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Men in Black (1997)

tomatometer

91

Average Rating: 7.5/10
Reviews Counted: 68
Fresh: 62 | Rotten: 6

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.

84

Average Rating: 7.3/10
Critic Reviews: 19
Fresh: 16 | Rotten: 3

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.

audience

73

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 957,686

My Rating

Movie Info

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

Oct 23, 1997

Columbia TriStar International

Cast

All Critics (69) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (72) | Rotten (6) | DVD (46)

Every time the film makes you chuckle, you may also feel it's zapped you with a neuralizer.

July 6, 2010 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | Comments (4)
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic IconTop Critic

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

July 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
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The smartest, funniest, and best-looking sci-fi comedy since the movies learned to morph.

June 5, 2007 Full Review Source: Slate | Comments (6)
Slate
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It's just the best yuk of the week.

April 17, 2007 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
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As ragged as the humor is, there still are more hits than misses.

November 6, 2002 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | Comment
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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At times, it may succeed at manipulating you, but you won't like it.

June 18, 2002 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comments (5)
San Francisco Chronicle
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Lots of fun, but too scary for some kids.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

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

September 1, 2009 Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul | Comment

What [it] lacks in depth, it makes up for with an infectious childlike enthusiasm for its zany premise.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Bullz-Eye.com | Comment
Bullz-Eye.com

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

September 16, 2008 Full Review Source: ESplatter | Comment
ESplatter

Combines the talents of Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld to hilarious, endearing effect.

July 23, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

Director Barry Sonnenfeld brings a sense of whimsy to the comic script, balancing farce with big-budget action and somehow making it all work.

June 16, 2008 Full Review Source: MSN.com | Comment
MSN.com

The fun is in the believing, and Sonnenfeld makes it easy to do that.

June 11, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
Movie Metropolis

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

March 11, 2008 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | Comment
eFilmCritic.com

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

April 17, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

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

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Combustible Celluloid

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.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

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

April 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | Comment
Reeling Reviews

A fun movie.

January 27, 2004 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Men in Black

Men in Black is a film that tries to be cool and suceeds. Smith and Jones are good screen couples that perform excellently backed up by a clever script, smart comedy and exciting action.

November 2, 2011
Michael M.
Michael Miller

Super Reviewer

Every viewing of MEN IN BLACK brings more laughs, much more enjoyment. It's just simply Will Smith's best film so far.Though that, it is certainly the weirdest of all '90s movies. Especially the last scene.

June 14, 2011
spielberg00
Alexander Diminiano

Super Reviewer

    1. K: Fifteen hundred years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat. And fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow.
    – Submitted by Jonathan R (19 days ago)
    1. Edgar: Hey! This is my truck!
    2. Tow Truck Driver: Yeah. And make sure you tell them that down at the impound.
    3. Edgar: Agh! [reaches for his double barrel shotgun and cocks it]
    4. Tow Truck Driver: [whips out his revolver from his shirt] Please........
    – Submitted by Nick S (30 days ago)
    1. J: [talking to the recently neutralized Beatrice] Why don't you go shopping, get some new clothes, pretty yourself up a bit.... Oh! And, get a decorator in her quick, cause... D*MN.
    – Submitted by T R (32 days ago)
    1. K: You sold a reverberating carbonizer with mutate capacities to an unlicensed, unauthorized cephalopoid? Jeebs, you piece of s***!
    2. Jeebs: He looked alright to me.
    – Submitted by Jack B (2 months ago)
    1. J: Unlimited technology from the whole universe, and we cruise 'round in a Ford P.O.S.
    – Submitted by Pun C (2 months ago)

Latest News for Men in Black

July 6, 2011:
Marvel Movie Madness! Part 26: Men in Black
Ryan: For me, Will Smith is most tolerable in small doses, which is unfortunate, because he's...

May 19, 2010:
Jemaine Clement Joins Men in Black III
When Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones don their shades for action in "Men in Black III," they'll be...

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