Men in Black

1997 Action/Adventure

For his fifth effort as a feature-film director, one-time cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld brought his cartoonish visual style and darkly humorous sensibilities to this adaptation of, appropriately enough, a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi comic book. Will Smith stars as James Darrel Edwards, a New York City cop with an athletic physique and a flippant, anti-authoritarian attitude toward law enforcement. After chasing down a mysterious perpetrator one night who turns out to be an alien, James is recruited by "K" (Tommy Lee Jones), a veteran of a clandestine government agency secretly policing the comings and goings of aliens on planet Earth. Nicknamed the "men in black" for their nondescript uniform of black suit, shoes, tie, and sunglasses, the agents are assigned to recover a bauble that's been stolen by an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio). It seems the item is none other than the galaxy itself, and its theft has plunged humanity into the center of what's shaping up to become an interstellar war, unless K and his new wisecracking partner, now renamed "J," can stop the bad guy. On their side but somewhat in the dark is a pretty, unflappable city medical examiner (Linda Fiorentino) who has been zapped one too many times by K's ingenious memory-sapping device. Men in Black was a box office smash, inspiring an animated children's television series and a hit soundtrack album that featured a performance by star (and rapper) Smith. more..

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

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

Reviews

  • The snappy sci-fi hoot Men in Black...is a kind of "Independence Day" for smart people.

    Susan Wloszczyna - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • A smart, funny and hip adventure film in a summer of car wrecks and explosions.

    Gene Siskel - The Chicago Tribune

    26 April 2013

  • Sonnenfeld deftly orchestrates the intricate two-part harmony, and Smith and Jones -- a powerhouse comic pair -- make it all look easy.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    26 April 2013

  • When the plot finally does click in, it slows down the trajectory a little, but not fatally.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith give uproarious comic performances as government agents ordered to keep New York's monsters in Manhattan, where they'll blend right in with the rest of the confusion.

    David Sterritt - Christian Science Monitor

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures

    ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (1998)

  • Best Makeup

    Academy Awards (1998)

  • Best Music

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (1998)

  • Feature Film

    Art Directors Guild (1998)

     
  • Best Special Effects

    BAFTA Awards (1998)