Men In Black (1997)

Release Date: 2 July, 1997


What's It About: Alien activity on Earth is managed and kept hidden from the public by the Men In Black, a government agency that helps keep track of existing aliens and prevent new ones from illegally coming to Earth and causing trouble. The story follows Agent J through his recruitment and training and his time in the MIB with Agent K, his mentor.


The Good: The aliens are an immediate standout, with highly creative designs and behaviors. Each one has a distinct look and personality, which help us imagine them as normal citizens surrounding us. The gadgets are really cool too, ranging from their car, to their big guns (which only appear for a moment), to the Neuralyzer. Technically, the movie is well made and well paced, without lingering on any one scene for too long. The scenes alternate between serious and humorous, but are generally a little more funny, if Will Smith is in them. Some of the better scenes involve the alien characters, such as Frank the Pug or the Worm Guys drinking coffee, who are absolutely hilarious.


The Bad: Interestingly, the only real bad thing that I could think of was only applicable when I first saw this film when I was 8, and that was any scene that involved Orion the Cat being distressed. A younger me really disliked when cats were being mishandled, so perhaps the same may apply to you.


Best Performance: The performances are as good as they need to be, but Will Smith does stand out as the most comfortable in his role as Agent J, the hot-headed reckless newbie agent. Smith brings a certain cheeky insubordination to the role, adding his trademark quips and observations to the strange goings on around him that the film presents. He acts a bit like the voice of the audience. My favorite scene with him is when he takes the entrance exam to MIB, particularly when he drags the table across the floor, something that the other applicants did not think to do.


Should I Watch It: Men In Black is one of the better buddy-cop films, sporting a strong cast with great interaction and a surprisingly well-developed world. The plot is engaging and interesting, and the special effects are great. It's paced well and leans more to the funny side than the serious side, and plays upon the contrast between Tommy Lee Jones's seriousness and lack of facial expressions and Will Smith's abundance of. The villain was quite impressive too, and the climax had a good payoff.


Post-Credits Scene: No


Similar Films: Men In Black II and III (2002/2012), Rush Hour (1998), Bad Boys (1995)


Trailer: