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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:18

Fresh:15

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.2/10

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]

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Release:

Jun 17, 2008

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Reviews for Men In Black

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1 - 17 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
10/18/08
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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
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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
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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
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At times, it may succeed at manipulating you, but you won't like it.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment 1 Comment
06/18/02
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
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The result is a rich picture with a winning personality, as modest in theme as it is in style.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/12/02
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
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To quote the film's wisest alien, who just happens to be occupying the body of an ugly-ass pug dog, 'You don't like it, you can kiss my furry little butt.'

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
05/11/01
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
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Though its charm is in its attitude and premise (and Danny Elfman's rousing score), Men in Black does have a serviceable plot that kicks in when a rusty flying saucer crash-lands in a rural area.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/14/01
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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For a picture being sold as a big-budget special-effects comedy, Men in Black is surprisingly, pleasingly modest.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor
Salon.com
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Those accepting Men in Black for what it is will likely agree that this is one of 1997's more satisfying big-budget offerings.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
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The film's technical team reflects exceptional stylistic harmony.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
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It's smart, it looks sensational and it's funny -- sneaky-funny.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jeff Millar
Jeff Millar
Houston Chronicle
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...thanks to Solomon's sparkling dialogue, Sonnenfeld's graceful economy, and a steady visual inventiveness, Men in Black takes the radical step of assuming that its audience is hip and smart, and it shines with that generous act of complicity.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
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Based on an obscure comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, this cheerfully perverse movie could just as easily have come directly from the text of a supermarket tabloid.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rita Kempley
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
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Men in Black continues this summer's tradition, already established by Con Air and Batman and Robin, of big-budget action pictures that at least have the wit to know how silly they are.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News
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Independence Day for smart people.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Wloszczyna
Susan Wloszczyna
USA Today
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1 - 17 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for Men In Black

December 09, 2009: Josh Brolin Rumored for Men in Black 3 Opens in new window
Could Josh Brolin really be contemplating joining the cast of "Men in Black 3"? More...

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...

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