Men In Black

1997 • 97 minutes
4.6
1.53K reviews
91%
Tomatometer
PG-13
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Men in Black follows the exploits of agents Kay (Jones) and Jay (Smith), members of a top-secret organization established to monitor alien activity on Earth. The two MiB find themselves in the middle of the deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio) who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies.
Rating
PG-13

Ratings and reviews

4.6
1.53K reviews
Kyle Vansteelandt
May 12, 2022
Extraterrestrial life has arrived on earth, and are masters of blending into human society. Who do we call? No, not The Ghostbusters. It's the Men In Black. They have sophisticated weaponry and skills to ruin any disguise that these aliens display. Agent K is a pro in this company. Then he hired an eccentric detective of the police department named 'James," now he is nicknamed "agent J." One day, one specific alien came to earth to search for the arquillian galaxy and use it to destroy the arquillians and conquer the world. This alien is more powerful and more dangerous than all of the others. A giant cockroach in the form of Edgar, called "The Bug." The bug is wreaking havoc with destructive violence, searching for the galaxy. Can the duo from the MIB company save the universe or not? This science fiction comedy has a tenacious grip on my attention from the beginning to the end, and I had a lot of fun with it for good reason. Barry Sonnenfeld (director) and Ed Solomon (writer) did a great job with the whole structure of the film; They have some clever concepts for the storytelling with lots of obstacles in the way. They have build up some effective suspense that delivers sharp execution. That's not the only feature of it's craftsmanship that makes the delivery sharp, the comedy is hilarious because of how clever and dynamic it is. The film contains some great camera work; the camera zooms in on the character's faces to show they mean business. There are some quick cuts that were used at the right place at the right time to support the execution for shock value and comedy. There are also a few scenes involving the characters in the background that are smartly written. Another aspect that amps up the richness of the movie is the smartly written dialogue, some of the lines for the protagonists commands admiration and appreciation for them. And there are some lines of dialogue that are utterly witty. The effects are a mixture between practical effects and CGI effects, and they are so incredible. Danny Elfman (composer) did a fantastic job with the music score; most of his score is sprightly and dramatic, sometimes the score can sound frantic, and there are three times where his score sounds tender. The characters that the cast played have displayed impressive characterizations that contributes to the fun entertainment, and their performances are memorable. Tommy Lee Jones plays Agent K with a sophisticated and collected manner. Will Smith is hilarious as agent J, and his performance is totally off-the-wall. Not to mention that the lines for Will's character is witty. At first, he has a soft side that is silly when he arrived at the MIB company, until he partners up with agent K, he becomes a well-utilized sidekick. Rip Torn plays Chief Zed. His performance shows how seriously involved he can be. I must talk about the main antagonist: Edgar the Bug, played by Vincent D'Onofrio. He is one ghastly villain with his hideous appearance, his intimidating weaponry, and his vicious attitude. And I should mention that Tim Blaney is funny as Frank the Pug. Now, I will admit that I would estimate that only ninety percent of this movie is eighty-eight percent of this movie superb; there is only one problem that I have noticed: Agent K is aggressively shaking Frank the pug for answers (animal abuse). I can't tell that the pug is real or a practical effect though. In conclusion: "Men In Black" is such a fun and irresistible romp because of how sharp, skillful, smart, and scary it is. Highly Recommended!
Matthew Ahn
January 6, 2020
Here come the Men in Black~ This movie is one of my absolute favorites to this day. Everything from Will Smith taking jabs and cracking jokes only to fall on Tommy Lee Jones who remains silent and stoic is one of the best character dynamics in media like that of Sam and Max in their respective game series. Not just that, but lots of the characters make me feel exactly how I imagine they wanted to make me feel. The main antagonist just fills me with disgust and revilement, and Frank is one of the best agents in the series IMO. Any fan of sci-fi should give this movie either a whirl, or another watch-through at the very least to enjoy the end credit song of "Here Come the Men in Black".
16 people found this review helpful
Shelby Nichols
March 12, 2016
I didn't watch it on my tablet, but it was so awesomely awesome and funny. But it could use better language
14 people found this review helpful