Men in Black (1997)

A police officer joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth.

Director:

Barry Sonnenfeld

Writers:

Lowell Cunningham (comic), Ed Solomon (screen story)

Stars:

Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino

Won 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 39 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Kay
Will Smith	...	Jay
Linda Fiorentino	...	Laurel
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Edgar
Rip Torn	...	Zed
Tony Shalhoub	...	Jeebs
Siobhan Fallon Hogan	...	Beatrice (as Siobhan Fallon)
Mike Nussbaum	...	Gentle Rosenburg
Jon Gries	...	Van Driver
Sergio Calderón	...	Jose
Carel Struycken	...	Arquillian
Fredric Lehne	...	INS Agent Janus (as Fredric Lane)
Richard Hamilton	...	Dee
Kent Faulcon	...	1st Lt. Jake Jensen
John Alexander	...	Mikey

Storyline

Based off of the comic book. Unbeknownst to other people, there is a private agency code named MiB. This agency is some kind of extra terrestrial surveillance corporation. Then, one of the agency's finest men only going by the name "K" (Tommy Lee Jones) , is recruiting for a new addition to the agency. He has chosen James Edwards (Will Smith) of the N.Y.P.D. Then, one day, a flying saucer crashes into Earth. This was an alien a part of the "Bug" race. He takes the body of a farmer (Vincent D'Onofrio) and heads to New York. He is searching for a super energy source called "The Galaxy". Now, Agents J and K must stop the bug before it can escape with the galaxy.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | galaxy | terrorist | flying saucer | laser gun | 

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Taglines:

Men in Black - Protecting the Earth from the scum of the Universe.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and sci-fi violence

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

2 July 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

MIB

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$51,068,455, 6 July 1997

Gross USA:

$250,690,539

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$589,390,539

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS (8 channels) Dolby Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lowell Cunningham's comic 'The Men in Black' was much darker and dryer than the family-oriented science fiction comedy this film adaptation was. In the comics, the MiB survey not only extraterrestrial activity, but paranormal and supernatural activity on Earth as well. They are allowed to maintain secrecy by any means necessary (including elimination); they also had a secret agenda: to manipulate and reshape the world in their own image by keeping the supernatural hidden.

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Goofs

As Zed explains Orion's Belt to Jay at HQ, he rotates the constellation Orion vertically on a screen display and zooms in, showing the Belt's stars (Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka) to be in a roughly straight line and of equal brightness. In reality such an "overhead" projection of the Belt would show a long triangle with a very narrow base (Alnilam is about twice as far from Earth as the other two stars), with Mintaka on the right nine times brighter than Alnitak on the left.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Nick the Van Driver: Goddamn bugs!

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, a dragonfly flies around the countryside.

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Alternate Versions

The version shown on Australian cable television is the uncut version with a PG rating

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Best of Science Fiction Movies (2010)

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Soundtracks

The Promised Land
Written by Chuck Berry
Performed by Elvis Presley
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label of BMG Entertainment

User Reviews

Smart, funny spoof that is impossible not to like!

"Men in Black" and "Galaxy Quest" are in my mind the best sci-fi comedies ever made, because they are both hilarious parodies of two different cultures. Whereas the latter spoofed obsessed fans who take sci-fi entertainment WAY too seriously, this one spoofs the paranoid, tin-foil-hat brand of conspiracy theorists. It has funny characters, witty lines, and does not at all take itself seriously.

There are a lot of small details that can take multiple viewings to catch. One thing I found funnier the second time I watched it is the scene where Will Smith has just been severely lectured by his boss in the interrogation room when Tommy Lee Jones enters, asks a few questions, and tells Smith to come with him. Smith: "I can't, there's still a lot of paperwork to fill out." Jones: "No, the paperwork is all taken care of." Smith's boss (walking by): "Hey, nice work, Edwards!" This is one of many quick, funny scenes that you only really get if you're paying attention.

All the actors do a good job, too. I thought Rip Torn was the funniest character, and Edgar the bug was hilariously gross. Linda Fiorentino was one of the coolest female characters ever. She put Ripley to shame. Every time I watch this, I want to marry her.

Overall, it's a great comedy that is clever and fun all the way through. 8/10 stars.