---
title: "Men in Black"
year: 1997
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/men-in-black"
fi1m_id: "men-in-black"
imdb_id: "tt0119654"
tmdb_id: 607
wikidata_id: "Q51416"
fi1m_score: 82
critics_score: 81
critics_reviews: 8
published: "2026-09-13"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:19.700319+00:00"
region: "IL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Men in Black (1997)

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld · 1h 38m · Action, Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction

## Identity

Men in Black

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/men-in-black
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** men-in-black
- **IMDb ID:** tt0119654
- **TMDB ID:** 607
- **Wikidata ID:** Q51416
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119654/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/607, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q51416

**Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 81 from 8 reviews

*In a sentence:* Alien life is confirmed, and Tommy Lee Jones still cannot be bothered to look interested

> Barry Sonnenfeld keeps the alien business brisk and funny, with Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith doing the essential work. The story is thin, but the partnership makes 98 minutes feel well spent.

## Synopsis

Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) recruits Jay (Will Smith) into a top-secret organisation that regulates extraterrestrial activity on Earth. Set in New York, this science-fiction comedy follows their work as Jay learns what the organisation does and how it operates. His partner treats contact with aliens as routine, while Jay has to adjust to a job conducted out of public view and a colleague who sees little reason to be astonished. Linda Fiorentino plays Laurel, with Vincent D’Onofrio as Edgar and Rip Torn as Zed.

## Review

Barry Sonnenfeld’s *Men in Black* is a brisk, funny science-fiction comedy with a better double act than plot. We recommend it for Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, and for the director’s good sense in letting them remain interesting beside the creatures. The premise has Kay recruiting Jay into a secret organisation that regulates alien activity on Earth. It gives Ed Solomon’s screenplay a useful comic starting point: one man has plenty to learn, while the other would prefer to get on with the job.

Jones plays Kay as though there is nothing about this work worth raising his voice over. Smith’s Jay supplies the curiosity and the need for a response, which Jones is reluctant to provide. We laughed at how little Jones gives Smith to work with; his straight face makes the other man’s energy funnier. The pleasure is in watching them adjust to each other without the film turning every exchange into an explanation of their differences.

Solomon understands that the secret organisation is funny before anything goes wrong, because Kay has made ordinary work out of something Jay can scarcely take in. The New York setting helps: this is a place where an alien seems capable of becoming one more person with business to attend to. Sonnenfeld treats the extraterrestrial activity as routine, leaving Smith to register the strangeness. That restraint gives the visual jokes a chance, and stops the dialogue competing with every effect for attention.

Bo Welch’s production design gives the secret organisation a visual character of its own, without making the people look incidental. The elaborate surroundings allow for visual jokes without demanding that we stop and admire them. Donald Peterman’s cinematography keeps the human reactions readable amid the effects, which matters when Jones’s lack of astonishment is often the joke. There is enough to look at without making it hard to know where the laugh is.

Editor Jim Miller keeps the pace quick without sacrificing the pauses Jones needs, and the 98-minute running time is a considerable kindness to a premise this slight. There is time to enjoy the contrast between the leads, with little pressure to make their partnership feel profound. Danny Elfman’s score is more eager to announce the fun than Jones is, and occasionally busier than we need. It suits the film’s appetite for oddity, though we would happily hear the actors do more of the work.

The weakness is that Solomon has found more possibilities in the job than in the story built around it. Once the premise is established, the film has less to offer beyond another creature, another reaction and another contrast between the partners. Sonnenfeld keeps these pleasures coming, but cannot quite disguise how little curiosity the plot itself creates. We remain pleased to be in this company without becoming especially anxious about what happens next.

The buddy-film formula is familiar, and Sonnenfeld has no reason to apologise for using it. Jones and Smith make the unequal partnership feel easy, without asking either actor to become less distinctive. That is enough to keep this among the science-fiction comedies we would happily return to. Settle in for the pair of them, and do not expect the plot to be the subject of much conversation afterwards.

*Fi1m score 82, published 13 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are consistently positive about Men in Black, with praise centred on the pairing of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith: Jones’s straight-faced cool gives Smith’s cockiness something to play against. Most critics also admire how comfortably the film combines science fiction and comedy, treating its alien bureaucracy as an ordinary working environment. The creature designs and effects draw repeated praise, while Sonnenfeld’s direction is credited with keeping the visual invention in step with the jokes rather than letting it overwhelm them.

The reservations concern how much story there is beneath that confident handling. The New Yorker admires Jones and the relaxed New York atmosphere but finds the plot thin; Time Out similarly sees a strong premise without enough narrative to sustain it. The spread is otherwise narrow: these are reservations within favourable assessments, rather than dissent over the film’s humour, performances or effects.

## Straight answers

**Is Men in Black worth watching?**

*Men in Black* is worth watching for the double act of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, and we scored it 82. The plot is thin and creates little suspense, but Barry Sonnenfeld keeps the alien business brisk and funny across 98 minutes. Come for the partnership rather than the story.

**How long is Men in Black, and what is it rated?**

*Men in Black* runs 1h 38m. It is an action and adventure film.

**Where can I watch Men in Black in Israel?**

*Men in Black* is not on any streaming or rental service in Israel at the moment. It is available in 37 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Men in Black, and is it suitable for children?**

*Men in Black* carries a UK 12 certificate, so it is aimed at older children and teenagers rather than the very young. The review treats it as a comedy first: the aliens are played for laughs and oddity, with the extraterrestrial activity handled as routine. Younger or squeamish viewers may find some creatures unsettling, but the tone stays light.

**How does Men in Black compare to Attack the Block?**

*Men in Black* is the lighter and more polished of the two, while [*Attack the Block*](https://film.one/film/attack-the-block) is funnier in a rougher way and considerably more frightening. Sonnenfeld's film rests on a mismatched partnership and a thin plot; Joe Cornish's estate siege has sharper edges, clearer action and a young cast worth caring about. Choose the former for easy company, the latter for tension.

**What should I watch after Men in Black?**

After *Men in Black*, try [*Attack the Block*](https://film.one/film/attack-the-block) (2011, Fi1m 84): South London gives alien trouble a sharper edge and a resourceful young cast. Then [*The Day the Earth Stood Still*](https://film.one/film/the-day-the-earth-stood-still) (1951, Fi1m 82): For another calm visitor confronting Earth’s habit of making everything needlessly difficult.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (85/100, inferred): The critic hails the film as a rare successful blend of sci-fi and comedy that delivers genuine laughs. The standout element singled out is the crackling chemistry and buddy dynamic between Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/men-black-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): Wised-up and offhandedly funny, the film is a genially twisted riff on alien stories with a hipster attitude and lively entertainment value. It singles out the inspired pairing of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith and the director's blend of humor and visuals for praise. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-01-ca-8496-story.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (85/100, inferred): The film is a refreshing, self-aware sci-fi comedy that knows it is silly and glories in it, with strong performances from Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. It singles out the inventive special effects and monsters by Rick Baker for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/men-in-black-1997)
- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): This box-office smash stars Tommy Lee Jones recruiting Will Smith into a top-secret organisation regulating extraterrestrial activity on Earth. Great special effects, inventive alien designs and the stars' hip, hilarious double act make it a fast-paced pleasure in the style of a Lethal Weapon buddy picture. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-adpzkd/men-in-black/)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (80/100, inferred): The dryly clever film treats its alien premise as business as usual in a deadpan, peculiar sci-fi comedy with artful visuals. It singles out the ambitious design, effects, and Sonnenfeld's ability to make offbeat material mainstream for praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/01/movies/oh-aliens-business-as-usual.html)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (80/100, inferred): A witty and sometimes surreal sci-fi comedy that is diabolically funny at times with a deadpan tone and cool attitude, looking set for commercial success. It singles out the fabulous first half-hour's droll establishment of the premise and the seamless integration of Rick Baker's aliens for praise. [Read](https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/men-in-black-1117432622/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): The picture is indolent and confident with a relaxed tone and strong New York setting, though the story is perilously thin. It singles out Tommy Lee Jones's cool, straight playing for particular praise amid the gags and effects. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1997/07/07/summer-olympics)
- **Sight and Sound**: The film is a hugely enjoyable romp that shows spectacular effects and visuals need not preclude witty, intelligent screenwriting or engaging characterisation. Sonnenfeld's even-handed direction lets Ed Solomon's script shine, blending sci-fi satire and spy chic with hip humour, while the chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones adds cocky charm. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=57)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Hunter: The critic calls the film a terrifically entertaining sci-fi comedy that combines alien conspiracy fears played for laughs with French Connection-meets-Ghostbusters thrills. They single out the universally accessible performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith along with the excellent special effects as key to its massive mainstream appeal. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/men-black-review-movie-1997-1221593/)
- **Time Out**, TCh: Sonnenfeld's film reminds how lazy most blockbusters have become, with a hip relaxed vibe like Gremlins or Ghostbusters. The well-paired stars make the most of a superior script, and the director makes adroit use of special effects and New York locations, though it's a great idea in search of a plot. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/men-in-black)
- **Den of Geek**, Mark Pickavance (4/5): The critic praises the film as a cinematic perfect storm that successfully blends comedy, excitement, entertainment and wit through the contrasting styles of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. Sonnenfeld is credited with delivering an off-the-wall take on the source material without succumbing to sloppy filmmaking or sentimentality. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/men-in-black-blu-ray-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Barry Sonnenfeld
- **Director:** Barry Sonnenfeld
- **Screenplay:** Ed Solomon
- **Cinematography:** Donald Peterman
- **Editor:** Jim Miller
- **Music:** Danny Elfman
- **Production design:** Bo Welch
- **Costume design:** Mary E. Vogt
- **Producer:** Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald
- **Cast:** Tommy Lee Jones as Kay; Will Smith as Jay; Linda Fiorentino as Laurel; Vincent D'Onofrio as Edgar; Rip Torn as Zed; Tony Shalhoub as Jeebs; Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Beatrice; Mike Nussbaum as Gentle Rosenburg
- **Runtime:** 1h 38m
- **Release (Israel):** 8 August 1997
- **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction
- **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 1997)
- **Budget:** $90 million
- **Box office:** $589 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYUd7AOw_lk

## Where to watch in Israel

Not streaming, renting or buying in Israel at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1998: Best Original Musical or Comedy Score (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won)
- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie 1998: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie (nominated)
- Saturn Awards 1998: Best Science Fiction Film (won)

## If you liked this

- *Galaxy Quest* (1999): Another science-fiction comedy that lets the actors be funnier than the hardware.
- *The Brother from Another Planet* (1984): A quieter alien visitor encounters earthly absurdity, with humour rooted in city life.
- *Attack the Block* (2011), Fi1m 84: South London gives alien trouble a sharper edge and a resourceful young cast. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/attack-the-block.md)
- *The Host* (2006): A creature feature with family bickering, institutional incompetence and considerably more bite.
- *The Day the Earth Stood Still* (1951), Fi1m 82: For another calm visitor confronting Earth’s habit of making everything needlessly difficult. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-day-the-earth-stood-still.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/men-in-black