Men in Black

Synopsis of Movie

“You're no longer part of the System. You're above the System. Over it. Beyond it. We're ‘them.’ We're ‘they.’ We are the Men in Black.”

We are not alone. Far from it, as a matter of fact. The aliens walk among us, undetected but not unsupervised, thanks to those no-nonsense, shades-wearing Men in Black. Based on a little-known Malibu comic by Lowell Cunningham, Men in Black brought a zany sense of humor back to the big-budget summer movie, courtesy of a script by Ed Solomon (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Super Mario Bros.), direction from Barry Sonnenfeld (the two Addams Family films) and co-stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.

Jones plays Agent Kay, a member of the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s “Division 6.” Better known (by those who know them at all) as the Men in Black, Division 6 is charged with keeping tabs on the 1,500 or so interplanetary visitors who have made Earth their vacation or employment destination. These tentacled, flippered, multi-legged E.T.’s keep themselves disguised as ordinary humans (like Al Roker, Dennis Rodman and Steven Spielberg), but not every creature behaves itself according to intergalactic law. NYPD officer James Edwards gets a taste of this firsthand when a rogue alien flees arrest and the MiB show up to take a report. Kay zaps the streetwise officer with a memory-wiping “Neuralyzer,” but the grizzled agent thinks James just might have the right stuff for the MiB corps.

Meanwhile, a band of cockroach-like nasties has crash-landed on Earth and taken over the body of gruff farmer Edgar. Disguised in this “Edgar suit,” the roaches head for New York City to assassinate an Arquillan Ambassador, sparking a war that could destroy the Earth. James passes his MiB test and joins up, leaving behind his former life and identity and taking the new code name Agent Jay. The two alphabetical agents chase down the dastardly roaches, encountering alien weapons brokers, informants and a deadpan coroner en route to a showdown at the old 1964 New York World’s Fair complex.

It was wacky, it was fast and above all, it was fun. Men in Black sported an eclectic alien supporting cast, courtesy of Industrial Light & Magic's special effects team and makeup guru Rick Baker (who won an Oscar for his work on the film). The film also sparked the return of former Fresh Prince Will Smith as a recording artist, rapping the hit title track.

With a little something for everyone, Men in Black became the biggest American hit of the summer, and one of the biggest global blockbusters in movie history. The studio must have seen its hit potential in advance, because in three short months, Men in Black: The Series was already on the WB’s Saturday morning schedule. The cartoon version became another monster success, and fans still wait anxiously for a movie sequel.

Movie Release History

1997 - Men in Black

Movie Sub Categories

live-action
sci-fi/fantasy
action/adventure
comedy

Movie Studio

Columbia, Amblin, MacDonald-Parkes

Cast

Kay   Tommy Lee Jones
Jay/James Edwards   Will Smith
Laurel/Elle   Linda Fiorentino
Edgar  Vincent D'Onofrio
Zed  Rip Torn
Jeebs   Tony Shalhoub
Beatrice  Siobhan Fallon
Gentle Rosenberg  Mike Nussbaum
Van Driver  Jon Gries
Jose   Sergio Calderon
Arquillan   Carel Struycken
INS Agent Janus  Fredric Lehne
Dee  Richard Hamilton
1st Lt. Jake Jensen  Kent Faulcon
Mikey   John Alexander
Perp   Keith Campbell
Zap-Em Man  Ken Thorley
Mr. Redgick   Patrick Breen
Mrs. Redgick  Becky Ann Baker
Passport Officer   Sean Whalen
News Vendor   Harsh Nayyar
Cop in Morgue   Michael Willis
Police Inspector   Willie C. Carpenter
Tow Truck Driver   Peter Linari
Morgue Attendant   David Cross
MIB Agent Bee   Charles C. Stevenson Jr.
Cook   Boris Leskin
INS Agent   Steve Rankin
INS Agent   Andy Prosky
NYPD Sergeant   Michael Goldfinger
Security Guard  Alpheus Merchant
Mrs. Edelson  Norma Jean Groh
Baseball Player  Bernard Gilkey
First Contact Alien   Sean Plummer
First Contact Alien   Michael Kaliski
Second First Contact Alien  Richard Arthur
Alien Father   Debbie Lee Carrington
Alien Son  Verne Troyer
Scared Guy  Mykal Wayne Williams
Frank The Pug (voice)  Tim Blaney
Rosenberg Alien (voice)   Mark Setrakian
Worm Guy (voice)  Brad Abrell
Worm Guy (voice)  Thom Fountain
Worm Guy (voice)  Carl J. Johnson
Worm Guy (voice)  Drew Massey

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