Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
I think we can all agree, movies are pretty swell. However, every once in awhile we’re treated to a movie that is unequivocally perfect. A movie that knowingly balances its comedy with its more dramatic musings. A movie that clocks in at just the right time, telling its story without overstaying its welcome. A movie with an aspirational buddy dynamic that’s unafraid to dive into complete sci-fi madness without ever patting itself on the back. A movie that has a bitchin’ post credits rap.
Friends, I’m talking of course about the epitome of blockbuster greatness that is Men in Black.
Men in Black had so many opportunities to be a bad movie. First, there was its plot, which balanced a complicated intergalactic war and the revelation that aliens exist with a classic cop-coming-into-his-own story. Then there was the movie’s tone. It’s already difficult enough to make good sci-fi film, a genuinely funny comedy, or an action movie that doesn’t seem stupid. Barry Sonnenfield’s movie juggled all of these genres while still remaining vaguely sweet and clean enough that kids could potentially watch it with their parents (The movie was rated PG-13, but it rarely pushes the limits of its rating). All of this is without mentioning Men in Black‘s campy yet serious tone, its head-shaking cop buddy humor, or the fact that the movie’s primary villain is a giant cockroach stuck in a human’s body — all elements that could have made Men in Black anything from overly silly to nauseatingly weird. However, the movie was able to balance all of its oddities with a level of confidence and faith in its originality that’s missing from many films today.
It may have been Men in Black’s ever-winding narrative that drove its perfectly-timed 98 minute adventure, but Will Smith gave the movie heart. Prior to Men in Black, Smith was primarily known for his iconic role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but he had started to flex his dramatic acting chops in Six Degrees of Separation. Men in Black is a movie that would have never worked without both sides of Smith, the actor’s perfect comedic timing as well as his strength for capturing emotion — a skill that would sell the shocking reveal that aliens were real. Pitting Smith’s Agent J against Tommy Lee Jones’ hilariously straight-laced Agent K was the cherry on this casting sundae. No matter how outlandish the movie got, Jones’ stellar performance would be able to ground it, and the movie had no qualms with pushing the boundaries of believability.
Claiming that New York — a charmingly weird place filled with weird people — housed thousands of aliens barely fitting in was hardly a stretch of the imagination. However, exploring some of the movie’s more outrageous aliens, such as Frank the pug, the worms, and the movie’s big bad Edgar the bug — played in a stunningly disgusting way by Vincent D’Onofrio — could have been the audience breaking point for any other movie. Men in Black made its arsenal of unapologetic weirdos fun and endearing in a way that now almost feels aggressively ‘90s.
Thankfully, this was a movie that properly appreciated during its time. Men in Black was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning the Oscar for Best Makeup. It was also a box office hit, earning over $589 million against its $90 million budget. However, one of the most interesting elements of Men in Black in today’s cinematic climate is its legacy. Men in Black was created to be a one-time sci-fi, action-adventure romp. Sure, the original movie’s satisfying ending left room for Agents J and K to go on more adventures, but it was never designed with a trilogy in mind. As a result, the movie was allowed to be as ambitious as it wanted, and it spanned two solid sequels. Men in Black II was a strict and very watchable rehash of the original movie’s formula but with the best post office scene in movie history, and though you may hate Men in Black III’s ending, its portrayal of choice, time travel, and the butterfly effect is brilliant. Neither could hold a candle to the first MIB, but they still remain fun blockbusters.
That’s ultimately what Men in Black was and remains — a genuinely fun and good movie. It had mainstream appeal without the desperate cloying for the masses that many modern blockbusters now possess, and it was quirky without feeling self-inflated. The original Men in Black was just like Agent J shooting little Tiffany as she was holding her quantum physics books. It was unassuming, smart, and unafraid to embrace how different it was while still being by the books. Happy 20th birthday Men in Black. You were the best of the best of the best, sir.
