Men in Black (1997)

Director:

Barry Sonnenfeld

Writers (WGA):

Lowell Cunningham (comic)
Ed Solomon (screen story)

Release Date:

2 July 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Protecting the earth from the scum of the universe

Plot:

Two men who keep an eye on aliens in New York City must try to save the world after the aliens threaten to blow it up.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Men In Black | New York City | Bug | Technology

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 17 wins & 28 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Feb. 14	5:00 PM	TNT
Mon. Feb. 15	2:00 AM	TNT

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Kay
Will Smith	...	N.Y.P.D Ofcr. James Darrel Edwards III / Jay
Linda Fiorentino	...	Laurel
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Edgar
Rip Torn	...	Chief Zed
Tony Shalhoub	...	Jack Jeebs
Siobhan Fallon	...	Beatrice
Mike Nussbaum	...	Gentle Rosenburg the Arquillian Jeweler
Jon Gries	...	Nick the Van Driver
Sergio Calderón	...	Jose
Carel Struycken	...	Arquillian
Fredric Lehne	...	INS Agent Janus (as Fredric Lane)
Richard Hamilton	...	D
Kent Faulcon	...	1st Lt. Jake Jensen
John Alexander	...	Mikey

Also Known As:

MIB (USA) (promotional abbreviation)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and sci-fi violence.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | DTS | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Denmark:11 | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:AL (1999 video rating) | Australia:PG (re-rating on appeal) (rejected) | UK:PG (cut) | Philippines:PG-13 | South Africa:10V | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

54 Macdougal Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

When Edwards (Will Smith) jumps from the overpass onto the tour bus, he jumps from the same bridge where Robert Neville is attacked by the demon dogs after the sun goes down in I Am Legend (2007).

Goofs:

Continuity: Kent Faulcon is identified as "1st. Lt. Jake Jensen" in the credits but calls himself "2nd Lt. Jake Jensen" in the audition scene.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Fairly OddParents: Fairy Idol (#6.8)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Men In Black

Funny Sci-Fi. As Good As Ghostbusters.

As I stated above, Men In Black is just as good as the sci-fi comedies Ghostbusters I and II. But instead of chasing ghost's we're chasing after rogue aliens.

James (Will Smith) is an officer in the NYPD and one of the top officers. After a hard night, James is questioned by his own police force for allegedly killing a suspect who fell off a building. As James insists that the person was acting strangely, Agent K (Tommmy Lee Jones) comes in and takes him out.

James is welcomed to a secret agency which keeps aliens in check. After a brief examination of his life, James (now Agent J) joins the agency. On his first day, suddenly K and J are on a mission to stop a massive cockroach from destroying Earth and starting a galactic war.

The chemistry between Smith and Jones is hilarious. Smith has some great comedy scenes especially when he is using his new weapon, the Noisy Crickett and him trying to deliver a baby squid type creature. The aliens are smart, their inventive, and their just plain fun when seeing how they identify themselves and hide their identities. The story is funny and will keep you laughing at almost every scene.

The presentation of aliens as everyday people trying to live normal lives in Manhattan is a lot more fun than the presentation of murderous aliens (Independence Day). Another great part is that the film isn't overblown with special effects of alien explosions and massive battles. Instead comedy and chemistry keeps this top comedy flowing.

Men In Black. Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino, and Rip Torn.

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars.