I feel like MIB would be better as a series than more films. It lends itself so easily to a murder mystery 'monster of the week' format, and CGI is affordable enough to do some interesting storylines Edit: Feels like something Michael Schur could do a good job with
@@rodionmalovytsia1020 Well that and that particular animation style. It does gross and futuristic details with such detail and dynamics. The same studio did Godzilla the series, Big Guy and Rusty, and Extreme Ghostbusters. Well made, well loved, high concept Scifi series with a dark tone done in a good house style with a strong writing team delivering fun episodic content with the occasional seasonal escalation. Those were great times to grow up if you were into creature features.
@@morganrobinson8042 Yeah, completely agree. I wish that artstyle and the ones of Klasky-Csupo and Ed, Edd n Eddy would make a comeback - so distinctive and charismatic.
I ended up liking Men in Black 3 more than the first one. It resonated a little bit more for me. Mostly because of that scene where J realizes his dad was killed and K trying to comfort the younger J after neutralizing his memory of his father’s death.
I wouldn't say I like Men In Black 3 more than the first one, but I was surprised how good the film actually is. I'd written off for so long that when I finally watched it a few months ago, I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to. And the big emotional arc for J and K was very well done.
Same, I LOVe MIB3. The first one is the absolute “lightning in a bottle” best, for me, and my dad and I hate the 2nd one (we saw it in the theater when I was young, both of us agreed it was poor), and I actually really liked the 3rd one. I think they had the feel of the 1st one again and had some fun time travel and well-known figures thrown in. I thought they nailed it :)
"Just because you see a black guy driving a nice car, doesn't mean it's stolen.... Ok, I stole this one. But not because I'm black!" This one joke gives the film an instant approval.
I gotta say Men In Black 3 really hit me with a lot of its story beats. The ending in particular was beautiful for reasons I don't necessarily wanna spoil despite its age. It might just be my circumstances, but it's got a lot of heart and made me genuinely feel, which I hadn't expected :D
That first movie is such a gem, and can never get tired of it. Yet the sequels were either... Okay, to... to... actually I haven't even bothered to watch International. But that first one though, it gave us the recruitment scene, the firing range scene, Vincent D'onofrio acting, and the bench scene, and a Agent K line that's aged so well: " "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you will know tomorrow." Followed by J, sitting there for hours, thinking about his life changing choice. (Shout out to the cartoon fro being good, and having absolute banger intro, opening theme, and closing theme, that's just a instrumental to Will's MIB sample beat of Patrice Rushen's Forget Me Not's.)
oh yeah, honestly I forgot how fucking incredible of a performance Vincent D'Onofrio's Edgar the Bug was and how genuinely terrifying of a villain he was.
For me, Will Smith was the selling point of the first movie. Dude had charisma dripping out his ears and that scene where he's being flung around by the tentacle baby in the BG while K is having a conversation was one of the best laughs I had as a kid. They never really thought of another gag a good as that one.
@@gravitysiave9944 Agree about Independence Day - however he is different in more serious drama films (The Pursuit of Happiness, 7 pounds, I'm Legend), even fantasy dramedy Hancock
Writing Jones out at the end of MIB1 only to bring him back at the start of MIB2 is one of those bad plot decisions that always brings a movie down. See Whistler in the Blade trilogy for another example. I while MIB2 follows the tone of MIB1, I think the more serious MIB3 is the better sequel. MIB2 felt like a sequel for the sake of a sequel. MIB3 seemed more heartfelt, plus Brolin's impression of Jones was great.
From what I heard, the reason why they brought Tommy Lee Jones back to MIB II was because the director didn't want Will to play the straight hero, beliving that this was the reason why failed in the role in Wild Wild West movie. Because of this the second movie end up not just ruining K's ending but also J development as agent. The moment that K recover his memories, Will returns to be the hotshot fool he was in the first movie. It makes the story feels like it's repeating itself instead of moving forward the character arcs.
It's unfortunate it's been overlooked so often as Smith and Brolin do a pretty good job together and it doesn't feel as campy as the second one. I think after the second movie failed to live up to the unexpected success of the first one that a lot of people wrote off the series. I admit Will Smith is one of those actors where as long as the movie looks like it could be fun or a good time I'll go see it so I already wasn't too enthusiastic about the fourth movie even before the trailers made it look so boring.
I was done with the franchise after 2. I still love 1, but 2 was clearly a quick cash grab. My dad practically had to pull me over to the living room to watch 3 and... yeah I didn't hate it. It was a fine time but I've never felt the need to rewatch it.
It's really weird that MCU-fication of movies is just taken for granted nowadays. That franchises have nowhere else to go but Cinematic Universe. The new uncharted movie also feels the same. Just Spider man cosplaying as another character. There needs to be set ups and references and meta commentary with protagonists that don't take stuff too seriously
I kinda understand why did that tho, I mean unfortunately, he's already too old for action. However back then I was hopin that they would make an MIB that's a little more Sherlock Holmes. With Tommy Lee Jones being the Sherlock Smart guy doing some detective work while Will Smith's more of the muscle and the quick shooter of the pair.
To be fair, there wasn't that much to do with his character after the first one, since he has kind of a mentor role. He's a bit too competent to continue to be interesting forever.
I can easily explain this: Barry Sonnenfeld was heavily involved in the creation of the first Men in Black and story. For whatever reason (studios thinking the know better/ the franchise becoming too big to let fail), they very much pushed him out of the writing and ideation process and instead left him to do his best at directing whatever crap they came up with (aka MI2)
...dang so many years later, and I still think how they wrote out Agent L at the beginning of 2 was such a betrayal of the first film. It felt like they had no clue what had made the first one work and so wanted to copy it as much as possible in the hope of recreating the magic.
I always wondered that too. I loved Men in Black when I was younger. Like I was obsessed with it. And I never understood why she wasn't in the second one.
They did it so sloppily too. It seems clear that they could only think of trying to recapture the Jones/Smith dynamic, rather than try something new, because they didn't even think of recasting Linda Fiorentino and just wrote her character out.
The first one was cartoony, but took place within a believable/lived-in world. The restraint in original made the unbelievable aspects much more enjoyable. The sequels had real-world elements but the world was much more cartoony. The sequels seem so much more colorfully plastic compared to the original. The dirt and grime that exist in reality, was present in MIB and helped ground the story. But unfortunately, that grime was polished away in the sequels, and it turned into a bright, ugly, video game.
Sonys weird fumbling of this franchise has always been bewildering cause the concept of a shady government agency dealing with a monster of the week like a comedic fusion of x files and law and order kinda writes itself....which is exactly what the cartoon did
Fun fact: For Men in Black, Will Smith, after reading the script, did not want to accept the role because one year before he starred Independence Day (1996) and he didn't want to make another movie about aliens. His wife Jada Pinkett Smith convinced him to take the part.
@@Carloszavalalol don’t do that, you know a lot of actors do the same thing, it’s a piece of paper with a little detail about what they’re working with, the have no idea how things would turn out So stop judging
@@ninjanibba4259 Exactly you can’t blame the guy for not wanting to be typecasted as the alien guy. Plus no one is able to see whether or not the film they work on will ended up forgotten to time, praised or hated until it premieres
I wish the story for MIB 3 had been used for MIB 2. It's a stronger movie, and the time travel gimmick would be more poignant with J going back to save a partner who doesn't even remember him any more.
MIB 3 was a pretty strong showing for the franchise, imo, and it should really have ended there. International is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and one of the only ones I would call insultingly bad. I usually get at least some enjoyment from mindless popcorn cinema because I'm extremely good at suspending my disbelief and taking whatever a movie presents me at face value. I'm not a jaded, cynical armchair movie critic looking for plot holes and inconsistencies in everything I watch. Well, International literally wouldn't let me, because it's a movie where the only way for the plot to move forward is if every single character is an absolute moron.
The one thing I liked MIB 3 for was the cool depiction of future-vision. Rather than just seeing what will happen, the alien that could see possibilities that could happen was neat.
Tbh, MIB 3 is my fav. Josh Brolin kills it as young agent K, there’s a ton of great jokes, I love the set pieces, and the reveal (even though a bit confusing) always hits hard emotionally. It’s kind of my comfort movie
yeah, corporate wokeness forgot the significance of the 'Men' in MIB.. I'm all for casting women in the male role if it serves the plot, but have it done so just to pander felt icky to me.. It's also unfortunate that it was commercially and critically met likewise cuz i genuinely love the MIB ip.
@@Toki-Ralte bro what are you talking about. Agent L was literally set up to be in MIB 2 but the actress wasn't available to be in the sequels. Agent O was also present in the films. International was bland because it was bland, the genders of the actors wouldn't change anything
That's because International like a lot of those types of movies did everything to try and erase the original source material that the movie was built off of.
I am glad you enjoyed it. At least a few people did. I personally didnt care for it and felt it was so far away from original it was practically a parody, but hey thats the beauty of subjective creative art. we dont all have to like it.
@@iliketrains263 This was the kindest and most respectful reply ever. Thank you. This is what I've tried telling friends,that Film, music, comic books,etc it's all subjective to whom is viewing it.
@@indianastarkjones1535 people think because you have a different opinion you get to berate the other person into accepting yours. be the change you want to see in the world. make manners and respect cool again
I do believe they tried to replicated their chemestry in Thor Ragnarok but it didn't work out because 1- they need a better script 2- they are doing polar oposites that don't complement each other.
I remember seeing MiB III in cinemas (wasn’t alive for the first two) and I remember loving it so much. The first will always be the best but the third has a special place in my heart and for me, it’s a close second despite Tommy Lee Jones lack of screen time. The whole movie is really fun and the premise is fantastic. Perfect for an MiB story. And I absolutely love the ending where young J looks for his dad who was just killed and is conforted by young K. It is such a touching moment.
Like The Matrix, MIB was a discovering a secret thing, getting used to it, mastering it, then conquering something type of thing. You can only do that once.
The original film was about Elsa finding her place in society through sisterly love, and the sequel just gets her to bugger off and live as a hermit after all.
The exact opposite. Anna and Elsa are their own person but they were freakingly obsessed with each other in the second movie. The Anna/Kristoff plot was so bad as a result.
I think that if they're hell-bent on milking this franchise, they should just do an animated show. A weird animated X-Files-but-funny like the old cartoon. High concept sci fi animated shows are in a good moment, and the pressure isn't as high to make a blockbuster. It gives new creative blood a sandbox to play in with a beloved franchise without alienating the old fans.
I always thought all three movies had a sense of charm to them, and they all catered towards a certain narrative. Sure, the two sequels couldn't stand up to how awesome the first movie was, but they were still pretty nice movies regardless. The second movie I felt was the weakest because it didn't really stick to me a lot, but the third movie was probably the most emotional, because it ultimately tied itself to the first movie in a really nice fashion. International, however, can go die in a fire.
The first MIB came at a perfect time when Will Smith could actually carry such an odd premise. It had diminishing returns due to the fact that once audience's saw the MIB world, they didn't really want to see more. Kinda like seeing a fidget spinner for the fifth or sixth time. I love the design work in all these films, but let's be honest, they're largely not well-written, or all that unique in premise. There is a limit to nostalgia & novelty, and Will Smith can only Will Smith his way out of a wet paper bag so many times.
MIB will always be one of my favorite trilogies. haven't watched the 4th, and honestly I have no intention to. the 3rd one ended perfectly for me. I love the movies to death, but I just can't get myself to watch the 3rd despite liking the main leads.
MIB: International isn’t even so bad is good/infuriating. At least MIB2 made me feel something regardless of it’s actual quality. Intentional was the first movie I considered leaving the theater out of sheer boredom.
Tonally I think a Bad Boys/Jump Street crossover works better. I just don't see MIB's childish slapstick humor going alongside Jump Street's Adult Swim-esque millennial humor. Bad Boys, in a way, both share the same vibe as Jump Street, and it infuriates me that some writer or the studio didn't take it in consideration.
MIB was one of my favorite movies as a kid, I think the chemistry between Smith and Jones was just perfect. You had the young, cool but brash newcomer paired with the seasoned, grumpy old agent, not an original dynamic but it just works.
That first film was just lightning in a bottle. Smart, funny, but engaging enough to make you really care about the characters. Top notch special effects and make up. Tight running time. Will Smith at the height of his popularity. Tommy Lee Jones as the deadpan straight man. Great chemistry between the 2. The sequels just feel lazy trying to recapture the magic of the first one, but do it so poorly. The tv show did a better job expanding the mythology. I’m sure we will get another reboot in 10 years, but maybe a live action show would be best.
The first film was amusing, and the character brought to life by Vincent D'Onofrio really helped bring it to life. The second movie was a cash grab in search of a decent script, the third a "maybe we can catch lightning in a bottle" wishful thinking. MIB: International? Ugh. Tried to watch it on free TV, and gave up. It could well be worse than the 2016 Ghostbusters. And that is saying a lot.
Will Smith creating the promotional music video theme to each film is what hyped me up for the movie. International just dropped on us which is why it felt dead to me. If the new Agent was also a talented artist and they did the same promotional tactics to recapture the 90s, THAT mightve gave the film more soul. MIB1: HERE COMES THE MEN IN BLACK! MIB 2: NOD YOUR HEADS!! BLACK SUITS COMIN!!!
Also Men in Black: Alien Attack at Universal Studios Florida is the best of the best of the best interactive laser tag dark ride :) it’s like the Buzz Lightyear ride on steroids
haven't watched it yet, but i would say MIB was so great because of the novelty. We got the first hand experience of a guy, well experienced and sort of has it figured out, thrown into an absolutely insane world that is MIB. You can't capture that feeling of wonder, absurdity, and excitement again.
I love MIB 3 but when the 2nd came out, I was disappointed it didn't follow the cartoon. The animated series had smartly written characters and expanded the lore quite a bit. It's an underrated gem for sure.
Great video. I think Vincent D’onofrio‘s contribution to the first film, versus what the antagonists failed to bring to the sequels deserved more time. He was such a scene stealer and was both absurd and creepy. He was a real presence in the film where every other enemy is completely forgettable.
I still think the crossover with Jump Street could have worked so well as a joke on unecessary crossovers like a missing joke from the 22 jump street credits
The saddest part of MIB: International is that it had the potential to be a better movie, and you can see it in the movie itself. The problem is the infighting behind the scenes and yeah it taking itself way too seriously.
It's sad as Sony could have developed their own shared universe with these franchises: Ghostbusters for ghosts, Men in Black for Aliens, and RIPD for demons, they just couldn't keep it together for any of them.
UA-cam algorithm was nice this time, i found this within hours of it being made in my recommended videos. I love MiB and i agree with everything said. Just let the franchise rest.
Just wanted to let you know that I really like videos about older films and shows! Good retrospectives are more interesting than the latest thing, quite often.
I love the original Men in Black Men in Black II is forgettable but entertaining Men In Black 3 is a surprisingly solid conclusion Men in Black International is a disappointing mess
For me, the first film was the only one that mattered. Every film afterwards just felt derivative and unnecessary. They lacked the magic, and novelty. The second was alright, but was more of the same. MiB3 didn’t need to exist. And MiB International was too little too late, even though I quite enjoyed it for what it was. People have moved on from the franchise, and yeah it wasn’t strong enough to salvage the franchise. I think the statement that “it was a comedy” and didn’t need to get people to deeply care about the intricacies of the universe. It makes people not care about it being a franchise. Men in Black should have been a 1 and done or they should have done a better job crafting what followed rather then just pumping out dumb copies or reboots that don’t fit expectations.
What a awesome upload. Thank you. Brought me back to my child hood. Of course prior to Netflix, UA-cam,, cable internet, streaming and covid. Nice to sit back and rewind. Thank you!
Smith turned down International. Sony was more than willing to offer him whatever he wanted to be in several sequels (including 22 Jump St Vs MIB, which Jonah Hill agreed to).
Great vid. I think you really nailed the issue with the MIB franchise. The only thing I disagree on is Ghostbusters Afterlife. I thought the movie was really great. I think a lot of people forget to account for the fact that not only did they want to continue and expand the Ghostbusters story, they wanted it to be taken seriously as a tribute to Harold Ramis, which I think they did a great job with. I wouldn't expect the same solemn tone in the Ghostbusters universe in the future, however, I think it was necessary and successful here.
The big thing to remember about MIB 1 is Vincent D'oNofrio nearly got fired because the director hated his performance. And he's largely considered the highlight of the movie now. MIB1's success was mostly an accident. It was alchemy, everything lined up perfectly once and not one person involved understood how to reassemble it.
The story goes that the script for MIB International was actually pretty good but when Tessa Thompson & Cris Hemsworth were brought into the film they didn't like the script and hired their own person to re write it into the bad script we know today
Crazy that the source material had them fighting demons and zombies. And at the hight of the Zombie boom they never thought to go in that direction for a sequels...
Commenting because I love your videos and want to help you with the algorithm. Don't have much to say about the video other than that it was another great one and you should keep up the good work!
I think it would do good as a sort of X-files or anthology series on a streaming service. either not too serious or serious enough. a crime procederal but with aliens could also be neat.
If the series does have another cinematic entry, I think the best way to go would be a prequel. Something set at the very beginning of the MiB; probably its founding.
I’m surprised they never tried a live action show for MIB it seems like that’s the obvious choice to take the franchise if you had to do something with it
I grew up watching MIB the series on kids wb. The first movie was always on cable and was a favorite among my siblings. Second one came out and we rented it, and had a great time with it. Third one came out and I can honestly say I barely even remember it being advertised or me showing any interest in the series anymore. Definitely one of the great late 90’s movies of all time.
Great video! Keep it up. Im a huge MIB fan yet I 1000% agree the series should be left alone.... unless they want to do another animated series cuz that shit was awesome.
I loved the entire trilogy, for me personally, I only really like 1 and 3 now. Also, imo, they should've left it at 3. It was a perfect end to it. It brought closure not just to J, but to the audience as well.
It's crazy to think that Next Year would be the 20th Anniversary of _Men in Black II_ and the 10th Anniversary of _Men in Black 3_ respectively.
I miss this franchise
And the 25th of MiB.
We’re getting old huh
Not to mention, the 25th Anniversary of the first movie.
@@WilsTube That too.
I'm shocked that Tommy Lee Jones is only 75. I thought he was reaching his 90's already, i swear the man was born old.
It's like Maggie Smith, she's looked old in every movie I've seen her in lol.
Or Morgan Freeman
@@dontrelate465 and Patrick Stewart
Lol y’all bogus 😂 white people age a lil rougher we know this
Thats what ya get for watching old people on movies
I feel like MIB would be better as a series than more films. It lends itself so easily to a murder mystery 'monster of the week' format, and CGI is affordable enough to do some interesting storylines
Edit: Feels like something Michael Schur could do a good job with
This is what made the animated series so fun.
@@rodionmalovytsia1020 Well that and that particular animation style. It does gross and futuristic details with such detail and dynamics.
The same studio did Godzilla the series, Big Guy and Rusty, and Extreme Ghostbusters. Well made, well loved, high concept Scifi series with a dark tone done in a good house style with a strong writing team delivering fun episodic content with the occasional seasonal escalation.
Those were great times to grow up if you were into creature features.
@@rodionmalovytsia1020 TV theme song is still FIRE to this day. i still love playing it.
@@morganrobinson8042 Yeah, completely agree. I wish that artstyle and the ones of Klasky-Csupo and Ed, Edd n Eddy would make a comeback - so distinctive and charismatic.
I am surprised Netflix's has not jumped on that idea
I ended up liking Men in Black 3 more than the first one. It resonated a little bit more for me. Mostly because of that scene where J realizes his dad was killed and K trying to comfort the younger J after neutralizing his memory of his father’s death.
I wouldn't say I like Men In Black 3 more than the first one, but I was surprised how good the film actually is. I'd written off for so long that when I finally watched it a few months ago, I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to. And the big emotional arc for J and K was very well done.
3 is my fave
Same, I LOVe MIB3. The first one is the absolute “lightning in a bottle” best, for me, and my dad and I hate the 2nd one (we saw it in the theater when I was young, both of us agreed it was poor), and I actually really liked the 3rd one. I think they had the feel of the 1st one again and had some fun time travel and well-known figures thrown in. I thought they nailed it :)
"Just because you see a black guy driving a nice car, doesn't mean it's stolen.... Ok, I stole this one. But not because I'm black!"
This one joke gives the film an instant approval.
@@r.daneel.90 I’m partial to, “but first, we have to get really high” and “that’s not possible!”
I gotta say Men In Black 3 really hit me with a lot of its story beats. The ending in particular was beautiful for reasons I don't necessarily wanna spoil despite its age. It might just be my circumstances, but it's got a lot of heart and made me genuinely feel, which I hadn't expected :D
Same here
Oh, yeah, the feels. If nothing else, that moment made the entire movie.
I really like the third movie!
True, I love MiB 3, it's just so fun and makes me feel nostalgic for some reason
MIB 3 is my favorite from the franchise, and the most emotional too
One thing we can agree on, the Animated Series opening was a complete masterpiece
the showitself was pretty good as well. Some really cool alien creatures and plotlines
I still remember that "techno" theme tune, despite not having watched the show in decades!
it is one of the best i have heard..
That first movie is such a gem, and can never get tired of it. Yet the sequels were either... Okay, to... to... actually I haven't even bothered to watch International.
But that first one though, it gave us the recruitment scene, the firing range scene, Vincent D'onofrio acting, and the bench scene, and a Agent K line that's aged so well: "
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet.
Imagine what you will know tomorrow."
Followed by J, sitting there for hours, thinking about his life changing choice.
(Shout out to the cartoon fro being good, and having absolute banger intro, opening theme, and closing theme, that's just a instrumental to Will's MIB sample beat of Patrice Rushen's Forget Me Not's.)
I like 3 ngl
oh yeah, honestly I forgot how fucking incredible of a performance Vincent D'Onofrio's Edgar the Bug was and how genuinely terrifying of a villain he was.
Men in Black 3 is equally as great as the first one. I have no idea what you are talking about it just being "okay".
For me, Will Smith was the selling point of the first movie. Dude had charisma dripping
out his ears and that scene where he's being flung around by the tentacle baby in the BG while K is having a conversation was one of the best laughs I had as a kid. They never really thought of another gag a good as that one.
@@kurvos Yea 3 was good too but I like the weirdness that's in all the first three movies.
the first men in black is seriously a masterpiece, it’s so unappreciated
A masterpiece? Lol
Tell me how Smith was any different in MIB than Independence Day or any other movie hes in.
How it is unappreciated if it is one of the most beloved films for audiences, people still rewatch it and remember it
@@gravitysiave9944 Agree about Independence Day - however he is different in more serious drama films (The Pursuit of Happiness, 7 pounds, I'm Legend), even fantasy dramedy Hancock
@@gravitysiave9944 Will Smith plays Will Smith very well. But the thing is: Will Smith fits right into the MIB universe easily.
To put it simply: it's unpretentious, doesn't lecture and it's fun. Nowadays those are last on the list of priorities.
Writing Jones out at the end of MIB1 only to bring him back at the start of MIB2 is one of those bad plot decisions that always brings a movie down. See Whistler in the Blade trilogy for another example.
I while MIB2 follows the tone of MIB1, I think the more serious MIB3 is the better sequel. MIB2 felt like a sequel for the sake of a sequel. MIB3 seemed more heartfelt, plus Brolin's impression of Jones was great.
Great example! I love how whistler's body was cold death in the chair and the next movie he's chilling at the hideout 😂
Coment for the Algo!!! I meah EYO!
Coulda maybe had him come back in 3 and had it be more of a surprise.
From what I heard, the reason why they brought Tommy Lee Jones back to MIB II was because the director didn't want Will to play the straight hero, beliving that this was the reason why failed in the role in Wild Wild West movie. Because of this the second movie end up not just ruining K's ending but also J development as agent. The moment that K recover his memories, Will returns to be the hotshot fool he was in the first movie. It makes the story feels like it's repeating itself instead of moving forward the character arcs.
MIB 3 is a pretty fun time, definitely the best of the sequels.
It's unfortunate it's been overlooked so often as Smith and Brolin do a pretty good job together and it doesn't feel as campy as the second one. I think after the second movie failed to live up to the unexpected success of the first one that a lot of people wrote off the series. I admit Will Smith is one of those actors where as long as the movie looks like it could be fun or a good time I'll go see it so I already wasn't too enthusiastic about the fourth movie even before the trailers made it look so boring.
I agree, I think my list would definitely be 1, 3, 2, International.
I was done with the franchise after 2. I still love 1, but 2 was clearly a quick cash grab. My dad practically had to pull me over to the living room to watch 3 and... yeah I didn't hate it. It was a fine time but I've never felt the need to rewatch it.
true, I really liked some of the characters and all of the comedy
let's agree to disagree! lol. nah I like MIB 3. MIB 2 was meh.
It's really weird that MCU-fication of movies is just taken for granted nowadays. That franchises have nowhere else to go but Cinematic Universe. The new uncharted movie also feels the same. Just Spider man cosplaying as another character. There needs to be set ups and references and meta commentary with protagonists that don't take stuff too seriously
Tommy Lee Jones getting relegated to a secondary character is what killed this franchise.
👍👍👍
I kinda understand why did that tho, I mean unfortunately, he's already too old for action.
However back then I was hopin that they would make an MIB that's a little more Sherlock Holmes. With Tommy Lee Jones being the Sherlock Smart guy doing some detective work while Will Smith's more of the muscle and the quick shooter of the pair.
To be fair, there wasn't that much to do with his character after the first one, since he has kind of a mentor role. He's a bit too competent to continue to be interesting forever.
He was introduced as a secondary character in the first MIB though?
Agent J has always been the main character, he's the "point of view" of the audience.
I can easily explain this: Barry Sonnenfeld was heavily involved in the creation of the first Men in Black and story. For whatever reason (studios thinking the know better/ the franchise becoming too big to let fail), they very much pushed him out of the writing and ideation process and instead left him to do his best at directing whatever crap they came up with (aka MI2)
...dang so many years later, and I still think how they wrote out Agent L at the beginning of 2 was such a betrayal of the first film. It felt like they had no clue what had made the first one work and so wanted to copy it as much as possible in the hope of recreating the magic.
It’s because her actress left the project due creative difference’s or she had another project. Sources aren’t entirely clear
I always wondered that too. I loved Men in Black when I was younger. Like I was obsessed with it. And I never understood why she wasn't in the second one.
They did it so sloppily too. It seems clear that they could only think of trying to recapture the Jones/Smith dynamic, rather than try something new, because they didn't even think of recasting Linda Fiorentino and just wrote her character out.
Such is the case with most sequels.
Have you watched the MiB animated series? That had Agent L as a major character and I remember liking it a lot.
The first one was cartoony, but took place within a believable/lived-in world. The restraint in original made the unbelievable aspects much more enjoyable. The sequels had real-world elements but the world was much more cartoony. The sequels seem so much more colorfully plastic compared to the original.
The dirt and grime that exist in reality, was present in MIB and helped ground the story. But unfortunately, that grime was polished away in the sequels, and it turned into a bright, ugly, video game.
I agree with this description. I've always hated that ridiculous high kick K managed to do in the 2nd movie.
I loved part 3 though😁
@@politereminder6284 I remember enjoying the 3rd one. Definitely better than MiB2, but for some reason I've never felt like rewatching it
Honestly Men in Black International was the final nail in the coffin, that movie was so bad and was just a souless cashgrab with no personality at all
It was boring.
@@chasehedges6775 Boring and Bad
@@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375 👍👍👍👍💯💯💯💯
MIB3 was boring and hokey. I loathe it.
@@Clay3613 it was the best after MiB.
Sonys weird fumbling of this franchise has always been bewildering cause the concept of a shady government agency dealing with a monster of the week like a comedic fusion of x files and law and order kinda writes itself....which is exactly what the cartoon did
Fun fact: For Men in Black, Will Smith, after reading the script, did not want to accept the role because one year before he starred Independence Day (1996) and he didn't want to make another movie about aliens. His wife Jada Pinkett Smith convinced him to take the part.
Rather interesting.
Entanglement
Will Smith is an idiot he also rejected The Matrix.
@@Carloszavalalol don’t do that, you know a lot of actors do the same thing, it’s a piece of paper with a little detail about what they’re working with, the have no idea how things would turn out
So stop judging
@@ninjanibba4259 Exactly you can’t blame the guy for not wanting to be typecasted as the alien guy. Plus no one is able to see whether or not the film they work on will ended up forgotten to time, praised or hated until it premieres
I wish the story for MIB 3 had been used for MIB 2. It's a stronger movie, and the time travel gimmick would be more poignant with J going back to save a partner who doesn't even remember him any more.
MIB 3 was a pretty strong showing for the franchise, imo, and it should really have ended there. International is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and one of the only ones I would call insultingly bad.
I usually get at least some enjoyment from mindless popcorn cinema because I'm extremely good at suspending my disbelief and taking whatever a movie presents me at face value. I'm not a jaded, cynical armchair movie critic looking for plot holes and inconsistencies in everything I watch.
Well, International literally wouldn't let me, because it's a movie where the only way for the plot to move forward is if every single character is an absolute moron.
International was p terrible.
I see two (successful) possible futures for the franchise:
- A show with *perfect* casting and a new direction
- An RPG with a gritty cyber-punk vibe
MIB for the PS5
Made by CD Projekt Red.
The one thing I liked MIB 3 for was the cool depiction of future-vision. Rather than just seeing what will happen, the alien that could see possibilities that could happen was neat.
Tbh, MIB 3 is my fav. Josh Brolin kills it as young agent K, there’s a ton of great jokes, I love the set pieces, and the reveal (even though a bit confusing) always hits hard emotionally. It’s kind of my comfort movie
MiB is still more hits than miss for me. In fact the only one I didn’t like is international
yeah, corporate wokeness forgot the significance of the 'Men' in MIB.. I'm all for casting women in the male role if it serves the plot, but have it done so just to pander felt icky to me.. It's also unfortunate that it was commercially and critically met likewise cuz i genuinely love the MIB ip.
TBH, I only watched international for Chris Hemsworth. I was still bored out my mind tho.
same, 2 was meh but good, 1 was fantastic and 3 was very cool
@@Toki-Ralte bro what are you talking about. Agent L was literally set up to be in MIB 2 but the actress wasn't available to be in the sequels. Agent O was also present in the films. International was bland because it was bland, the genders of the actors wouldn't change anything
That's because International like a lot of those types of movies did everything to try and erase the original source material that the movie was built off of.
Loved MIB 3.It had heart and alot of emotion. Brolin was great and the chemistry with all 3 leads was excellent.
I am glad you enjoyed it. At least a few people did. I personally didnt care for it and felt it was so far away from original it was practically a parody, but hey thats the beauty of subjective creative art. we dont all have to like it.
@@iliketrains263 This was the kindest and most respectful reply ever. Thank you. This is what I've tried telling friends,that Film, music, comic books,etc it's all subjective to whom is viewing it.
@@indianastarkjones1535 people think because you have a different opinion you get to berate the other person into accepting yours. be the change you want to see in the world. make manners and respect cool again
Well, at least the lead characters from INTERNATIONAL didn't get romantically involved
I like platonic couples, it makes things less predictable
Surprisingly
So... what you are saying is you did NOT ship K and J?
I do believe they tried to replicated their chemestry in Thor Ragnarok but it didn't work out because 1- they need a better script 2- they are doing polar oposites that don't complement each other.
@@schwarzerritter5724 It's Zed and the worms for me.
If they did more they might've.
I remember seeing MiB III in cinemas (wasn’t alive for the first two) and I remember loving it so much. The first will always be the best but the third has a special place in my heart and for me, it’s a close second despite Tommy Lee Jones lack of screen time.
The whole movie is really fun and the premise is fantastic. Perfect for an MiB story. And I absolutely love the ending where young J looks for his dad who was just killed and is conforted by young K. It is such a touching moment.
I remember loving the cartoon as a kid. Bring THAT back, not another boring blockbuster.
I want a MIB series exactly like the comic.
Like The Matrix, MIB was a discovering a secret thing, getting used to it, mastering it, then conquering something type of thing. You can only do that once.
"Theres nothing the films love more than to split the pair apart." Same exact problem I have with the Frozen franchise with Anna and elsa.
The original film was about Elsa finding her place in society through sisterly love, and the sequel just gets her to bugger off and live as a hermit after all.
The exact opposite. Anna and Elsa are their own person but they were freakingly obsessed with each other in the second movie. The Anna/Kristoff plot was so bad as a result.
A new men in black with Peter capaldi as an eccentric mib teaching a young recruit chasing a simple escaped dangerous alien could be gold
I think that if they're hell-bent on milking this franchise, they should just do an animated show. A weird animated X-Files-but-funny like the old cartoon. High concept sci fi animated shows are in a good moment, and the pressure isn't as high to make a blockbuster. It gives new creative blood a sandbox to play in with a beloved franchise without alienating the old fans.
Very smart. Get on this whomever owns the IP, and hire this man!
They made a fantastic animated show in the 90s. I'm disappointed Captain Midnight didn't mention it because it was perfect.
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@@thatdkguy5256 What?
@@LuisMedina1 just a random comment to generate more traction for the video..
I always thought all three movies had a sense of charm to them, and they all catered towards a certain narrative. Sure, the two sequels couldn't stand up to how awesome the first movie was, but they were still pretty nice movies regardless. The second movie I felt was the weakest because it didn't really stick to me a lot, but the third movie was probably the most emotional, because it ultimately tied itself to the first movie in a really nice fashion.
International, however, can go die in a fire.
That Men in Black cartoon is surprisingly good, especially its animation and art style. I watched a few episodes recently.
Yes, I remember liking it a lot.
The first MIB came at a perfect time when Will Smith could actually carry such an odd premise. It had diminishing returns due to the fact that once audience's saw the MIB world, they didn't really want to see more. Kinda like seeing a fidget spinner for the fifth or sixth time. I love the design work in all these films, but let's be honest, they're largely not well-written, or all that unique in premise. There is a limit to nostalgia & novelty, and Will Smith can only Will Smith his way out of a wet paper bag so many times.
I disagree that audiences didn't want to see more considering that the second one was still a major hit despite being a complete POS
Random comment for video exposure and publicity!
MIB will always be one of my favorite trilogies. haven't watched the 4th, and honestly I have no intention to. the 3rd one ended perfectly for me. I love the movies to death, but I just can't get myself to watch the 3rd despite liking the main leads.
I saw the new one's trailer and instantly said "nope."
MIB: International isn’t even so bad is good/infuriating. At least MIB2 made me feel something regardless of it’s actual quality. Intentional was the first movie I considered leaving the theater out of sheer boredom.
International was so bad, and predictable. I can’t think of a movie where I hated every moment on screen except for that one
the greatest sin a movie can commit is to bore the audience. even shit movies can get you engaged.
Thanks for covering older stuff. I had been trying to figure what the sequels had lost. I think you nailed it-great commentary.
I’d honestly would’ve totally been interested seeing 21 jump street crossover they were planning on doing.
That would have been wild.
There was going to be a crossover??
Tonally I think a Bad Boys/Jump Street crossover works better. I just don't see MIB's childish slapstick humor going alongside Jump Street's Adult Swim-esque millennial humor. Bad Boys, in a way, both share the same vibe as Jump Street, and it infuriates me that some writer or the studio didn't take it in consideration.
@@PlanetXerox Personally I never really saw MIB’s humor as “Childish”.
@@suzygirl1843 they are certainly the loudest 'demographic' but definitely not the one that has been supporting the industry of comic book films.
I liked MiB 3 surprisingly enough. Maybe it was the nostalgia of watching it on road trips when I was 14/15 or so.
(Commenting for the algorithm)
As far as I’m concerned, MIB 1, 2 and 3 are the only films that matter.
There is only MiB. Sequels? What sequels.
There's another? I mean the cartoon and games are okay
@@Darek_B52 The cartoon is decent. Has an amazing opening.
1 and 3 for me
2 is honestly a bit iffy.
Also spot on - d’Onfrio had a stellar performance
Ok I would adore a 22 jump street crossover but only if they go all in
imagine ice cube singing we are the men in black for the end credits
Random comment for video exposure and publicity!
MIB was one of my favorite movies as a kid, I think the chemistry between Smith and Jones was just perfect. You had the young, cool but brash newcomer paired with the seasoned, grumpy old agent, not an original dynamic but it just works.
That first film was just lightning in a bottle. Smart, funny, but engaging enough to make you really care about the characters. Top notch special effects and make up. Tight running time. Will Smith at the height of his popularity. Tommy Lee Jones as the deadpan straight man. Great chemistry between the 2.
The sequels just feel lazy trying to recapture the magic of the first one, but do it so poorly. The tv show did a better job expanding the mythology. I’m sure we will get another reboot in 10 years, but maybe a live action show would be best.
The MIB ride also does a great job expanding the mythos.
MiB 3 is honestly very underrated
3 is an improvement on 2, but the original trilogy in general is fun and no worse than “okay.” Whereas the reboot is reheated trash.
Algo Comment
The first film was amusing, and the character brought to life by Vincent D'Onofrio really helped bring it to life. The second movie was a cash grab in search of a decent script, the third a "maybe we can catch lightning in a bottle" wishful thinking. MIB: International? Ugh. Tried to watch it on free TV, and gave up. It could well be worse than the 2016 Ghostbusters. And that is saying a lot.
Will Smith creating the promotional music video theme to each film is what hyped me up for the movie. International just dropped on us which is why it felt dead to me. If the new Agent was also a talented artist and they did the same promotional tactics to recapture the 90s, THAT mightve gave the film more soul. MIB1: HERE COMES THE MEN IN BLACK! MIB 2: NOD YOUR HEADS!! BLACK SUITS COMIN!!!
Also Men in Black: Alien Attack at Universal Studios Florida is the best of the best of the best interactive laser tag dark ride :) it’s like the Buzz Lightyear ride on steroids
2:45 it’s always a jarring emotional gut-punch to see that skyline in older films and shows….
Okay captainmidnight, we've been on this big adventure with you & had barrels of fun, so when can we expect our free gifts & prizes? 😉
haven't watched it yet, but i would say MIB was so great because of the novelty. We got the first hand experience of a guy, well experienced and sort of has it figured out, thrown into an absolutely insane world that is MIB. You can't capture that feeling of wonder, absurdity, and excitement again.
The animated series for MIB was incredible
Yea I actually preferred it over the movies
I love MIB 3 but when the 2nd came out, I was disappointed it didn't follow the cartoon. The animated series had smartly written characters and expanded the lore quite a bit. It's an underrated gem for sure.
Great video. I think Vincent D’onofrio‘s contribution to the first film, versus what the antagonists failed to bring to the sequels deserved more time. He was such a scene stealer and was both absurd and creepy. He was a real presence in the film where every other enemy is completely forgettable.
I still think the crossover with Jump Street could have worked so well as a joke on unecessary crossovers like a missing joke from the 22 jump street credits
Great video Captain! Really nailed this one.
The saddest part of MIB: International is that it had the potential to be a better movie, and you can see it in the movie itself. The problem is the infighting behind the scenes and yeah it taking itself way too seriously.
Nothing about that movie screamed out that it might be good. It screamed nostalgic cash grab.
It's sad as Sony could have developed their own shared universe with these franchises: Ghostbusters for ghosts, Men in Black for Aliens, and RIPD for demons, they just couldn't keep it together for any of them.
I’m not even going to lie, I completely forgot I watched MIB: International in theaters until you played some clips 😂
UA-cam algorithm was nice this time, i found this within hours of it being made in my recommended videos. I love MiB and i agree with everything said. Just let the franchise rest.
Random comment for video exposure and publicity!
Just wanted to let you know that I really like videos about older films and shows! Good retrospectives are more interesting than the latest thing, quite often.
Thanks for making these videos, my man. I appreciate the work you are putting in.
I loved mib as a kid, like all things it lost its magic when they tried to replicate the success
Channel deserves more algorithm love
Mib 3 is great though. Great emotional arc
Love the older topics! ❤️
I love the original Men in Black
Men in Black II is forgettable but entertaining
Men In Black 3 is a surprisingly solid conclusion
Men in Black International is a disappointing mess
👍👍👍👍👍👍💯💯💯💯💯
So very true
The second one and international I didn’t like at all
@@mycahjofficial Especially International
I’m so happy to see MIB content
F. Gary Gray is a decent director
But he wasn't the right one for the movie
from what I've read, it really wasn't his fault.
I've been wanting to track down the MIB comics for a while now, maybe this video will finally make me get around to it
For me, the first film was the only one that mattered. Every film afterwards just felt derivative and unnecessary. They lacked the magic, and novelty. The second was alright, but was more of the same. MiB3 didn’t need to exist. And MiB International was too little too late, even though I quite enjoyed it for what it was. People have moved on from the franchise, and yeah it wasn’t strong enough to salvage the franchise.
I think the statement that “it was a comedy” and didn’t need to get people to deeply care about the intricacies of the universe. It makes people not care about it being a franchise. Men in Black should have been a 1 and done or they should have done a better job crafting what followed rather then just pumping out dumb copies or reboots that don’t fit expectations.
I had forgotten all about the MIB animated series! The nostalgia is real.
The cartoon MIB was awesome. Coolest animation since Real Ghostbusters.
And the MIB Alien Attack ride at Universal Studios Florida is legendary :)
What a awesome upload. Thank you. Brought me back to my child hood. Of course prior to Netflix, UA-cam,, cable internet, streaming and covid. Nice to sit back and rewind. Thank you!
Smith turned down International. Sony was more than willing to offer him whatever he wanted to be in several sequels (including 22 Jump St Vs MIB, which Jonah Hill agreed to).
Helping with the algorithm. 🙂 Also I grew up in the 80s collecting old radio shows on cassette so the intro to your channel always makes me happy.
From what I've heard, Ghostbusters Afterlife is gonna be a great pass the torch film. People who watched it didn't expect it to be as good as it was
Here to help you with the algorithm! Love the MiB franchise, you did a great job breaking it down
I also heard stories that International’s director F Gary Gray clashed with the studio so I think that could be a big reason for that movie’s faults
Great vid. I think you really nailed the issue with the MIB franchise. The only thing I disagree on is Ghostbusters Afterlife. I thought the movie was really great. I think a lot of people forget to account for the fact that not only did they want to continue and expand the Ghostbusters story, they wanted it to be taken seriously as a tribute to Harold Ramis, which I think they did a great job with. I wouldn't expect the same solemn tone in the Ghostbusters universe in the future, however, I think it was necessary and successful here.
The end of number 3 with J's dad was nice
Leaving a comment to send love to this man for his amazing videos
Men In Black 1 totally holds up. I watched it with my junior high students at the end of last year, and they thought it was great.
The big thing to remember about MIB 1 is Vincent D'oNofrio nearly got fired because the director hated his performance. And he's largely considered the highlight of the movie now. MIB1's success was mostly an accident. It was alchemy, everything lined up perfectly once and not one person involved understood how to reassemble it.
The story goes that the script for MIB International was actually pretty good but when Tessa Thompson & Cris Hemsworth were brought into the film they didn't like the script and hired their own person to re write it into the bad script we know today
First video that has popped up in my feed in probably 6 months for your content... not sure why, but I got some catching up to do.
Crazy that the source material had them fighting demons and zombies.
And at the hight of the Zombie boom they never thought to go in that direction for a sequels...
Leaving a like and comment for the algorithm. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have capn midnight vids to look forward to!
The writers of the last movie also wrote "Transformers: The Last Knight"
And they're the ones behind the new UNCHARTED movie
Oh boy..
Yeah could sense that.
Oh.. Uncharted movie is highly likely screwed then.
@@hellpunisher it was dead from the moment Avi Arad stepped in
@@Zombiesnyder13 lol
Commenting because I love your videos and want to help you with the algorithm. Don't have much to say about the video other than that it was another great one and you should keep up the good work!
I think it would do good as a sort of X-files or anthology series on a streaming service. either not too serious or serious enough. a crime procederal but with aliens could also be neat.
If the series does have another cinematic entry, I think the best way to go would be a prequel. Something set at the very beginning of the MiB; probably its founding.
I’m surprised they never tried a live action show for MIB it seems like that’s the obvious choice to take the franchise if you had to do something with it
Random comment for video exposure and publicity!
I grew up watching MIB the series on kids wb. The first movie was always on cable and was a favorite among my siblings. Second one came out and we rented it, and had a great time with it. Third one came out and I can honestly say I barely even remember it being advertised or me showing any interest in the series anymore. Definitely one of the great late 90’s movies of all time.
AVI ARAD is gonna ruin UNCHARTED, and you know how?
Because the movie has the same writers from MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL
Man Avi Arad has ruined so many movies
Great video! Keep it up. Im a huge MIB fan yet I 1000% agree the series should be left alone.... unless they want to do another animated series cuz that shit was awesome.
The first and 3rd movie are by far the best. It would have been great to have a threat large enough to warrant all the MIB agents.
Only the second one of your videos I've seen (started with the Mummy one) but I think I'm hooked. Subscribing for sure 👍
Really loved the Trilogy as a kid but watching them again only the original holds up for me
👍👍👍👍
I loved the entire trilogy, for me personally, I only really like 1 and 3 now. Also, imo, they should've left it at 3. It was a perfect end to it. It brought closure not just to J, but to the audience as well.
I never knew Men In Black was a comic first! I'm gonna have to track them down now, they sound like a fun read