gentle and Farmer Edgar.
Special Feature: Galleries: Here we get to view three separate items and they are as follows:
Storyboard Gallery: Here you get to view Jeebs; Mikey Chase; Edgar Bug Fight and Final sequence. Press the ENTER button to view all of the illustrated line drawings.
Conceptual Art Gallery: Here you get to view Jeebs; Farmer Edgar; Edgar Bug; baby Alien; Mr. Gentle Mikey; Miscellaneous Aliens; Gadgets & Weapons and Production Designs. Again, you press the ENTER button to view all of the illustrated line drawings and colour images.
Production Photo Gallery: Here you get to view Visual Effects Team: ILM; On The Set With Talent and Make-Up & Puppet Team: Cinovation. Press the ENTER button to view the entire promotional image of behind-the-scene colour photographs.
Special Feature: Storyboard Comparison: Storyboards are used by Filmmakers to visually plan each shot. For each of the following scenes you view, you get to watch a split-screen comparison of the original Storyboards, compared to the final finished film. Here you get to view the following: Edgar Becomes A Bug; Saucer Crashes in Queens and Birthing The Baby Alien.
Special Feature: Scene Editing Workshop: In this following special feature, you are the filmmaker. What you have to do is choose from various shots to create your own sequences and then compare it to the Director’s choice. You have to select a scene and then begin editing. In the end, what you get to view is the following: Director’s Introduction; The Farmhouse; Jay’s Tryout For The MIB and The Morgue. I hope you have a lot of enjoyable fun with this special feature and welcome to the world of filmmaking.
Special Feature: Music Video: ‘MEN IN BLACK’ aka Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head) by Will Smith [1997] [480i] [1.37:1] [4:19] This is a music video with Will Smith and his crew doing their 'thang' with this hit single.
Trailers: ‘MEN IN BLACK’ Original Trailers: Here we get to view two trailers and they are as follows: ‘MEN IN BLACK’ Original Trailer [1997] [480i] [1.78:1] [2:28] and ‘MEN IN BLACK’ Teaser Trailer [1997] [1080p] [1.78:1] [1:41].
Trailers: Here we get to view four different trailers and they are as follows: Blu-ray Disc is High Definition [2007] [1080p] [1.78:1] [0:30]; HANCOCK [2007] [1080p] [1.78:1] [1:38]; Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition [2007] [1080p] [2.40:1] [1:34] and Surf’s Up [2007] [1080p] [1.78:1] [2:30].
Special Feature: BD-LIVE: You can only access this item if your Blu-ray player is connected to the internet.
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MEN IN BLACK II Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director Barry Sonnenfeld: Director Barry Sonnenfeld delivers a fast-paced and enthusiastic audio commentary, but also it is a fairly boring and monotonous straightforward audio commentary in terms of in-depth information shared. Barry Sonnenfeld speaks on the construction of the opening television moment, visual effects work, the performances and greater bodies of work of the cast, shooting locales, the ups and downs of the shoot, and more. This again like the previous audio commentary that isn't really a must-listen, but definitely for hard-core nerdy fans who feel they want to try it out and be careful you might find yourself dropping off to sleep with total boredom.
Special Feature: Alternative Ending [2002] [480i] [1.37:1] [2:13] You know how both ‘Men In Black’ films have closed with playful universe-shattering reveals? This is simply an alternate one of those that ties it in with a tiny sub-plot of ‘Men In Black II’ and truthfully, it's not very good and you can see why it ended up on the cutting room floor.
Special Feature: Blooper Reel [2002] [408i] [1.37:1] [5:09] Here are the usual run of the pathetic boring flubbed takes and on-set laughter, only the majority of this one features footage from one long botched shot of take after take and this special feature should of also end up on the cutting room floor, as it is totally embarrassing.
Special Feature: MIIB: ADR [2002] [1080p] [1.37:1] [9:25] This special feature shows a whole lot of footage of cast members looping their dialogue and also larking about a lot. Contributors include: Barry Sonnenfeld (Director), Will Smith (Agent Jay), Lara Flynn Boyle (Serleena), Tim Blaney (Voice of Pug the Dog) and Johnny Knoxville (Scrad/Charlie).
Special Feature: Design in Motion: The Look of ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ [2002] [1080i] [1.37:1] [10:01] Legendary production designer Bo Welch walks you through the visuals of this sequel. Those involved took about how they figure out what to put on the screen and the reasons behind that. This featurette was more interesting than the previous MIB ADR special feature. Contributors include: Bob Welch (Production Designer) and Barry Sonnenfeld (Director).
Special Feature: Rick Baker: Alien Maker [2002] [480i] [1.37:1] [10:46] Here we take a look at Rick Baker (Alien Designer) and discusses his work on the film ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ film. Describing himself as part of “the first generation that grew up in front of the TV” and Rick Baker explains how he carries out his work and how he has overcome the challenges of ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ film.
Special Feature: Squish, Splat, Spoosh: The Stellar Sounds of ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ [2002] [480i] [1.37:1] [8:04] Here we take a look behind the scenes of ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ to watch the FOLEY artists at work adding all the background and special effects noises created or altered for the finished scenes in the film. Covering everything from an alien battle to Agent Jay walking across a floor, and we see what they use and how they use it to great effect. Contributors include: Marko Constanzo (Foley Artist), Jay Peck (Foley Artist), Steven Visscher (Foley Supervisor Editor) and David Warzynski (Foley Apprentice).
Special Feature: Cosmic Symphonies: Elfman in Space [2002] [1080i] [1.37:1] [12:52] Here we take a glimpse into the world and work of the film's famed composer Danny Elfman. This consists of interviews with the cast and crew, all of whom have something compelling to add within their area of expertise and there is a very clear love of what they're working on, clips from the film, behind-the-scenes footage, and incomplete effects shots completes this special feature. I recommend this to any fan of this Sci-Fi film franchise. Contributors include: Barry Sonnenfeld (Director), Danny Elfman (Composer), Steve Bartek (Orchestrator) and Pete Anthony (Conductor).
Special Feature: Barry Sonnenfeld’s Intergalactic Guide To Comedy [2002] [1080i] [1.37:1] [10:01] With this special feature, we take a short is a look at how director Barry Sonnenfeld directs comedy, in particular the ‘Men in Black’ film franchise. With interviews with the man himself, cast and writers, we get to see how Barry Sonnenfeld lets the audience find the jokes without having to try too hard. The people with the most to say are Barry Sonnenfeld himself and the writers. It is quite interesting to see how the film is written to have a comic feel rather than just jokes. Overall it is a bit of a slap on the back for Barry Sonnenfled and his writers. Contributors include: Barry Sonnenfeld (Director), Will Smith (Agent Jay), Barry Fanaro (Screenwriter), Tommy Lee Jones (Agent Kay), Laurie MacDonald (Producer) and Walter F. Parkes (Producer).
Special Feature: Creature Featurettes [2002] [1080i] [1.37:1] [25:53] Here we get to view eight individual features and looking at how the creatures and aliens within MIIB were designed. Many were thought up cold but the film looks at the impact of the script on some characters as well as the impact of Rick Baker and his team on the bigger design. The design process is pretty interesting, and Barry Sonnenfeld and Rick Baker try to bring out some interesting detail. What we get to view Frank the Pug; The Worms; Serleena; Alien Esoterica; Jeebs; Jarra and Jeff the Worm. Contributors include: Barry Sonnenfeld (Director), Tim Blaney (Voice of Pug the Dog), Bill Westenhofer (Visual Effects Supervisor for Rhythm & Hues), Rick Baker (Alien Designer), Johnny Knoxville (Scrad/Charlie), David Nakabayashi (Visual Effects Art Director at ILM), Mauricio Baiocchi (Technical Animator at ILM), Lara Flynn Boyle (Serleena), Tony Shalhoub (Jeebs), John Berton (Visual Effects Supervisor at ILM) and Amelia Chenoweth (Visual Sequence Supervisor at ILM). As usual, you can either watch each item separately or Play All.
Special Feature: Serleena Animatic Sequence [2002] [480i] [1.37:1] [1:51] With this special feature, we get to view some really rough animatic illustrated storyboard of the transformation of the alien Serleena into a human form, like you actually see in the start of the film, when its spaceships lands in Central Park.
Special Feature: Multi-Angle Scene Deconstruction [2002] [480i] [1.37:1] [7:42] Here you get to use the “Angle” button on your remote control to navigate through various layers in the production process. But what you get to view is five individual items and they are as follows: Opening Sequence: Alternate Version; Jay and Jeff; Car Chase; Jarra Fight Scene: Part 1 and Jarra Fight Scene: Part 2. As usual, you can either watch each item separately or Play All.
Special Feature: Music Video: ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ aka Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head) by Will Smith and Introducing TRAX-KNOX [2002] [480i] [1.37:1] [4:19] The music video for "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)" features footage of Will Smith performing onstage in a ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ environment, featuring characters and footage from the film. It is notable that a scene that was deleted from the final cut of the film appears in a montage sequence in this music video.
Finally, ‘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 humour, and the ‘Men in Black’ film franchise popularity as a sci-fi/comedy favourite is easily justifiable. Equally so is the place this Blu-ray disc deserves in your budding collection. It offers a wonderful video transfer, an equally wonderful lossless soundtrack, and enough supplements to keep the most ardent ‘MEN IN BLACK’ fans busy for the better part of a day. ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ sadly, suffers from classic sequel syndrome. It slightly pales in comparison to the fun and novelty of the original, but despite this I thoroughly enjoyed it. The special effects are definitely the highlight of ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ and SONY's Blu-ray release of ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ features a good fine image presentation, great audio, and a ton of extras. If you're a fan of this particular sci-fi franchise, you are going to love the fully loaded special features section. All in all, this is a very strong 2 Blu-ray disc releases and fans can't go wrong with purchasing ‘MEN IN BLACK’ and ‘MEN IN BLACK II’ DOUBLE PACK Blu-ray discs. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
