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Movies / On DVD / Men In Black
Men In Black

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Men In Black (1997)

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Reviews Counted:65

Fresh:59

Rotten:6

Average Rating:7.5/10

Consensus: MIB has plenty of spectacle, but its clever script and charismatic leads are what carry the film. Its mixture of comedy and cool makes for a whole lot of fun.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: In the 1950s a super-secret government agency was formed to monitor and police the activities of extraterrestrial aliens on the planet Earth. Some 40 years later a founding father of the agency,... In the 1950s a super-secret government agency was formed to monitor and police the activities of extraterrestrial aliens on the planet Earth. Some 40 years later a founding father of the agency, Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones), finds himself with a new smart-mouthed partner fresh from the NYPD who is soon dubbed Agent Jay (Will Smith). Their first mission is to save the Earth from destruction by a giant insectlike alien (Vincent D'Onfrio) that, incidentally, drives an exterminator's truck. Armed with their matching Ray-Bans, skinny ties, and space-age weapons that Jay barely understands--he calls the Neuralyzer the "flashy thing"--the new duo begin another average day of fighting intergalactic terrorists. An amazingly hip and terribly clever movie that riffs on everything from E.T.--THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL to CASABLANCA, this Barry Sonnenfeld film is based on the equally savvy comic book by Lowell Cunningham. [More]

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, Siobhan Fallon, Mike Nussbaum, Sergio Calderon, Carel Struycken, Michael Willis, Richard Hamilton, David Cross, Kent Faulcon, Bernard Gilkey, Jonathan Gries, Fredric Lane, Sean Whalen, John Alexander

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Screenwriter: Ed Solomon
Story: Lowell Cunningham
Composer: Danny Elfman
Producer: Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Steven Spielberg

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Men In Black

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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Combines the talents of Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld to hilarious, endearing effect.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
07/23/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's so much fun, in fact, that it's almost over before you realise that you've been watching a great idea for a movie in desperate search of a plot.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...while every big movie has its gasp-inducing moments, this film concentrates on inventive and quirky.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/01/00
Almar Haflidason
Almar Haflidason
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The guns and gadgets threaten but never succeed in eclipsing the human talent, and for that, we must praise director Sonnenfeld.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Andrew Collins
Andrew Collins
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sonnenfeld keeps it all bubbling along with a vibrant, comic book buzz.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

What is it about the black suit/black tie/white shirt get-up in movies?

Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul | comment Comment
09/01/09
Rob Nelson
Rob Nelson
City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
10/18/08
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
10/18/08
Moira MacDonald
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

Ultimately, this film isn't quite as screamingly funny as its coming attractions trailer suggested, but it is an amiable enough piece of entertainment.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
09/16/08
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

A wild knuckleball of a movie that keeps dancing in and out of the strike zone.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/07/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Just a collection of sketches in which Jones and Smith run into farcical E.T.s.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/11/08
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

The smartest, funniest, and best-looking sci-fi comedy since the movies learned to morph.

Full Review Source: Slate | comment 5 Comments
06/05/07
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
Slate

It’s just the best yuk of the week.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
04/17/07
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

Cool hot-weather fun -- this will be the one to beat right through the dog days of summer.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
04/17/07
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Will Smith, the only spark of life in Independence Day, now is allowed to shine in brighter, smarter material.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

A solid, entertaining, intelligent, and funny entry into the annals of this summer's moviegoing selection.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

A fun movie.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/27/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The plot is paper-thin, characters are one-dimensional and even the protagonists' one-liners are forgettable.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
09/04/03
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Fortunately, the cast's one-dimensional performances and deadpan delivery of funny dialogue actually enhance the humor.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/03
Susan Tavernetti
Susan Tavernetti
Palo Alto Weekly

As ragged as the humor is, there still are more hits than misses.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
11/06/02
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
all

Latest News for Men In Black

October 30, 2009: Columbia Wants More Men in Black Opens in new window
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones haven't signed yet, but Columbia is moving forward with another "Men in Black," hiring Etan Cohen ("Tropic Thunder") to write a script. More...

April 03, 2009: Weekly Ketchup: Sony announces Men in Black III
Right smack in the middle of this week was April Fool's Day, so some stories this week had to be always be viewed with a grain of salt, but there was indeed real movie news. ... More...

April 01, 2009: Sony Announces Men in Black 3 at ShoWest Opens in new window
Not to be outdone by Disney and Warner Bros.' action-packed ShoWest presentations, Sony used its showing to announce the impending arrival of a third "Men in Black." More...

July 16, 2008: Exclusive: The World of WALL-E
The artists behind this year's freshest film share their story with RT, with exclusive contributions from Andrew Stanton, Ben Burtt, Jim Morris, Lindsay Collins, Angus MacLane,... More...

See All

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