Watch
Men in Black

Men in Black

1997
Comedy
Sci-fi
1h 38m
Jones is K, a veteran of a government agency so secretive no one in power knows it exists; Smith is J, a former New York cop turned rookie operative. The two dress like the FBI but better, and drive a Ford that moves like the Stealth bomber. And, when not hanging out in their bachelor pad-cum-mission control, they flex muscle like the INS - albeit toward aliens with multiple, mutating heads.
Your probable score
?

Men in Black

1997
Comedy
Sci-fi
1h 38m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 47.29% from 19150 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(19150)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 20 Feb 2019
85
63rd
Man, this was big back in the day. You couldn't escape it (or the damn song). Rewatching it 20 years later, it's... fine. Just fine. Not great, groundbreaking, or even especially good - just serviceable, workmanlike entertainment.
Rated 09 Feb 2018
85
80th
Captures the vibe of the comic book well enough, and I should know because I don't read comic books. Will Smith runs up the Guggenheim in 8 seconds flat, "Edgar your skin is hangin' off your bones", Rip Torn is totally not a stage name, maybe our whole universe is just a fuckin' marble bro. Vincent D scared the shit out of 8 year old me, he is completely insane in this. Shoutout to Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen, what a catchy tune.
Rated 03 Sep 2013
85
86th
Got that Neurolizer thing in a Burger King happy meal and totally forgot how to make friends.
Rated 26 Feb 2010
75
62nd
Plain and simple it's entertainment. Yes it's effectively a white cop/black cop duo to create humour but it's a white cop/black cop dealing with aliens and it's completely self-aware as to how ludicrous it is. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith seem like an unlikely pair but they really do work together very well and have superb chemistry. Vincent D'Onofrio gives the villain some great humour as well. No, it's not superb but it's a lot of fun.
Rated 30 Jul 2019
92
86th
Quirky, fast-paced blockbuster is an utter joy from its first frame to the last, reveling in its array of alien characters (courtesy of Rick Baker) and feeding off the charismatic performances from Smith & Jones - together and apart, they make for an unexpectedly terrific "Lethal Weapon"-ish team. A final act which bows to a conventional plot wrap up is an expected disappointment - it would have been a pleasure to see these characters riffing with each other right up to the final curtain!
Rated 06 Jul 2012
80
74th
I've recently rewatched this and found it to be highly entertaining, in my memory the sequels had made this become something that it shouldn't have been. All this movie is, is an entertaining blockbuster, that wasn't really created with any particular lasting power. Had it not had those two sequels, it probably would have been about as memorable as say "Joe's Apartment". Bear in mind that this is still a pretty fun movie.
Rated 28 Sep 2021
70
38th
This is a 90's version of Ghostbusters, only it isn't set in a Reagan-era distrust of government. Instead it uses interracial buddy cops to promote diversity as they protect aliens who assimilated into a culture while policing those who're a menace. But it isn't all political sci-fi like Alien Nation or Planet of the Apes. The Will Smith pop rap (which was everywhere the summer it was released) serves as a Saturday morning cartoon theme. And the laughs and physical comedy hold up. Recommended.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
7
68th
Vincent D'Onofrio gets no love in this. He's such a goddamn great character.
Rated 12 Jul 2020
55
36th
An uneasy mix of novel and derivative elements that doesn't quite pull off its intention of being offbeat mass market fare, mostly because it puts attitude first, and also because Smith's very presence ensures that nothing truly edgy will ever transpire. Sonnenfield directs with some visual style, and the effects are good for their time, but this world of secret government agencies and alien relations feels oddly restrained when it should fly off the rails.
Rated 22 Jun 2014
40
26th
Variation on GHOSTBUSTERS, replacing poltergeists with extra-terrestrials and switching from private enterprise to a government agency. Light-hearted and not without a little charm, the filmmakers succeed in supplying a talented cast with a few amusing exchanges, but it loses steam when the narrative elements are given more focus, which is perhaps almost inevitable when the product is designed intentionally as such "meaningless entertainment".
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
64th
Great fun. Very funny, and some well done special effects. Danny Elfman's score isn't his most memorable, but is still great.
Rated 29 Apr 2012
60
38th
Between this and The Cell, can't Vincent D'Onofrio just play a regular murderer?
Rated 14 Mar 2012
86
51st
Well paced, a smart script, and the right directing, Men in Black comes out as a well played classic thanks to the chemistry the well-played leads. Worth watching for sure.
Rated 19 Jun 2018
7
63rd
The sci-fi concept is uniquely nuanced (aliens aren't all good or all bad) and well established ("Why the big secret? People are smart." "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals") but as a whole, smartly stays just goofy, gross fun throughout, complimented by the classic central odd-couple and comedy that goes beyond one-liners (see Jay and fellow testers trying to make themselves comfortable), though it has plenty of those too: "No, Elvis is not dead. He just went home."
Rated 29 Aug 2020
65
64th
The Smith and Lee Jones combo works well with Torn a suitable boss that while not encouraging transgression nevertheless expects it of his underlings. And it is always entertaining watching humans 'deal' with extraterrestrial life forms to comic effect. But to get the best 'Men in Black' experience then you need to watch the animated series.
Rated 13 Feb 2017
90
93rd
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones star in this fun sci-fi version of a buddy cop film. Veteran Agent K(Jones) mentors a new recruit and potential replacement, former NYPD cop Agent J(Smith) in the crazy world of extraterrestrial relations and secret agents. An interesting world of bureaucracy and alien technology supports a cast a quirky supporting characters and decent visual effects.
Rated 09 Jan 2018
60
44th
Jones and Smith are as cool as ever, Baker does a terrific job on the makeup as per usual, the main idea is very captivating, the action really good and the comedy top-notch. It's enjoyably wacky if a bit too preposterous (e.g. how will they keep giant exploding flying saucers under wraps? erase everybody's - and their cameras' - memory? this being fantasy doesn't mean it should pay no attention to detail) and more importantly, when stripped off the sci-fi, standard action fare structurally.
Rated 18 Sep 2013
54
51st
Entertaining. It's both fun and funny. Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Vincent D'Onofrio all get great characters to play around with. I actually wish there were more time to explore the universe they built, and to get more emotionally invested; it could have added a lot to the film.
Rated 23 Jun 2019
75
64th
David Schwimmer was thought of to be in the Will Smith role. Not even making a snarky joke -- just think about that. Also, the song is great. Still a certified banger.
Rated 31 May 2009
72
62nd
One of the essential blockbusters, if such a thing exists. Despite the ridiculous facial hair, Smith is on top of his game here playing the wild ying to TLJ's sombre, deadpanned yang. Their rapport gives the movie its biggest lift, and Sonnenfeld hits a perfect tonal balance between the sci-fi and the comedy. The creature design is great, the cast is peppered with quality character actors, but...I don't know. Something is missing for me. As fun as the movie is, it feels a little too standard.
Rated 31 May 2012
75
77th
D'Onofrio is priceless as Edgar, and the rest of the film is also enjoyable.
Rated 08 Jan 2018
89
72nd
Men in Black may come off a little strange at first. Especially for its brilliant but grotesque special alien effects. The main villain as well is a little hard to watch, despite an amazing performance from Vincent D'Onofrio. Beyond everything else, the buddy act of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones is spot on and amazingly fun to watch.
Rated 08 Apr 2008
72
78th
Well, then. Fuck the lot of you.
Rated 16 Jul 2010
80
52nd
Good interplay between Smith and Jones and Rip Torn is awesome as Z. Looking back on this film from 2010 it's not as good as I remember it being from my youth where I probably watched a dozen times, but it's still fun. Firoentino is gorgeous as well.
Rated 14 Sep 2014
71
50th
A touchy cartoon(y) within its concept the comedy and characters bouncing off each other makes this a fun action film for the family.
Rated 09 Oct 2019
70
40th
Men in Black doesn't hold up as well as I remember, but it's still a buddy cop movie with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones with the added element of aliens so there's only so much the movie can do wrong.
Rated 01 Jun 2008
83
65th
Cause you never quite know where the MIB's is at. I could have done without the giant cockroach, but overall it was a very entertaining movie. Smith and Jones paired together makes for an interesting time. I have no problem watching this movie again and again.
Rated 23 Aug 2015
60
26th
Very average
Rated 14 Aug 2007
55
32nd
Some of the alien creatures were pretty cool, I just wish I had one of those memory erasing flash-pens so I could forget about Will Smith's acting "skills". His constant mugging for the camera is pretty obnoxious.
Rated 29 May 2007
7
57th
A fun watch, the makeup and set-decoration are so good in this.
Rated 05 Sep 2009
72
32nd
Good combination of fun and action. Not spectacular but solidly enjoyable.
Rated 02 Jan 2007
78
44th
Fun, entertainning, with no pretnesion, really cool special effects, and the great paring of Will Smith and Tommy lee Jones. So why is it people don't remeber how good it is anymore?
Rated 02 Sep 2015
95
63rd
They are the best-kept secret in the universe. Working for a highly funded yet unofficial government agency, Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) and Jay (Will Smith) are the Men in Black, providers of immigration services and regulators of all things alien on Earth. While investigating a series of unregistered close encounters, the MIB agents uncover the deadly plot of an intergalactic terrorist who is on a mission to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies currently in residence in New York City.
Rated 13 Nov 2014
70
48th
I was at the appropriate age when watching this (few years below the rating) to find it fun and creepy and even mildly charming.
Rated 08 Jun 2019
95
56th
Lots of fun.
Rated 23 Dec 2014
4
57th
i don't know what it is about the line "this isn't an intergalactic kegger" that makes me laugh so fucking much, but there you have it
Rated 09 May 2011
60
30th
This is Will Smith at his lower to mid level of obnoxious i.e. you only want to hurt yourself rather than anything that moves. D'Onofrio is great, his impression of someone working in middle management is dead on.
Rated 18 Dec 2009
81
48th
Extremely entertaining comedy. Jones and Smith are a great pair. And it's always great seeing Linda Farentino.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
79
77th
A very entertaining mixture of sci-fi, action, comedy, and appealing leads Smith and Jones. A summer blockbuster for all the right reasons.
Rated 02 May 2019
76
67th
It relies too heavily on its own cheap brand of slapstick, but its creativity and its place in the sci-fi canon is hard to deny. Not to mention that Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith have a certain chemistry that makes this constantly enjoyable.
Rated 18 Dec 2014
80
58th
Classic funny sci-fi.
Rated 02 May 2014
40
30th
Lame "sci-fi" comedy for non sci-fi fans. It's like the horrible love child of the Blue Brothers and the Fifth Element...
Rated 25 Apr 2016
70
32nd
Will Smith in the era of Peak Will Smith (he raps an original song over the credits) and deadpan badass Tommy Lee Jones (who is clearly having a ton of fun here) elevate an otherwise average comedy with some nice special effects. Watch it for the 90's nostalgia.
Rated 18 Aug 2016
90
75th
Funny movie with good effects, interesting story, and good acting.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
63rd
Funny and cool science fiction. Everything about this flick clicks.
Rated 27 Jul 2008
90
93rd
One of my favorite sci-fi series, gets a high ranking since it spawned a great sequel.
Rated 08 Jan 2018
68
45th
A lot more fun than I remember. Certainly better than something like Ghostbusters.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
34
11th
Just a ridiculously terrible movie. Actually, if they cut all the Will Smith scenes, I'd give this movie an 80.
Rated 11 Mar 2016
86
88th
Still one of my favs
Rated 08 Jan 2019
82
85th
A really great sci fi action flick for all the family. For years media alluded to the Men in Black and here we finally get a take on what goes on in the secret agency and it's a lot of fun. The dynamic between the experienced K and rookie J is a perfect platform for the comedy and the alien creations are equally digusting, cute and funny. Nice short runtime too although the central mystery was a little too simple for this viewer. Still a favourite of mine which I enjoy every few years.
Rated 04 Mar 2009
25
25th
I wish they had erased my memory of this film.
Rated 03 Jun 2018
55
16th
I rather enjoyed this at the time, but really hasn't aged that well.
Rated 07 Sep 2014
86
50th
Classic Will Smith, classic movie.
Rated 09 Jun 2009
90
94th
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were so good and interacted so well together. It really made this movie fun to watch. The special effects were really coll looking and not dated or cartoonish at all. Very fun movie to watch as I really enjoyed this movie from start to begining.
Rated 25 Aug 2018
65
30th
Guilty pleasure
Rated 20 Jun 2013
72
59th
Pretty decent film, fairly entertaining with a couple of laughs. Nothing really extraordinary but enjoyable enough to watch.
Rated 02 Nov 2019
90
64th
Men in Black works for what it is. It is a funny action packed buddy cop alien movie. It's full of clever ideas and fun one-liners. It's not deep or introspective, it's meant to be fast paced fun, and it succeeds. I found myself a little disappointed with the ending, it seemed like more time was spent bantering than actually resolving the conflict, which would have been a bit more important. Even so, I still found it a fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
7
84th
Will Smith's best ever turn (including his more serious fare), and Tommy Lee Jones' deadpan is hilarious. It works as comedy, it works as sci-fi. The action is good, the dialogue snappy as hell, and it has enormous charm. A must see for everyone, kids, adults, the whole family.
Rated 02 May 2009
10
89th
Witty! Will Smith is a treat and Tommy Lee Jones is always excellent. Great pairing, great writing. An action movie with heart and head.
Rated 10 Apr 2017
85
47th
Good movie.
Rated 01 Mar 2010
65
42nd
Entertaining franchise that takes an interesting concept of a secret government agency and runs with it by having two charismatic co-stars. The flaws are that it's far less strange and mysterious as the comic it's based on and it's still very Hollywood feeling. It more or less feels like an updated X-files at times with a little bit of Ghostbusters charm thrown in.
Rated 21 Jan 2007
3
38th
Better than Ghostbusters.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
4
74th
Hell of a lot of fun and very funny. This is Will Smith's finest movie role, and his sarcastic, naive J plays off Tommy Lee Jones' stern, experienced K really well.
Rated 09 Apr 2016
60
46th
The chemistry between Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith makes MIB what it is. It's a little corny (but intentionally so), a little shallow, but also really fun. It's definitely not something that requires much if any thought, but it's near the top of that category in my mind. The comedy is smart and quick, the production values are high, and the plot is just ridiculous enough to be good escapist entertainment.
Rated 01 Jan 2011
88
66th
A smart, funny and hip adventure film in a summer of car wrecks and explosions.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
86th
Funny film, I liked it.
Rated 09 May 2014
90
80th
Men in Black is fantastic mix of sci-fi, comedy, and action that still looks and views great today.
Rated 25 Jun 2020
40
46th
Good movie. I think it's more for kids because they have a lot of creatures that appeal to them in this.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
23rd
Not bad. Not great either, but not bad. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have surprisingly good chemistry.
Rated 02 Feb 2016
57
52nd
If I was a giant interstellar cockroach Linda Fiorentino would be coming back to my planet for a spot of inter species nasty.The film's OK too
Rated 26 Feb 2007
50
35th
Pretty good.
Rated 13 Dec 2011
86
90th
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have excellent chemistry together in this film. This film is a lot of fun and is a nice mix of comedy and special affects. There are some laughs from the supporting cast also and there are many quirky characters.
Rated 09 Aug 2017
79
87th
Hilarious sci-fi action comedy led by two magnetic performances, featuring a great sense of style and an excellent villainous turn by D'Onofrio.
Rated 19 Jul 2011
21
55th
racism
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
55th
This movie is a joke, so it's quite entertaining. It's not smart, it doesn't make sense, and it doesn't try to, and realizing that - it doesn't have to.
Rated 02 Jun 2013
86
91st
Turns its back on both the "serious" science fiction that demands comments on immigration and racism (a few jokes are cracked, but nothing more than that) and the grand space opera. The result is slick and smooth entertainment, but also something surprisingly close to the joyful wackiness of Douglas Adams.
Rated 26 May 2020
86
36th
There's nothing super deep to be found here, but this is a fun take on an alien invasion film, bolstered by the chemistry between the Fresh Prince at his heyday and the stern Tommy Lee Jones. The film also features a fun turn by Vincent D'Onofrio as the rubber-faced (secretly a cockroach) alien invader villain. It's silly, but there are some great sight gags and action sequences that make it completely entertaining and never dull.
Rated 18 Oct 2020
62
41st
It's a funish movie.
Rated 15 Dec 2020
85
88th
Lots of fun. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are great.
Rated 28 Aug 2014
81
64th
Good fun. Better performances and a better script than you'd expect.
Rated 23 Sep 2018
68
71st
Men in Black seems to blend humor and action with such ease that one could call it either a comedy or action and have both be true. The two stars are excellently cast, both as characters and cast against each other.
Rated 20 Aug 2007
10
96th
Penultimate funny alien movie. Must-see. Nothing more to say. MUST SEE!
Rated 30 Nov 2014
90
59th
Very funny, epic movie. The guys kept people amazed in all 3 movies in this series for which this is the first part. Entertaining!
Rated 05 Sep 2016
70
67th
The villain in this movie doesn't get enough praise, but his performance is just so fantastic throughout.
Rated 19 Jun 2009
5
56th
It's fun, not much else.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
81
63rd
Will Smith gets a lot of flack for doing Summer blockbusters (MIB, MIBII, ID4, Enemy of the State, Bad Boys, Bad Boys II). But this is a good movie. Plus it has Tommy Lee Jones in it, you can't go wrong there. Taken for what it is, special-effects laden popcorn-fodder, it's great. But the story is pretty good and everyone just looks like they had fun making the movie. Except for Tony Shalhoub - That's got to sting!
Rated 14 Jun 2015
2
17th
Probably should have seen it in the 90's... But then or now alien-weird-funny-sci-fi is not my thing. Will Smith made me see it through 😊 *Okay
Rated 27 Apr 2009
70
54th
Unique and entertaining. Tommy Lee Smith make a hilarious and cool combination. Exploding weird aliens has never been so much fun.
Rated 14 Dec 2009
89
56th
Really fun and really original.
Rated 02 Jul 2009
84
79th
I remember how much of a surprise this was when it came out; As opposed to the usual summer-fare, we got a film with actual talent and with legitimate chemistry between the leads. The interplay between them essentially makes this movie.
Rated 07 Jan 2011
88
50th
1
Rated 21 Oct 2012
70
43rd
Nostalgia value. Gave me (at the time - an 11yo with an intense cockroach phobia) nightmares for a week. Respect.
Rated 11 Sep 2007
70
20th
Some funny parts, but mostly dumb
Rated 02 Oct 2015
7
75th
When I first saw it as a kid I thought it was the best movie ever. Usually, when this happens, I rewatch the movie 15 years later and it sucks. Turns out, this one is an exception to the rule, it's actually pretty good. Obviously, the cgi has aged and things that were relevant in the 90s are now extremely cheesy and outdated, but it's still a funny and neat movie.
Rated 03 Dec 2009
80
66th
Man, Tommy Lee Jones is awesome.
Rated 26 May 2013
83
68th
It's actually quite strange and offbeat. Much better than the sequels.
Rated 07 Jan 2010
55
33rd
lightly amusing
Rated 14 Oct 2008
91
70th
Good job. Awesome characters.
Rated 24 Feb 2010
80
71st
Classic comedy/sci-fi.
Rated 14 Sep 2013
70
77th
Men in Black is a very funny, action-packed science fiction film about a couple of men dealing with aliens for an hour and a half. It has wit, it has charm, it has a couple of very good leads, it has pretty visuals, it has weird looking aliens, and it needed to stay more reserved, as it didn't have the time necessary to really make us feel like the world was in peril. Regardless, this is definitely a movie that's worth seeing, and I had quite a good time while watching it.

Collections

Loading ...

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...

Trailer

Loading ...