Men in Black (1997)
Where to Watch
- Before Tommy Lee Jones was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- The original script for Men in Black was written over a decade before production finally began in 1997.
Men in Black is a 1997 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, based on the Malibu/Marvel comic book series. The film stars Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K and Will Smith as Agent J, members of a secret government organization that monitors, regulates, and polices alien activity on Earth while keeping the public unaware that extraterrestrials have been living among humans for decades. When a malevolent alien disguised as a farmer threatens to destroy Earth to retrieve a powerful energy source hidden inside a jewel, the mismatched pair must save the planet while navigating the surreal bureaucracy of alien immigration.
Men in Black was a masterful blend of science fiction spectacle and buddy comedy, with the chemistry between Tommy Lee Jones's deadpan veteran agent and Will Smith's wisecracking newcomer driving the film's considerable entertainment value. Will Smith, who had just established himself as a box office force with Independence Day the previous year, cemented his status as Hollywood's most bankable star with his charismatic performance. Rick Baker's Oscar-winning makeup and creature effects brought a dazzling variety of alien species to life, from the tiny aliens living inside human-shaped robot suits to the massive, cockroach-like villain portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio.
Danny Elfman's playful score and Will Smith's tie-in single, which sampled Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots," became ubiquitous that summer. Men in Black earned $589 million worldwide on a $90 million budget and won the Academy Award for Best Makeup. The film launched a franchise and established the template for a very specific type of blockbuster β the irreverent sci-fi comedy that took its world-building seriously while never taking itself too seriously.
