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 | Bug | New York City | Technology

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 17 wins & 28 nominations

Cast

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)
Люди в Чёрном (Russia) [ru]
Adamianebi shavebshi (Georgia) [ka]
Barbati în negru (Romania) [ro]
Faceci w czerni (Poland) [pl]
Gvarim B'Shahor (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Hombres de negro (Argentina) [es]
Homens de Negro (Portugal) [pt]
Homens de Preto (Brazil) [pt]
Homes de negre (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Hommes en noir (Canada: French title) [fr]
Ljudi u crnom (Croatia) [hr]
MIB - Miehet mustissa (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
MIB - Svartklädda män (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Men in Black (France) [fr]
Men in Black (Germany) [de]
Men in Black (Sweden) [sv]
Men in Black (Italy) [it]
Men in Black (Norway) [no]
Men in Black - Sötét zsaruk (Hungary) [hu]
Men in Black: hombres de negro (Spain) [es]
Men in black - miehet mustissa (Finland) [fi]
Mozje v crnem (Slovenia) [sl]
Oi andres me ta mavra (Greece) [el]
Siyah giyen adamlar (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Vishwa-Rakshak (India: Hindi title) (dubbed version) [hi]

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 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:

Bruce Campbell was set to appear in a small role, but he backed out to star in the television film Tornado! (1996) (TV).

Goofs:

Continuity: When the bug goes into the farm house wearing Edgar's Skin he drinks sugar water, and then Beatrice tells him that his skin is hanging off his bones. He looks in the mirror then grabs his hair and pulls his skin tightly to the back of his head. Beatrice faints and the next shot shows the bug still pulling his hair back, but the skin is no longer stretched.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Slither (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Promised Land

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.