Men in Black Trilogy (1997 - 2012)

Men in Black (MIB) is a series of films released between 1997 and 2012 that sees Agents K (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent J (Will Smith) working for a top secret government agency that is tasked with the protection and regulation of all things alien on earth.

Overall Review Score

5.5 out of 10

Review

The Men in Black franchise is a series of films that are based on the Men in Black comic books, published in 1991 and 1992, and created by Lowell Cunningham, about a secret organisation protecting and regulating alien activity on earth. Men in Black (1997) kicks off the film series by introducing the two main characters: Agent J (Will Smith) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and sets the franchise up by blending action and comedy with a decent storyline that builds as the film progresses. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones seem awkward but adoring at the same time and their on-screen relationship seems real, with a senior agent begrudgingly having to support an arrogant, confident rookie. Men in Black 2 (2002) continues on from the ending of Men in Black and sees both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones reprising their roles – however, unlike the original film, Men in Black 2 adopts a far more dark and serious storyline that does not really engage the audience. It comes across as jittery, slow, and awkward in places, with the comedic scenes seeming over rehearsed and under delivered. Men in Black 3 (2012), on the other hand, was created ten years after MIB2 and was an inadvertent reboot of the series. Tommy Lee Jones is only in the film for a marginal period of time but it is enough to bring new life to this series and highlights the onscreen chemistry between these two Hollywood heavyweights. Overall, the Men in Black franchise is let down heavily by MIB2, it is the worst film of the series and both MIB and MIB3 easily surpass it. Although, the MIB and MIB3 are enjoyable, entertaining and worth watching if you want films that blend sci-fi with a comedic, realistic plotline that leaves the audience wondering if the Men in Black really do exist.

Reviewer 1's score & comments:

Men In Black (1997) Score: 6 out of 10

Men In Black 2 (2002) Score: 3 out of 10

Men In Black 3 (2012) Score: 7 out of 10

Men in Black Trilogy Overall Score: 5 out of 10

Comments:

While the original 1997 Men In Black film starts the franchise with an interesting and somewhat original concept the second film quickly loses this. Instead, MIB 2 delivers a frankly bland sequel, which left me feeling more like it should have been named More Insipidus Boredom. However, MIB 3 delves into the past and delivers another unique storyline as Agent “J” must travel back in time to 1969 to stop an alien assassinating his partner, which not only helps to rejuvenate the franchise but also offers the audience some welcome story variation.

Reviewer 2's score & comments:

Men In Black (1997) Score: 7 out of 10

Men In Black 2 (2002) Score: 4 out of 10

Men In Black 3 (2012) Score: 7 out of 10

Men in Black Trilogy Overall Score: 6 out of 10

Comments:

Alien, guns, rap music and a storyline that fuelled the imagination of a generation - who has not heard of Men in Black. The 1997 original film set the benchmark for this trilogy. It was fun, entertaining, and engaging - the storyline made sense and the audience could identify that the film was a sci-fi action comedy. However, Men in Black 2 was a dreadful film that was slow, clunky and threw away the series comedic value. Men in Black 3, while wrapping up the series and explaining the history between J and K, also rebooted the series and brought back its comedic value. Overall, the Men in Black trilogy is a decent franchise that will engage the audience and have them laughing along, in the right places, but the audience should really skip MIB2 if they want to enjoy the best films this franchise has to offer.

#comedy #action #scifi #tommyleejones #willsmith