MENACEIISOCIETY 1080pLOVEOLDSCHOOL

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.





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