Bullet Points: Men in Black (1997)
Back in 1997 I thought that Will Smith was destined to be the biggest action star in the world. You might even say that I was right given the fact that he had just had a massive hit with Independence Day and Men in Black was slated to hit the following year. All signs pointed to up for him. Seeing where he is in today’s Hollywood you might not think that was the case back then, but it’s not uncommon for an actor to fall slightly from that pedestal of action filmmaking. It’s hard to stay at the top forever. Aside from maybe Tom Cruise, I can’t think of another actor who has stayed at the top of his game for longer. Even those that would end up on my Mount Rushmore of action didn’t stay at the top for their entire careers. Re-watching Men in Black all these years later, though, it’s clear that Will Smith had all the makings of an action god.
Synopsis: James, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.
- Meet the Fellas: Introducing our two main characters to one another is very important but first lets meet the two men. K is a veteran member of the MIB. His aging partner is going into what you might consider “retirement” for a member of such an elite and mysterious group so now K is in a full-fledged search for a new partner while also rethinking about what it means to serve in such a role.
- K meets J: James, or J as we’ll come to know him later, is a NYPD detective who talks as fast as he runs and isn’t afraid to push his limits. After an arduous chase scene which ends on the top of a building, J is left questioning everything he knows about the seedy elements of the city that were once hidden from him.
- New Guy: Apparently the novelization of the film makes it clear that the written exam the MIB candidates take is BS and the real test is how they deal with the uncomfortable testing situation. I think that is way cooler than just your standard testing one might find in a more traditional agency and it also speaks to what makes J special. He’s not just a good shot or someone who can run fast. He thinks through the situations and has instincts which he’s honed over the years instead of just years of gov’t training. It makes his first couple of days on the job with K much easier to accept from a viewers standpoint since he’s so used to having to think fast on his feet.
- He’s coming: An alien menace arrives to capture a galaxy hidden on Earth. It doesn’t need to make since for it to make for a fun story. Especially when the alien menace is played by the always outstanding Vincent D’Onofrio. In fact, this film boasts an incredible supported cast which also includes Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, and Linda Fiorentino. It’s the perfect flavors to spice up the very dry (on purpose, of course) acting from Tommy Lee Jones.
- Adventures: Once K and J are paired up as partners, the fun really begins. They immediately discover the presences of D’Onofrio’s alien bug menace and realize that they’re way over their heads. It wouldn’t be a big, stupid summer blockbuster without without the stakes being too high so now the entire world is on the brink of destruction! Luckily, we already know that J is a quick learner and a fast thinker. Plenty of gags ensue as Will Smith really shines in what has to be the perfect role for his brand of action/comedy.
- Never in Doubt: A film so perfect for a franchise was never in doubt of ending on a sour note. The biggest thing that I took from watching this movie years after it was released was that it tells such a fun story from start to finish without feeling the need to set up future sequels or prequels. It speaks for itself and makes you want more without wasting time in the setup.
The Verdict: Writers today could really learn something from that last paragraph. Men in Black didn’t need to be the start of a new franchise for it to be so good. It works so well on its own that we wanted to see more and so we got more. It wasn’t a film that delighted in setting up multiple stories that we would hear later, it just reveled in great actors bringing fun and exciting characters to the screen. What happened years later with the sequels, I can’t speak to. There’s probably some dissertation out there talking about it if you’re willing to search, for me, though, I’ll always go back and love this original.
