4k-UHD/Movie Collection Review: Men in Black Trilogy

 

This is a 4k release of the Men in Black trilogy of films (1997's Men in Black, 2002's Men in Black II, and 2012's Men in Black 3) directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. This is the franchise that, along with movies like Independence Day, vaulted Will Smith into the status of summer blockbuster movie star. The original trilogy spanned a period of about 15 years, from the 1997 release of the original movie, the 2002 release of Part II, and the 2012 release of Part III. As most are aware, the premise of all the movies is that aliens are living free among humans on Earth, and a shadowy, secret organization called Men in Black keeps track of all the aliens, keeping the peaceful ones safe and in line, policing the non-peaceful ones, and making sure humans are blissfully unaware of their existence. It starred, primarily, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agents J and K, respectively, who in all the movies have to stop some kind of plot that will destroy Earth or cause some kind of intergalactic war.

Each movie had a strong supporting cast, including Linda Florentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, Laura Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson, Patrick Warburton, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve, Mike Colter, Nicole Scherzinger, and more. The films (especially Parts II and III) included celebrity cameos (mostly playing aliens), such as Michael Jackson, Martha Stewart, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Yao Ming, and Tim Burton. All of the movies blended a lot of humor, action, and even a bit of drama, and managed to tell unique stories without being carbon copies of each other, which would be very easy to do in a franchise such as this. Smith and Jones, and later Smith and Josh Brolin (who played a young Agent K in Part III) had great chemistry with each other. And, it seemed genuine from the behind-the-scenes material. If their relationships did not work, it would have never become a franchise that moved beyond the original movie. Smith, as a brash younger agent, played extremely well off of Jone's deadpan, curmudgeonly delivery. And in Part III Brolin did a wonderful job playing a version of Agent K that was different from how Jones played him but was able to include elements of what Jones did with the older version.

The 4K set is a six-disc set. The movies look and sound fantastic in the upgraded format. Obviously, Part III looks the best, but even the original is an excellent upgrade over the original DVD release. Each movie has two discs, one UHD disc with just the movie and one regular blu-ray with the movie and extras. Each movie has at least one general behind-the-scenes feature and then several specific featurettes such as, for example, scene breakdowns, how they came up with and made the alien creatures, the special effects, etc. There are also gag reels, trailers, and music videos. Each movie also has a commentary track. A lot of material for those who like going through the extras. The only negative to the set is that the discs are stacked on top of each other in their case (each movie has its own case within the outer box). It is a minor point, but it would have been better packaged so that each disc sat on either side of the case in its own housing. That said, I definitely recommend picking up this set.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: I am Legend

 

I am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic monster/horror movie directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson, and Willow Smith.  This unique story was adapted from a 1954 novel by Richard Matheson. In it, a group of scientists think they have found a viral cure for cancer, and like other viruses, it can jump from person to person (aside from the few with immunity). The unintended side effects are the people it does not kill outright turn into vampires. Smith's character is alone (aside from his dog) in New York City, trying to find a cure for the virus.

The blu-ray is a single-disc set with two versions of the movie, the theatrical version and a version with the alternate ending (which is the better version of the story), and a handful of bonus features. The bonus content includes several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes and a series of short animated comics. The A/V quality of the movie is great, and most of the special effects are seamlessly blended with the practical elements. The big exception, however, is that when we do get to see the vampires, they are CGI and look very fake.

The movie is very good, especially given that it relies on a single actor for the vast majority of the time. Smith does a great job playing a guy who is clearly going crazy from being by himself for three years yet is brilliant in his moments of lucidity when he works on a cure for the virus. It is one of the better acting jobs he has done in his career. I like the alternate version because it fleshes out the story of whether the vampires are becoming sentient beings vs just mindless killing machines. It really goes deeper into the ethical dilemma of whether it is right to "cure" them. It is a question that the film does not really answer in either version, but it does make you think. As of this writing, there is talk of a sequel being made based on the alternate ending, so it is worth the time to watch the alternate version of the movie.

Apparently, the movie diverges a lot from the source books, which upset a lot of fans. If that is something that would take away from your enjoyment of the movie, then you should probably skip this. If you are a fan of Will Smith, the sci-fi kind of dramas and stories (especially ones that do make you think some), and can let the movie stand on its own, you will probably find this enjoyable. My only real gripe with the film is the fact that they made the vampires CGI. I do not think that there was a big need to do so, and the film could have been even more effective if you put real actors in that role.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Hitch

 

Hitch is a 2005 movie directed by Andy Tennant and starring Will Smith, Kevin James, Amber Valletta, and Eva Mendez. In the movie, Smith plays a "date doctor" named Alexander Hitchens, who coaches men on how to pick up women with the goal of dating them versus just hooking up. James plays Albert Brennaman, who works at an investment firm and hires Hitch to help him get one of the firm's celebrity clients (played by Valletta) on a date. In the meantime, Hitch starts to fall for Mendez's character, who is a workaholic gossip columnist.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is okay, but not outstanding. Given, however, that the film is not a special-effects-laden blockbuster, most people will be fine with the quality of the transfer. The blu-ray has a handful of extras, including a gag reel, a couple of behind-the-scenes featurettes, and trailers for a few different movies. The movie is a fairly good, tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy. When the movie does not take itself too seriously and almost spoofs "typical" romantic comedies, it is very good. It is funny in a lot of parts, and the actors have (or seem to have) very good chemistry. Then, for some reason, it feels the need to become a "typical" romantic comedy and do almost the exact opposite of what it did for the first 3/4 of the movie. If they had stuck to its original formula, I think it would have been perfect. 

Kevin James was the total scene-stealer in the movie. He was never afraid of making a fool of himself, and you could tell that he and Will Smith were having a lot of fun working off each other. Eva Mendes plays bitter and jaded very well and she showed she has very good comedic chops and can do more than just be eye candy. Ultimately, it is a good date night movie that can get kind of schlocky at the end. While that does keep the movie from being as good as it could have been, it does not take away from the entire thing. It is definitely worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Hancock

 

Hancock is an anti-hero movie from 2008 directed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, and Jason Bateman. Smith plays Hancock, who has powers like Superman but who is alcoholic, anti-social, and mean to everyone, including victims. The movie has two distinct halves. The first half is a crude humor anti-hero superhero movie. Basically, if Superman was an alcoholic who saved people and caught bad guys but really did not give a shit about anyone. The second half is about a plot twist that reveals Hancock's back story. I won't spoil the plot twist but it seems like most people who dislike the movie do so because of the plot twist. 

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is great. While neither the audio nor video quality are quite "reference quality", they are pretty close. The extras include a video diary that plays as a picture-in-picture with the movie, providing behind-the-scenes content while the movie plays.  Then there are several making-of featurettes and trailers for other movies. Ultimately, the movie is good, but not great. While I did not mind the plot twist, I do think the movie would have done fine without it. I liked the redemption of a superhero angle they had going up until the plot twist hit and there were certainly ways to have a similar ending without the twist. The movie is not very family-friendly and will not appeal to everyone. It definitely has a darker crude humor to it. It is the kind of comedy that you either like or you do not. I think all the actors do a great job, but Jason Bateman was the most entertaining because he had to play the straight man the whole time (similar to his character in Arrested Development). The movie is mostly a comedy-action blend, with some drama mixed in as well. Charlize Theron sold her character well and was, as always, easy on the eyes. If you like the actors involved, Arrested Development-type and Apetow-like humor, and action movies, then you will probably like this one. It is definitely worth the time to watch.