He hesitated because he had to confirm what he saw, most likely. He looked at every alien target before even training his gun. Then he spots Tiffany, completely out of place. Trains his aim. Then he takes the shot once he confirms what he saw.
"You're exactly what we come to expect from years of government training." Considering that they failed, I get the feeling that this was a backhanded insult
@@BMW9661 No, I'm sure J knew he's an Alien, which is pretty obvious from the picture. He calls him tall man because he seems to treat Aliens as equals to Humanity, least the non hostile ones, hence the Flowers, which could be a sign of peace with said Alien.
@@phillipwalling7470 The real joke is that we think we're equals to aliens. I bet irl they put warning buoys around this planet to warn the rest of intergalactic civilization that very primitive, self-destructive beings live on this planet.
Fun fact: According to the Men in Black animated series, "Little Tiffany" is the human disguise of the Bug Queen, meaning that she really was the most dangerous thing on that firing range.
@@jamesvanitas She appears a few times in the series, but the episode where she wears the disguise is an episode called "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome".
I love how when Z says "You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training" he didn't mean it as a compliment. It was a scathing insult.
considering that was his only issue with J, It's basically a recommendation with a disclaimer. "He has issues with authority" is your ONLY comment after everything? not "He failed the tests" not "He's wrong about it all" Just a comment essentially saying J's relationship with the agency will start a bit rocky. Even he was impressed.
@@ethanhayes7205 Honestly shows how fair Zed is even when he's being critical, the MIB is a top notch, first-contact witholding, conspiratorial organization!
This whole scene (and comments section) is just pointing out all the reasons why J passed this exam, but I think an underrated point in his favor was his willingness to share the table with the other candidates. Despite the icy reception and previous awkward responses to trying to socialize with these guys, he's still willing to be helpful and supportive to them, exactly the kind of attitude a government agent should have towards strangers and potential partners.
I noticed that too. When the solider says his "best of the best" line he looks to Jay with a smug smile, like he's happy he got one over on him. And then during the target exam when J gives his reasoning they all look annoyed, and when he comments on his shot they all give mocking chuckles, shake their heads or look away with disdain. Typical army attitude and another reason why they failed.
I agree. I think the questionaire scene also shows this too. He's violating the social contract by dragging the loud table across the room, and he still asks the guy close to him if he wants part of the table. Kindness and a willingness to cooperate. Both necessary traits for MiB
@@felinusfeline5559 You can see at 4:30, they actually realize Jay has a point... Specifically the "Eight Year old White Girl with Quantum Tex Books". The one Jay jokingly referred to as "Captain America" actually squints a bit at the cutout, while the other guy who was laughing, drops his smile as if realizing Jay's point. And to be honest, the key part of what Jay explains _Should_ set off alarm bells... An Eight Year Old _White Girl_ who has to live in a _Ghetto_ not only would not be able to afford _brand new_ Quantum physics textbooks (She'd get second hand books at best), but she wouldn't be looking so prim and proper... Especially since Ghettos are _very_ dangerous at night, so an eight year old girl regardless of skin color or financial status, would not be going out in what is set to be in the dead of the night and in a chaotic situation.
1- He was the only to question why they were there. 2- Was the only one to come up with a solution to be able to fill the forms by grabbing the desk. 3- He was the only one to stop and think before shooting while the rest started shooting mindlessly. Yup! I only saw it many years later. When I was young k thought the same as you did hahah
I love how z's only criticism is that he has a trouble with authority, really shows that he was 100% suited for the job but his comment about him getting off his back about his decision was his only issue
not to mention K replying with "so do i" and then describing what seems to be an awesome feat in the MIB, these scenes have so much subtle context in it that we can spend days digging at every second
6:02 I'm the CIA, I'll erase your memory! Hi Dan, hi reptilian. I'm the CIA, I'll erase your memory! Be a good German, you lost the war! Here come the men in black, defenders of the galaxy! Welcome to Sony Studios! I'm 9, upside down, inside out, and one minute ahead of time. d 6 IM MI6 + 1 minute. overt ops. Serpent being cast out, challenging Me, Michael. Haven't fallen from grace. 'overt ops'
5:23 i like the subtle detail that when Z 'compliments' the soldiers, he's unexpressive and slightly disappointed, but when he gets to the 'eye exam' part he smiles, because he knows that he's about to get rid of the riff-raff
"Your everything we come to expect from years of 'government' training" not a compliment, he just called them a professional sheep made by "us". Heck they wernt even considered, they were all just window dressing to trick J, hrs happy he gets to throw the disposables away to deal with the real agent to be. Its little things like this that make me love this movie, anything before 3 is all amazing, even the cartoon.
I love that part, it's some fun between us and the movie because we get context. "Everything we've come to expect" was in fact not the compliment the soldiers thought it was, it was absolutely backhanded.
Notice how Zed's only comment about J is "he's got a real problem with authority" Which means J actually did everything right, the only problem that Zed saw was that J had a smart mouth. lol
The funny part that I think we all missed, is ZED KNOWS ALIENS EXIST, And J is speaking as if he already KNEW they existed, and when he mentioned the books the little girl was holding, he was just being stupid to defend himself with what little "logic" he could explain.
@@gnodab2036 it was a test, and he passed successfully. they were not given instructions to shoot monsters. none of the alien cutouts were actually doing anything dangerous. the only reason to have exactly one civilian cutout, a little girl holding advanced physics books, was to test who would actually pay attention before shooting. the exact reason didn't matter, just the fact that he had some reason beyond "you gave me a gun and they looked scary."
They most likely added those lines for comedic affect. In canon, he wasn’t supposed to be chosen but K wanted him in. The director was about to kick him out before K spoke to him.
Same. The whole thing was a psychological test. I particularly loved the "Paper exam, golf pencils, nothing to write on" test. Jay was the one guy who was like "Fuck this, I've tried my best but I've broken my pencil and this is stupid. I'm dragging over that heavy table, I don't care what anybody says to me."
to be honest, if there's an 8 years old calmly roaming the streets with quantum physics books while aliens around her screaming like hell, I'd be way more threatened by her too.
Oh hell no, I've seen to seen too many anime to know where this is going. Next thing you know hey eyes are glowing and Boss Music begins to play and you actually ended up messing with Lilith or some shit!
1: Perception. He sees through the BS 2: Questioning attitude. He doesn't accept the generic answer to "why we're here." 3: Thinking outside the box. Everybody else is uncomfortably trying to fill out the questionnaire and he grabs the table. 4: Thoughtful action. He doesn't just pop anything that looks weird; he develops a rationale for what is dangerous.
not only does he grab the table he also offers to share it with the guy sitting next to him, even though that's his competition for the job, so add selflessness to that list
I loved that Jays first thought when he see the monsters, are not just evil creatures but actually creatures that do normal things and they are not a threat until they do something actually evil or suspicious. It is a great quality for an agent that not only have to fight aliens but live and communicate with them.
Now due to recent events let's focus on the fact that he was a Cop before MIB recruited him. Intentional or not the story is citing what the Ideal cop should be. Personable, quick thinking, calm under pressure, and able to identify actual threats before shooting. How many modern tragedies would've been avoided if IRL cops were on J's level?
@@boofstain1508 Honeslty the first time I've seen where it was political in a comment section and it's relatively agreeable and not... insane, like the others.
this whole scene is as absolute masterclass in "show don't tell", when it is over we understand how intelligent J is without anyone having to say it out loud
I love how they portrayed J's interview as goofy, ridiculous and how he couldn't possibly be the right candidate. They made his genius and attention to detail and his true skill subtle rather than upfront in the foreground. There was layers to how they delivered the narrative and it was well done by the filmmakers. Great scene all around!
Exactly! Intelligence and critical thinking are all too often portrayed in a boring by the numbers way. Not only that, but they often only focus on the "number crunching" types. This scene shows J's analytical and thoughtful mind without outright shoving it in the viewer's face that he's smart. Unlike many forms of media where a character's thinking skills are shoved in your face. It also lets his personality shine through, as he is sarcastic and flagrant at times, but still has ingenuity.
@@slothful2039 i think it also came off comical bc that's Will Smith. He's funny, he tells jokes. Certain actors just have a quality to them they can't escape.
Nah, the test was to determine if you are able to think outside the box, they already know they are the best in the rest. Since the beginning J was doing it right. (Pulling the table, questioning authority and thinking for himself) His goofy attitude is what almost didnt make him pass. However you can tell big boss is tired of military candidates "congratz, you are all exactly what we expect from years of training" literally saying they all failed because of that square mentality and he has to go with goofy.
The "Little Tiffany" part is great, but underrated is the part where he drags the table across the floor. It demonstrates his willingness to think both outside the box and violate social norms to accomplish his goals.
1:55 i never noticed before but K actually chuckled at J's remark also "you're everything we've come to expect from years of government training" is a backhanded complement if ever there was one
@@varric Captain America is actually a good person instead of an ideal soldier. Steve Rogers is someone that willing to disobey orders to rescue the civilians and also willing to sacrifice himself to make sure his teammates is safe. He kinda like J but doesn't have the quick witted & goofy attitude.
Well, you remember K wasn't military or air force or navy.. He was just some guy that happened to be there when the aliens first landed and had flowers on him to give.. He also told J that all the previous training they got meant Jack..
I think it's funny that, in each Men In Black movie, the alien bad guy isn't obviously a monster in public, but looks just a little bit off from human, being way too comfortable with the threat of force, and often trying to intentionally hide how much of a threat they are (except Boris, but still those first two). Little Tiffany is absolutely accurate to the biggest threats the MIB face.
Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing and realized that it's because for every real good film or quality TV series we get these days... there's about 99 that are either shit of filled with forced diversity and sjw pandering.
This movie has one of my most cherished and favourite quotes. “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'll know tomorrow.” At work I had it as a poster but I removed the alien part for more gravitas …I still motivates me every day
It sounds inspiring and all.... but it didn't address J's question at all. More importantly, MiB are actually stunting humanity's growth and development. People learning that Earth isn't flat or the center of the universe were absolutely necessary steps in our scientific advancement, and learning the truth didn't end society. There was some social turmoil, but both times humanity was able to work it out and obtain greater understanding of their place in the universe. The way K said it, it almost seems like MiB WANTS humanity to remain ignorant, so they can maintain this incredibly fragile, fake social stability. Not to mention the enormous profits their organization makes from patenting technology introduced by alien refugees (like velcro, liposuction, microwaves, etc....). MiB might save the planet once in a while from a real alien threat, but the other 99% of the time they are actively working to hold humanity back.
Ironically, the first two are somewhat wrong. No one thought the Earth was flat five hundred years ago. Columbus wanted a faster trade route to India by cutting across the ocean. No one knew America was there, so the trip would have been too long to make it by ship. It's the only reason no one set sail west. Columbus just thought the Earth was much thinner, meaning the trip would have been a thousand miles shorter. And while geocentrism had been disputed slightly throughout time, it wasn't actually debunked until the sixteenth century.
I saw one very subtle thing, which was when he was mocking the guy and saying that he was like captain America, he was the only one who realised the fact that the confident person still didn’t know what was going on, and that’s why K was so impressed.
It’s also a bit of an ironic statement considering Captain America is someone who often does actions more akin to the MIB, choosing to follow his own code over that of the government.
That's because he has a military molded mind. "I have no idea why I'm here but I'm goverment ordered to be here and I'm going to embrace it and do what I'm told"
why I think he passed the 'Test' 1) he asked questions and sought answers 2) looked for solutions and only made a scene when he ran out of options 3) isn't afraid/embarrassed to make a scene to get the job done 4) Very perceptive. He noticed small details like the tissue, the pole, the quantum book even in a dark room with flashing lights and noise all around. He still picked up on those small details. 5) Quick to assess a situation. He analyzed all those details and made his decision in a matter of seconds 6) Fired the fewest shots. He minimized bloodshed. While the other agents quickly unloaded their ammo, J only fired once. 7) Accurate. The one shot he did fire was incredibly accurate 8) Didn't immediately view the monsters / aliens as evil. He humanized them in his mind. He asked what they were doing instead of immediately shooting them like the others.
Tbh thats what military people are used to. If they get sent somewhere then anything that seems sus gets asked a bullet more often. J was a policeman so techniquely violence was a last resort and not a 90% situation solving tool. And the main point is that he asked WHY they are here. To protect humanity from aliens/monsters? Or to maintain order in aliens living here? Which one seems like a job for police officer?
4:29 The reaction of the Green Beret in the back as he listens to Jays rationale is such a nice touch. It looks like he's putting to pieces together and impressed as he realizes Jays reasoning makes a lot of sense.
The fact that he doesn't shoot at first sight, doesn't have prejudice against the alien-looking, and examines the situation... The police department lost a good man that day.
it's totally bullshit. So you don't shoot an alien with a menacing face just because you think "he's stretching" and you shoot a tiny little girl just because "she's white in the getto" and happened to have advanced text? What kind of lame-ass double standard is that? And you praise it ? xD
@@xeanfrost901 "a little white girl in the getto at night with advanced text book" don't forget the fact that she is surrounded by aliens and doesn't show the slightest sign of fear
In addition to all of the clever characterization of J, I also love the foreshadowing when they were talking about the first contact with aliens: "Seven agents, one astronomer... and one dumb kid who got lost down the wrong backroad." And then J has the funny line, "Aw, you brought that tall man some flowers!" And we later learn about K's lost love and we can surmise that he was on his way to meet her that night when he fell down the rabbit hole with MiB.
Also I just realized.. he probably had to be dragged in since they probably didn't have the neutralizer yet.. or if they did he somehow convinced them he should be let in on the secret
Interesting Detail: at 3:31, Jay is the first to grab the gun off the table the moment the doors open, but immediately starts flicking his eyes around the area while keeping his finger off the trigger until he spots the odd one out. This shows a level of trigger discipline and observation that shows his explaination wasn't just him BSing, but Jay was actually scanning the enviroment and the targets for anything that seems off... And he correctly deduced the actual threat. It's even better when you see that at 4:30, When Jay explains, the "Captain America" has this expression of "Wwaaaait a Mo...", while the guy right behind him slowly loses his grin as if realizing "Hol' Up...", both of them looking at "Tiffany's" cutout, specifically at the Textbooks in her hands. Matter of fact, Jay even brings up that "Eight Year Old White Girl in a Ghetto", is suspect enough as is... But Quantum Physics Books? _Brand New Ones_ at that? For an Eight Year Old White Girl who has to live in a Ghetto? Something isn't right here. If a lass like that is living in a Ghetto, she's not gonna be looking so Prim and proper looking, hefting around brand new Quantum Physics books out in the open. The books would be second hand at best, and she'd be looking rather shabby.
And even if Little Tiffany WAS actually just a little girl, she wouldn't be SMILING in the middle of the chaos and periods of darkness amidst what would look to her to be MONSTERS. Nah, she'd be clutching those books as her eyes bulged out and her lips trembled. Jay shot the right target. And dead between the eyes with limited visibility, at that! He's a good shot!
Not to mention it sounds like (though it’s off screen so hard to tell) he’s the only one who actually makes sure the gun is safe when he puts it back on the table I think you can hear as the lights are coming up on the range he ejects the magazine and racks the slide to remove the loaded cartridge
This is a highly underrated scene that, if people payed close attention to Jays ability for reasoning by thinking outside of the box while in it, personifies the definition of critical thinking.
I mean seriously they never actually knew that aliens were real, the closest they’ve seen were the cardboard cutouts. At most they probably thought it was a top secret facility for a new military organization or something like that. Aka, there was no real need for the nerolizer
@@GamingMasterAnthony To be fair. The failed candidates aren't normal people and have the skills for a personal investigation on the MIB that can become a obsession. Better to wipe the memories and give a lackluster story on why they can't even start the exam.
I like how J's observational skills are not just a one off remark, he is constantly watching his surroundings in this film, and he picks up on clues a lot of people would miss, the little hints that end up saving the day.
"Gentleman! Congratulations! You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training" As a kid I thought he was just trying to get them to go to the "eye test" quickly, as an adult I realize its one of the best burns of the franchise.
Man I just love this scene it ages so well. It builds character and world with a lot of showing and not telling. It builds up J as someone whom is perceptive, well balenced unafraid and unbiased while also building up the MIB as reasonable authority figures by showing that they value those same things and that the only complaint is on him being a bit too sassy to people in authority positions. And that’s not even a proper downside. He’s expected to take no shit from people he meets. More development in 8 minutes then most movies do in their whole run time
@@Insanity-vv9nn back then writers were more focused on story writting. Well, excluding the "extreme" phase on comics. We haven t had any good book series in a while
"You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training." Is quite a clever and subtle burn in context. They're drones, who don't think for themselves, show no creativity, and blindly shoot without thinking. J shows a capacity for lateral thinking, empathy and independent thought, making him a good candidate.
Yeah, I mean all the answers were obvious when you think rather than just doing as told. The first exam has a table there for a reason, he could have either moves to the table or move the table towards him. The second exam has aliens but they don't really tell you to shoot the aliens, they just gave them guns and they had to think where to point them. In the end everything was there just to make them think.
@@davidhough7070 the European military forces on both sides in WW 2, both the Allies and Axis, were frustrated and confused how readily the Americans would throw out the strategy book
Honestly one of the smarter scenes in film history. They had to demonstrate why MIB would pick this NYPD every-man over the best the US military had to offer, and they did it in a way that was not only believable but wound up as an amazing character moment for J and an excellent piece of world-building in the process. MIB doesn't want gung-ho Rambo types looking to pop everything that looks different, they want smart people who use their brains.
Totally. Up until they made number 3 that would be the exact analysis. Number 3 undid everything they intricately formulated for J and how he was the absolute perfect man for the job. Then watching this again after seeing 3 you realise that he was already predestined to join the agency. It's a touching sentiment but for me it kinda ruined everything that was so great about J and his growth. It was J that inadvertently threw himself into the scope of the MIB not the other way around. HOWEVER It would've been so clever if the third film showed the MIB orchestrating J's intial run in with the alien at the beginning of this film and then everything that followed just so happened to prove he was also perfect for the job rather than a just the result of a promise K made to himself to honour the man that in essence saved the planet. As far as I'm aware this wasn't the case.
@@tyrannosaurusflex3698 ...K only promised to look after J. He got into theagency because of everything on this film. Maybe watch thr movies more closely.
They're all smart. But he's the only one who can think outside of the box. All of them assumed the aliens were just some generic bad guys to test their ability to shoot a gun, but he thought of the situation from a different perspective. They probably got higher marks on the actual written test than he did, but he was the only one who solved the problem of the chair, by applying lateral, independent thinking.
I see everyone talking about pulling the table and shooting the little girl, but he also showed he's the right guy for the job by questioning why he's there. That's the point when Zed turns to Kay.
@Fo Hat you are comparing the reality of real life where kids get used to living in a harsh environment and thus get more used to seeing criminals around their neighborhoods to where they can chill out a little to a fictional world where the aliens are not supposed to expose their true nature while being on earth thus looking like that would be totally unexpected and a shock and impossible for a kid to get accustomed to that horrible threat so remaining calm is not a red flag? Nice one ha
"Gentlemen. Congratulations! You are everything we've come to expect from government training." It took me until I stumbled upon years of government training to really appreciate this scene.
@@britishjack9931 safety regs at any gun range require you check the chamber is empty even if you just emptied the mag. You don’t put the weapon down until its clear and safe! That goes double for any military or law enforcement range lol they don’t tolerate any laps in safety
I love that J raise his hand. Ed reminds us all that even as adults we should raise our hand, because it gives an attention to the speaker that we want to speak in a polite way
He passed the 1st test, u should not be afraid or embarrassed to make a scene in front of a huge crowd of people to get the job done that's why they have the neuralyzer for to make all witness forget
@@JoshityJosh plus you notice how everyone else blazed away at random, potentially causing damage to bystanders and property. J meanwhile fired one shot, and made it the best shot he could with the knowledge he had
Everyone is pointing out several things but there's an important point everyone missed: Sure, he sled the table to him, but knowing only 1 would get in, probably feeling a bit intimidated between special operators and so on, HE ASKED THE OTHER GUY IF HE WANTED TO SHARE THE TABLE Not only was he resourceful, intelligent, asking questions and wanting definite answers, didnt care about being loud (remember MIB can just wipe memories), but he's also a team player, willing to help someone out even if it doesnt benefit him directly.
@Cosmic Nomad TL;DR, Short term memory loss doesn't impact long term skills and personality. A good cop knows how to pick out the details. J demonstrated this perfectly. And neuralizers are usually meant for short term memories. It's how MIB is able to erase memories without damaging people most of the time. You can empty some of the water out of the leaky bucket that is short term memory without impacting long term memory if you just tip the bucket over for about five seconds.
6:02 I'm the CIA, I'll erase your memory! Hi Dan, hi reptilian. I'm the CIA, I'll erase your memory! Be a good German, you lost the war! Here come the men in black, defenders of the galaxy! Welcome to Sony Studios! I'm 9, upside down, inside out, and one minute ahead of time. d 6 IM MI6 + 1 minute. overt ops. Serpent being cast out, challenging Me, Michael. Haven't fallen from grace. 'overt ops'
I love silent comedy like this. Wish more writers understood this. It’s more funny to watch a joke pan out than to have it forced with a laugh track on television.
Shin well sircoms and this movie are two different things Its like comparing a beast to a flower.... but yeah i wish it too I do think some sit ons like sunny are against it thankfully
Thank you! All the top comments on why J was recruited because J was so unique/different or because K saw something in him of himself, but with MiB 3 we now know it was because they had already met from K's POV and this was meant to be.
@@scalp340 Because those "top" comments are speaking from the own film's POV, not a film that was filmed many years later, and the third installment when not even a sequel probably wasn't planned at the time. Like in Empire Strikes Back, it wouldn't make sense to say "Darth Vader did this because of what his mom said in A Phantom Menace".
Honestly that really destroys a large part of what the first movie was about. Agent J wasn't some chosen one, he was a regular person who had just the right qualities to make a good MIB agent. MIB 3 says, "No, actually he was the chosen one, and no one else could've been chosen".
@@pureskill123 it would actually. That's the point of sequels and prequels, to tie things together and give context to things not previously understood/known. If we looked at each individual move as it's own just because expansion of it may not have been previously planned, nothing would make sense.
This scene is how you tell a story. A common cop in civilian clothes sitting among people who is sitting among a bunch of well dressed and well decorated officers in the government. When he realized that the man in the suit is talking nonsense, he immediately questioned him. Then someone made a reply where the man criticized him for it. Then the test began. Everyone found writing difficult and he made the right choice by dragging the table. Now the practical test. Instead of start shooting, our MC took his time to study the situation and made the right choice. He knows they are aliens, but it doesn't matter. Some of them even looked terrified. Then a little girl with a smile in an unusual time and unusual place and smiling on top of that. The book has nothing to do with here. The book is nothing but a subversion and if not a big fat hint. There was only one shot and a well aimed one. The whole thing played like comedy when it was the most genius way of character portrayal.
I think the script and the acting from the actors that played the other soldiers is great here. They never exchange words with J, didnt outright insult or belittle him, but from their expression and gestures, you can see that they didnt think highly of J, dont see him as an equal, and that he's just a dude with an attitude.
The other guys are good soldiers, but they wouldn't make good agents. An agent is someone who can think for himself, ask questions and not be afraid to go a different path then others.
That was my later question: why invite all these distinguished military men when you know they're rigidly-minded and orthodox in their tactics? Having a whole room full of them in uniform only would make the issue worse. The actual policing and administrating issue is like .001% of the job: the rest is learning to deal with actual space aliens, many of which are horrible to behold. You'd need to seek out incredibly open-minded and stable individuals with good charisma to be able to handle that kind of job. Solders are not widely known for their charisma (I was one for years).
@@gastonbell108 that is a good question, and my best guess is that they probably make them go through the exam to comb through the forces for what they need. They probably do this a lot often
@@paksta I think the point was if they could recognize a sense of danger. MIB agents have to recognize who is an alien since their disguises are pretty believable (look at the couple who tried to skip town while giving birth). Even J who felt his teacher from elementary school was from a different planet was actually from a different planet. Aliens can look menacing and act such but I think MIB focuses more on motive rather than how they appear.
When you try out for a prestigious unit in the military, they expect you to act like a super-soldier: stiff, aggressive, obedient unto death, etc. These guys think they're trying out for like Delta Force or something, which is why they're going by the only playbook they know. "Be a good soldier, and you'll get the job" Jay, being a rather rogue cop in a very diverse city, is also going by the only playbook he knows: do what works, not what people expect of you, and being clever is much more valuable than being fearless. His mindset is "I have no idea if I even want this job, so screw it, I'll be me." They say you should always go into a job interview with the attitude that you're fine if you don't get the job. Jay was the only guy in the room with that attitude.
Most soldiers: "To DeFeNd OuR cOuNtRY!" Yet the real threat is within the country, masked as rich people who smile and pretend they are nice and do nice things.
Oh, I dunno. Once met a vet who joined the army right out of High School. He said where he was from he was gonna join a gang no matter what, so he picked the biggest one with the best guns.
I wanna break this down: 1. J didnt know why he was there, and he knew that nobody else did either. He was able to confirm that based on the Soldier's response that NOBODY knew exactly what they were doing in that place. He pointed that out despite the soldier showing clear authority and amazing pedigree. He was not intimidated by it. 2. The written examination was actually a practical problem solving trial. There was only one table in that room and everyone had to sit in the most impractical place imaginable to take a written exam. It makes no sense at all to make people take a written exam in egg shaped monstrosities from 1970s IKEA. The written exam didn't matter, it was about finding a solution to a problem they all had. Who was gonna be the guy to stand out instead of conforming? That's the guy you want to represent Earth around weird aliens. He aced that test even if he didn't know a single question on it. 3. The target practice scene. You know by default every man in that room would be proficient with a firearm. That obviously wasn't the test. It was another lateral trial that required you to think before you acted. The soldiers see "monsters" and think, "shoot". You don't want your agent to be the guy who shoots an alien by reflex and start an interstellar war. The suspicious one was little Tiffany. No way it wasnt. K had an instinct (not gonna cite MIB 3) and J had the weird lateral thinking and stamina necessary to be an agent. He proved that despite appearing to be an abysmal failure when looking at the trials on their face.
@@lightningjet9444 ... That's essentially what I said. That was the idea, to think outside the box of the current situation which included the noisy table.
Now that I'm in the Army I find the Captain America joke funnier when I meet real life luitenants that don't shut up about graduating from West Point. 🙄
"Those books are way too advanced for her. She was about to start some shit, Zed. And I'd appreciate if you'd ease up off my back about it. Or do I owe her an apology?"
"Owe her an apology" After he shot her on the head? A normal guy would say something in the line of her funeral. He knows its not her funeral after shooting her on the forehead.
I love how as J was explaining why he shot Tiffany he smiles because he's impressed but that smile just wipes itself off when J tells him to get off his back.
Honestly the fact that he pulled the table and knew that would be perfect to use and had a good reason for shooting the girl all things considered, made him the most likely candidate because he was able to think differently from the rest
All of which was absolutely intentional and part of the testing process. Why do you think the MIB put them in such uncomfortable chairs with only one table?
@@Cailus3542 instead of just pulling the table towards you and making all that racket. I'd just pop a squat right at the table and work from there. Simple easy and it's less of a hassle to move either your chair or the table.
@@furionmax7824 The paper and pencils were deliberately meant to be bad quality, the test was less about the written test, and more about problem solving. Popping the squat would have sufficed but dragging the table with the loud squeal was necessary for comedy. In that sort of actual test situation either would have been what you were looking for. As for the gun range someone else commented on the novelization but his response was the correct one. If you are going to be exposed to aliens in a regular instance you do not want someone who's response is to shoot at first sight, but to analyze.
@@DwarfyDoodad yep. It's honestly amazing looking back on old movies like this and realize the details they wrote in that make everything make sense. And yeah the table moving was for comedy. Lol. And the whole shoot out was a reversal of "one of these things doesn't belong". Makes you think. Why are there so many aliens here and only one human child? Somethings not right. The situation they were presented needed a scalpel instead of sword. Or in this case. One bullet instead of dozens. Speaking of which that headshot demonstrated J's skills too. All of the others went for body shots. Shots that would still leave the target alive long enough to escape. What MIB looks for are professionals that can end a confrontation quickly, efficiently, and without a mess. J only needed one bullet and got her right between the eyes. Safe. Efficient. Quick. And clean. You only get one shot when you encounter an hostile alien. One slip up and the secret gets out. And we get that answer when I walks into MIB headquarters and sees all of those aliens walking around. If any of those soldiers saw that they'd pull their guns out and start shooting or turn tail and run.
This interview scene was a great example of problem solving and thinking outside the box. Valuable characteristics to employers. More valuable than people would believe.
Many don't realize this, though. They often select people who obey orders without question and are just a mindless drone. If they embraced people who might be a little bit more resistant to authority, they might find their bottom line improves in the long run.
@@Opethfeldt That would require actual thought and work though. In their own way employers are just as much mindless drones as the people they hire. They want a cog in the machine, not someone would would think to question the machine because the former still get the job done and don't complain as much.
This isn't the kind of problem solving and outside the box thinking that the sane public wants in law enforcement. He shot someone because their skin color didn't belong in the neighborhood. He judged not only the book, but the person carrying it by the cover of the book, and shot them for it. It's hollywood nonsense, not valuable insight into intelligent hiring processes.
This kind of scene is a lost art. It’s a perfect and subtle display of who the characters are, what the goal of the organization is, and what makes the main character qualified to operate in these unusual situations beyond sheer personality or just dumb luck. It does all of that naturally, without any need for outright stating the obvious, trusting the audience to be smart enough to follow the logic on their own. It’s something Hollywood seems to have forgotten how to really do. Especially in that awful MiB reboot.
It's a lost art because the viewers in general don't GET subtlety anymore. Whether it's a TV show or a video game or a movie, the audience has to be spoon fed everything as obviously as possible or else it's a "plot hole" or "badly acted" or some other B.S. to criticize it because they neither want to have to think or expect to. Hollywood gives what the viewers want, and like it or not subtlety is not what most viewers want anymore.
@@immortalfrieza actually Hollywood gives use what producers, finacial stake holders, and test viewers (don't even know where they get people, I've never been asked) want. The rest of us are just living off their cinematic crumbs.
Top Gun Maverick feels like an actual movie with a beginning and an end and a story with good actors typically stuff like that is low budget or indie and not successful but it made a lot of money
Love this moment in MiB series. They tried to match it in the rest, but this was and still is my most favorite moment. "Your everything we've come to expect from government training" OOF!
@@omegamysterio3701 Edwards did have a point, which I guess means he passed the first ish test: Don't put on a show if you're don't know to whom you're performing.
@@jeffbrehove2614 Exactly! All joking aside he showed that he was the best choice out of all of them because he could think outside the box and had really good judgment. From the questioning why he's there, to shooting Tiffany, he's unknowingly everything MiB needed from him!
"Gentlemen. Congratulations, you're everything we've come to expect from years of government training." I took me until just now to realize he was insulting them. He expected the government trained men to fail all these tests. Also, J actually passed all the tests. (He was the only one to ask questions. He was the only one to use what's around him to his advantage. And he was the only one to really focus and think about the situation in the shooting range rather then just shoot what looked threatening.) That's why he didn't say anything other than, "he's got a real problem with authority." That's the only thing he had to say about him negatively.
The moment J started the simulation, it looked as if there was something wrong here. The use of awareness and use of you’re conscious is important before violent.
@Neiodas The point isn't the fact he shot a cardboard cut-out of a child, but that he was able to discern something was out of the ordinary with her, despite there being the obvious monsters showing up. He was capable of picking out the strange among what was basically the norm.
So if you think about it. He was the only one who got the “challenge” right. He wasn’t freaked out by aliens, and later we find out the aliens on earth hide in plain sight. He actually shot the correct target.
The first test is surprisingly complex. On top of the written portion the desk is intentionally small and intentionally spaced away from everyone in the room on fixed chairs requiring someone to get up and drag the table to their chair. An MiB agent has to not only know their stuff, but also needs to know when to be the centre of attention to distract regular humans from whatever it is they should not be seeing. Essentially that test gauges how little shame you have when on the field.
I feel this, any of them would've been embarassed to move the table, the way it shrieks as it scratches over the floor hammers it in, to anyone else it would be embarassing, to J? It's what he needed to do and he doesn't care how he looks.
@@lunak1391 Even still, they don't want to make more noise than they need to - neuralyzing people takes a few seconds and could slow an agent down when time is of the essence, plus a serious enough disturbance might require a clean-up crew to fully cover up. MIB might have a lot of resources, but considering how vast their responsibilities are - those resources are stretched pretty thin
@@salvadorenoify in the third film it takes place in the past with time travel instead of j it's his dad meeting K sending stuff to space he was about to recruit his dad till he got oofed by the main villain all while j watches until he gets flashed
If I recall, in the book not only was J absolutely correct about "little Tiffany", but the actual "test" involving the written test was using the table.
well, I mean the using the legs when writing should have worked if they closed their legs together or that little ashtray thing could be a good thing to write on too.
@@alformodoritos2076 it works, but its not the right answer. they could have stood up and used the chair to write, but its not the answer they wanted. the table was there for a reason. but none of them besides J had the nerve to do it, because they assumed it would be wrong to move the table. dude literally called them robots by saying they were what they expected from years of govt training.
Something else to point out, around 5:17 we see the other soldiers grouped together messing around with their guns. Then you got J, who's standing out (quite literally) and observing the situation.
i thought this was all done for laughs but everything is done with purpose him showing up late A MIB agent shows up when hes ready to deal with a situation Being loud and intrusive A MIB agent shouldn't be afraid to ask questions The chairs are designed to be uncomfortable and leave no way to actually write so he grabs a table A MIB agent will use all the resources he can the shooting part is being unbias and observant
@@hasarutoetensakey7091 yeah I dont know where I saw or read about the scene. I'm usually one of those "it's not that deep" people but this makes so much sense
The late part is probably more accidental if anything but everything after that shows him being able to adjust to the situation at hand. Dealing with a broken pencil, the test ripping up, the seats ensuring it's difficult to write on, all of these are things he dealt with. And the shooting scene is meant to be a deliberate test. Are you going to shoot at the scary looking aliens who are really just average dudes walking around? Or are you going to aim for the cute kid who seems completely unafraid of hte monstrous creatures and is holding books on quantum physics in a world where you know aliens hide themselves as humans?
I love that K refuses to give up on J and, love the movie or hate it, MIB3 shows us why. He's been watching and waiting for J and is willing to fight for him to become an Agent
and Z only had problems eith J because J has problems with authority, that was his only issue, see how he's impressed by J in this clip but then J starts to say that he should get off his back and Z stopd smiling.
I think you completely missed the point dude, J ACED the test. There is no question of giving up of on him as he was the best in EVERY test. The only problem Z(Zed) had was that J had a problem with authority. J obviously proved through the test he was way better than the other candidates in every aspect and the perfect MIB recruit
Agent K knew agent J father. Agent J father used to be a military general. Agent J father and agent K took down "Brios the Animal" in 1969. Agent K wanted agent J father to join "MIB". Brios killed agent J father. Agent K started to look out for agent J throughout his childhood until he found J again.
You compare the writing of this movie to the movies we have today in the 2020s, and this film blows them out of the water effortlessly. It's not even a contest. It's not just how tightly written the story is, but the witty dialogue and characters are all top notch. And this film was classified as a sci-fi comedy.
@@DeathnoteBB Not to mention people in a certain country that see wearing a mask as a political party statement when in every other Sensible country on the Earth they are viewed as a Public Health matter to protect both the wearer and others in the community.
I really like how they treat observation and understanding as qualifying traits over aim and military skill. Despite having alien technology and government anonymity, the MiB treat themselves pretty much as intergalactic airport security rather than a military defense, so Will acting more like a civil dispute Police Officer that understands how bad discriminating based on outward appearances is and uses his authority responsibly (nice tiny bit of social commentary there also)
Those technical skills are easy to obtained through experience and practice, what matters the most is Critical Thinking of a person that prevents him for being a stagnant machine that only performs a single job, but a person who's capable of improving and evolving. They really nailed that part to give emphasis that MIB is not just your ordinary defense agency, and its there because its not some military branch that just solely revolves around giving orders and executing it. Military cant be trusted to handle this job because they are trained to be obedient and thus lacking judgement. And Foreign Relations cant either because their main understanding is only designed for humans, and they have no capabilities that will require them to address sudden adversary. Thus MIB was built because it can handle both.
I like how Jay took the time to look at every cut out and analyzed their look and intent. Everyone else had the "Shoot first. Talk later" mentality. Every time the MIB meet an alien, they try to talk with it. That's the thing they look for I think, general reasoning and practical thinking. Also yes Will Smith. That was a great shot.
They're soldiers, James was a cop. Make all the jokes you want, but cops aren't supposed to blindly shoot. Soldiers in a combat zone are making quick friend/foe calls and reacting accordingly
@@TheKyrix82 He wasn’t dissing the military only pointing out what happened in the scene. But he’s also right, thats the exact opposite of what the MIB look for in a agent hence why they got flashed. The purpose was more so to sue these highly trained, super professional military dudes as foil to J in order to examplofy what qualities MIB are looking for. At first glance you’d assume they want a soldier. Someone that comes in, takes charge of a situation and takes care of a problem. But thats not the case. Theh want someone able to read a situation and if possible defuse it peacefully. A sleuth that can act subtly and look at details rather than big in your face things and handle them accordingly as needed. All the tests were designed to show this and why J was successful where the military guys failes
This sadly doesn't translate to the cartoon. I can think multiple times when K shot first and asked questions never. Then again he probably had prior knowledge that they were dangerous.
@@chrisdomingo8787 It's kind of not, because it isn't a reboot in any sense of the word. Technically it's not a sequel, since it doesn't relate to the original trilogy beyond involving the same organisation, so I would go with either "revamp" like the new Doctor Who or "spin-off."
Only found out when I read the novelization that he got it all right. It's actually really brilliant: 1.They're told that they're the best of the best, but he asked WHY they were there out of everyone. 2.He problem solves by pulling the desk in rather than continuing to rip up the paper and bending over backwards to find a place to write on it. 3.He didn't judge things by appearance. As we've seen with a bunch of the aliens, there are a bunch that look scary, but are actually benign. The soldiers treat the place like a shooting gallery, but Jay takes his time and chooses a single target, the one that appeared to be the biggest threat. We even see the rest of the recruits neuralyzed, as they all failed(and Kay stopped him from going for the "eye exam".
And all high ranking military/government officials all dressed in nice uniforms completely surrounding the protagonist wearing too casual clothing. Not even phased by such intense intimidation; can’t have an MIB agent intimidated too easily especially when two quarreling extraterrestrials can get Earth immediately into the brink of intergalactic wars, annihilation, among other worse than usual days that come with that job…
"Your everything we've come to expect from years of government training" aka a bunch of mindless drones with no agency. I love that remark now that I'm older.
I don't think it's fair to call them mindless drones. They're career military officers who make decisions all the time, just within a highly conventional framework. Skilled and motivated, yes, but also dogmatic in their worldviews and inflexible in their thinking. MiB requires a degree of open-mindedness and ability to adapt that the average soldier simply isn't required to possess to do their job. It's kinda unfair, really. If you're trying to hire an accountant, why would you invite a bunch of professional tap dancers to interview for the position? Or vice versa? Jay was the single wildcard in a room full of token characters serving only as narrative devices.
It's no wonder why J was picked. He's skilled, intelligent, capable, but he's not a robot. He thinks for himself, isn't afraid to question and looks outside the box.
What's great about this scene is that ever single action he takes, is actually the best response to each test. Grabbing the table whenever everyone is trying to use their chair, shooting the little girl and explaining why. He nails every test.
@@thehuman2734 sure but even if she is a alien it does not mean she deserves to be shot after all in this series there are a ton of legal aliens living on the planet as well
In addition to J showing reasoning and thinking well outside the box, he was also humble enough to openly admit what he did and not try to sugar coat it. Zed: What the hell happened? J: Hesitated. No shame, no excuses, no over-explaining. Simple, direct, and to the point.
Look at Zed at 4:38: He’s smiling at J’s assessment. He recognizes that J, unlike the others, actually assesses the situation before firing. Now look at 4:45: Zed starts frowning because he recognizes J’s smart mouth.
Truth is, J said all this to make himself look less stupid for shooting a little girl. Little did J realize, All that makes sense if you know aliens exist.
On top of that, J saying "these guys are exited to be here and have no idea.." was Zed's impression of him ACTUALLY KNOWING why he's there in the first place. Which again is an entendre.
@@gnodab2036 Because he's being head-hunted by an organization that's top secret, because the first test already included an outside-the-box solution, because monsters are a weird thing to put in a shooting range, and because he's seen any movie ever.
It's really well done how down to earth J is. A lot of intelligent characters are written as knowing the answer on the first try and given free reign to put down everyone else. J during the test started trying to keep his head down and emulate the others before seeing that their methods weren't working and choosing to do it his own way. He also has an awareness of when he may be taking things too far, when ribbing Jensen and snapping at Z.
I've seen a lot of people saying the third movie kinda ruined J's developement , but I disagree. While its true that J set his own recruitment in stone with the time loop, everything between and after that is still J K only recruited him, he passed the tests all on his own. He found a way to time travel and save the world all on his own. And while its a shame we probably won't ever get an MIB movie continuing the story of this cast, the third movie was a great way to cap it off and tie the whole trilogy together with the neatest of bows
Not to mention that K only was able to meet young J because present J was able to grow up, prove his worth with MiB and stop Boris in the past. It is a predestination paradox, but it only worked because the original J was an amazing agent.
I love that J said he “Hesitated” meaning that he would have shot “Little Tiffany” sooner if he could
What it meant was J froze up at the bizarre situation and he admits to that fact.
He hesitated because he had to confirm what he saw, most likely. He looked at every alien target before even training his gun. Then he spots Tiffany, completely out of place. Trains his aim. Then he takes the shot once he confirms what he saw.
There's a difference between hesitation in order to make the right decision, or hesitation because you're not skilled in what you're about to do
J's observations is what police needs to understand
well, indeed little Tiphanny was damn suspicious, but what if she was not Tiphanny but a younger version of Sierra Petrovita?
"You're exactly what we come to expect from years of government training."
Considering that they failed, I get the feeling that this was a backhanded insult
It is..
Follow order's and shoot to kill.
Definitely was a backhanded compliment. lol Don't think, just do.
No shit
That's my favourite line the whole movie. The sarcasm was not lost on me.
Yeah because these guys just shoot and kill. What the MIB needed was agents that don't kill on sight. Thats why most of them become friends with them
The fact that remote had a button that brought "Little Tiffany" to the FRONT of the firing range proves she was the correct target.
And the winner of the most underrated comment in the internet goes to...
True I didn't realize that
Whoa never thought of that
Exactly what I as thinking.
Maybe remote had 9 number buttons, each for a creature
"Aww you brought that tall man some flowers."
That's exactly the thought process they want from an MIB agent.
The joke is he was completely oblivious that the tall man was an alien😂
@@BMW9661 No, I'm sure J knew he's an Alien, which is pretty obvious from the picture. He calls him tall man because he seems to treat Aliens as equals to Humanity, least the non hostile ones, hence the Flowers, which could be a sign of peace with said Alien.
@@phillipwalling7470
The real joke is that we think we're equals to aliens. I bet irl they put warning buoys around this planet to warn the rest of intergalactic civilization that very primitive, self-destructive beings live on this planet.
@@phillipwalling7470 but at that point he didn’t seriously think aliens were real, he was patronizing K.
@@BMW9661 He was being sarcastic
Fun fact: According to the Men in Black animated series, "Little Tiffany" is the human disguise of the Bug Queen, meaning that she really was the most dangerous thing on that firing range.
What episode was this mentioned in?
@@jamesvanitas
She appears a few times in the series, but the episode where she wears the disguise is an episode called "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome".
Fun fact int the book he complains that he didn't shoot a little girl and that some BS was going on cause that isn't what he saw when he fired.
@@kisstune The novelization of the movie men in black?
@@lpk675 yeah I remember it. They had to freeze an entire hotel to hold up that alien bug invasion.
I love how when Z says "You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training" he didn't mean it as a compliment. It was a scathing insult.
I wish screenplays of this quality were still being made in the sci-fi realm....
Exactly trained to kill, not to think.... or to do a job blindly..
@@sheilaolfieway1885 which is ironic is cause since I been the army, they wanted people who can actually think and get out their comfort zones
@@hidan407 When was that? or is the army not woke yet?
@@sheilaolfieway1885 woke?
J: gives the right answer to why Tiffany is dangerous
Z: impressed!
J: sassy attitude
Z: not having it
Zed was Torn.
considering that was his only issue with J, It's basically a recommendation with a disclaimer.
"He has issues with authority" is your ONLY comment after everything? not "He failed the tests" not "He's wrong about it all" Just a comment essentially saying J's relationship with the agency will start a bit rocky. Even he was impressed.
@@ethanhayes7205 Honestly shows how fair Zed is even when he's being critical, the MIB is a top notch, first-contact witholding, conspiratorial organization!
Zed was more impressed with his quick situation assessment.
@@thegrimmretails3777 Bravo Sir 👏👏
This whole scene (and comments section) is just pointing out all the reasons why J passed this exam, but I think an underrated point in his favor was his willingness to share the table with the other candidates. Despite the icy reception and previous awkward responses to trying to socialize with these guys, he's still willing to be helpful and supportive to them, exactly the kind of attitude a government agent should have towards strangers and potential partners.
and the fact that he isn't intimidated at all by them
I noticed that too. When the solider says his "best of the best" line he looks to Jay with a smug smile, like he's happy he got one over on him. And then during the target exam when J gives his reasoning they all look annoyed, and when he comments on his shot they all give mocking chuckles, shake their heads or look away with disdain. Typical army attitude and another reason why they failed.
@@felinusfeline5559lol
I agree. I think the questionaire scene also shows this too. He's violating the social contract by dragging the loud table across the room, and he still asks the guy close to him if he wants part of the table. Kindness and a willingness to cooperate. Both necessary traits for MiB
@@felinusfeline5559 You can see at 4:30, they actually realize Jay has a point... Specifically the "Eight Year old White Girl with Quantum Tex Books". The one Jay jokingly referred to as "Captain America" actually squints a bit at the cutout, while the other guy who was laughing, drops his smile as if realizing Jay's point.
And to be honest, the key part of what Jay explains _Should_ set off alarm bells... An Eight Year Old _White Girl_ who has to live in a _Ghetto_ not only would not be able to afford _brand new_ Quantum physics textbooks (She'd get second hand books at best), but she wouldn't be looking so prim and proper... Especially since Ghettos are _very_ dangerous at night, so an eight year old girl regardless of skin color or financial status, would not be going out in what is set to be in the dead of the night and in a chaotic situation.
I used to think he failed the test. And only got in because K wanted him. But I now realized he did everything right.
Don't forget the 3rd movie!
What a coincidence...
1- He was the only to question why they were there.
2- Was the only one to come up with a solution to be able to fill the forms by grabbing the desk.
3- He was the only one to stop and think before shooting while the rest started shooting mindlessly.
Yup! I only saw it many years later. When I was young k thought the same as you did hahah
He did everything right, but also because K wanted him cause it was the son of the man he was going to consider his partner.
I just realized the other guys where playing with their guns afterwards, even had the fingers on the triggers
"...Or do I owe her an apology?" Gets me every time.
That was a good shot though, right?
Too late for apology lol
BLACK guy SHOOTS a WHITE girl. Wouldn't that be considered a "hate crime?" 🤔
No you owe thst to the parents.
@@SpicystachegamerThat alien doesn't even have a parent
I love how z's only criticism is that he has a trouble with authority, really shows that he was 100% suited for the job but his comment about him getting off his back about his decision was his only issue
not to mention K replying with "so do i" and then describing what seems to be an awesome feat in the MIB, these scenes have so much subtle context in it that we can spend days digging at every second
@@Aqsticgod Maybe that was a reference to K’s younger days? Lol
6:02 I'm the CIA, I'll erase your memory! Hi Dan, hi reptilian. I'm the CIA, I'll erase your memory! Be a good German, you lost the war! Here come the men in black, defenders of the galaxy! Welcome to Sony Studios! I'm 9, upside down, inside out, and one minute ahead of time. d 6 IM MI6 + 1 minute. overt ops. Serpent being cast out, challenging Me, Michael. Haven't fallen from grace. 'overt ops'
5:23 i like the subtle detail that when Z 'compliments' the soldiers, he's unexpressive and slightly disappointed, but when he gets to the 'eye exam' part he smiles, because he knows that he's about to get rid of the riff-raff
Eyes exam😂
he's like were you going your not getting nuralized son
"Your everything we come to expect from years of 'government' training" not a compliment, he just called them a professional sheep made by "us". Heck they wernt even considered, they were all just window dressing to trick J, hrs happy he gets to throw the disposables away to deal with the real agent to be. Its little things like this that make me love this movie, anything before 3 is all amazing, even the cartoon.
I love that part, it's some fun between us and the movie because we get context. "Everything we've come to expect" was in fact not the compliment the soldiers thought it was, it was absolutely backhanded.
Notice how Zed's only comment about J is "he's got a real problem with authority"
Which means J actually did everything right, the only problem that Zed saw was that J had a smart mouth. lol
Notice how Zed was smiling when J was explaining the situation.
@@absboodoo yeah, and frowned when he tried to act up on Zed. Hence the comment; "he's got a real problem with authority"
The funny part that I think we all missed, is ZED KNOWS ALIENS EXIST, And J is speaking as if he already KNEW they existed, and when he mentioned the books the little girl was holding, he was just being stupid to defend himself with what little "logic" he could explain.
...little Tiffany better look out...
@@gnodab2036 it was a test, and he passed successfully. they were not given instructions to shoot monsters. none of the alien cutouts were actually doing anything dangerous. the only reason to have exactly one civilian cutout, a little girl holding advanced physics books, was to test who would actually pay attention before shooting. the exact reason didn't matter, just the fact that he had some reason beyond "you gave me a gun and they looked scary."
When I was a kid, I thought this scene was about how goofy J was. When I got older, I realized how brilliantly it shows why he was chosen.
When I was a kid, I thought the same thing.
They most likely added those lines for comedic affect. In canon, he wasn’t supposed to be chosen but K wanted him in. The director was about to kick him out before K spoke to him.
@John Everlasting
And no matter how hard he tried to reverse 🔄 the outcome remains the same.
Same. The whole thing was a psychological test. I particularly loved the "Paper exam, golf pencils, nothing to write on" test. Jay was the one guy who was like "Fuck this, I've tried my best but I've broken my pencil and this is stupid. I'm dragging over that heavy table, I don't care what anybody says to me."
When he opened the first page 😂😂
to be honest, if there's an 8 years old calmly roaming the streets with quantum physics books while aliens around her screaming like hell, I'd be way more threatened by her too.
Yeah, since in all likely hood the aliens are probably running from her specifically.
More like she is their master and they're working for her
Oh hell no, I've seen to seen too many anime to know where this is going. Next thing you know hey eyes are glowing and Boss Music begins to play and you actually ended up messing with Lilith or some shit!
@@zhangeldy4097 lillith?
Imagine the kid was kid sheldon
1: Perception. He sees through the BS
2: Questioning attitude. He doesn't accept the generic answer to "why we're here."
3: Thinking outside the box. Everybody else is uncomfortably trying to fill out the questionnaire and he grabs the table.
4: Thoughtful action. He doesn't just pop anything that looks weird; he develops a rationale for what is dangerous.
I know the others movies weren't able to replicate the magic and the superb writting of the first one, but man I sure love this francise.
He also offers his solution freely
I believe with 4: J was just messing around and he passed the test, because his answer was not: "I thought it was what I was supposed to do."
not only does he grab the table he also offers to share it with the guy sitting next to him, even though that's his competition for the job, so add selflessness to that list
5: not overcomfident: in case he made a mistake, he is capable of recognising it.
I have always thought that that guard at the beginning must be one of the most dangerous men on earth. :)
He is an alien
If he don't want you there or you ain't allowed there. You'll know.
He didn't stop anyone from taking over the building in the second movie.
@@silvos8903 his power wasn't necessary yet, thats why they didnt fuck with em
@@guerra3710 LMAO SO TRUE
Can't believe this was just after Fresh Prince of Bel Air ended. Smith went from a goofy lad to a cool adult.
*No he went from Fresh Prince to Wild Wild West THEN MIB*
@@scriptsupervisor Wasn't Wild Wild West in 1999?
Cool was stretching it.
He was still goofy in the movie.
@@scriptsupervisor
This movie came first.
Smith was always the coolest cat on the block
I loved that Jays first thought when he see the monsters, are not just evil creatures but actually creatures that do normal things and they are not a threat until they do something actually evil or suspicious. It is a great quality for an agent that not only have to fight aliens but live and communicate with them.
Now due to recent events let's focus on the fact that he was a Cop before MIB recruited him. Intentional or not the story is citing what the Ideal cop should be.
Personable, quick thinking, calm under pressure, and able to identify actual threats before shooting.
How many modern tragedies would've been avoided if IRL cops were on J's level?
@@bakusai1 lmao make it political why don't u 😅
@@boofstain1508 he’s right tho
@@boofstain1508 Honeslty the first time I've seen where it was political in a comment section and it's relatively agreeable and not... insane, like the others.
@@bakusai1 cops are on his level, however there are those who aren't.
this whole scene is as absolute masterclass in "show don't tell", when it is over we understand how intelligent J is without anyone having to say it out loud
yeah it was at that
Yep. First rule of good storytelling. Show them, don’t tell them
I love how they portrayed J's interview as goofy, ridiculous and how he couldn't possibly be the right candidate. They made his genius and attention to detail and his true skill subtle rather than upfront in the foreground. There was layers to how they delivered the narrative and it was well done by the filmmakers. Great scene all around!
Exactly! Intelligence and critical thinking are all too often portrayed in a boring by the numbers way. Not only that, but they often only focus on the "number crunching" types.
This scene shows J's analytical and thoughtful mind without outright shoving it in the viewer's face that he's smart. Unlike many forms of media where a character's thinking skills are shoved in your face. It also lets his personality shine through, as he is sarcastic and flagrant at times, but still has ingenuity.
Compare this to the perfect female character in MIB: International
@@slothful2039 i think it also came off comical bc that's Will Smith. He's funny, he tells jokes.
Certain actors just have a quality to them they can't escape.
Nah, the test was to determine if you are able to think outside the box, they already know they are the best in the rest. Since the beginning J was doing it right. (Pulling the table, questioning authority and thinking for himself) His goofy attitude is what almost didnt make him pass. However you can tell big boss is tired of military candidates "congratz, you are all exactly what we expect from years of training" literally saying they all failed because of that square mentality and he has to go with goofy.
Your use of smart words Is very Intriguing.
The "Little Tiffany" part is great, but underrated is the part where he drags the table across the floor. It demonstrates his willingness to think both outside the box and violate social norms to accomplish his goals.
you must know it's not underrated. many of the comments here single it out as a pivotal moment.
I would have knelt at the table. But it was a brilliant scene. Seemingly so awkward but smart.
@@spacecat3198 yea ngl i think I wouldve sat at the table instead of moving it cuz im hella lazy to move it near me
@@spacecat3198 I probably would've brought my chair over with me to the table. If I'm doing something, might as well do it comfortably.
@@dadbot8480 It doesn’t matter to me either way personally but yeah I can see that too. :)
1:55 i never noticed before but K actually chuckled at J's remark
also "you're everything we've come to expect from years of government training" is a backhanded complement if ever there was one
Ironic that K chuckled at J's remark when he's working with Captain America years later.
@@varric Captain America is actually a good person instead of an ideal soldier.
Steve Rogers is someone that willing to disobey orders to rescue the civilians and also willing to sacrifice himself to make sure his teammates is safe.
He kinda like J but doesn't have the quick witted & goofy attitude.
The entire purpose of cutting to him was to show him laughing. How did you miss it?
Well, you remember K wasn't military or air force or navy.. He was just some guy that happened to be there when the aliens first landed and had flowers on him to give..
He also told J that all the previous training they got meant Jack..
@@JaybayJay maybe you should watch the movie. "Some guys" dont just "happen to be there".
I think it's funny that, in each Men In Black movie, the alien bad guy isn't obviously a monster in public, but looks just a little bit off from human, being way too comfortable with the threat of force, and often trying to intentionally hide how much of a threat they are (except Boris, but still those first two). Little Tiffany is absolutely accurate to the biggest threats the MIB face.
Not in this movie. The bad guy looked terrible lmfao
@@zxylo786 For the most part, he looked humanly terrible, not a giant cockroach right up until the end.
Well I mean if yr GONNA do something stupid to that magtitude- Its better to be covert about it so that the authprities dont get suspicious…
@@zxylo786right? Throughout the movie the Edgar suit kept getting more and more saggy and decomposed. 😂
"Congratulations, you're everything we've come to expect from years of government training."
Oof.
I've never caught that remark. Somehow you made it insulating.
@@Slayer3239 OP didn't do that. It is the context of the film.
Very insulting. lol
It's also a personality type thing. It's 6 Sensor guys applying for a job requiring intuition. The cop's the only iNtuitive.
@@Slayer3239 then you probably should stop fetishizing military service.
This movie has aged surprisingly well.
Yea I still remember fondly watching it at cinemas in the summer of 1997
It is a timeless classic, until we actually meet aliens and become capable of half the stuff they’re in this film.
Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing and realized that it's because for every real good film or quality TV series we get these days... there's about 99 that are either shit of filled with forced diversity and sjw pandering.
@@Maulinator69 Ah, yes, because the alternative is “normal” and not charged thematically in any contended direction whatsoever.
@@alecLogan That is by the definition what he said.
kid me: What an idiot
Adult me: Holy shit! He’s got a point
Intelligent and insightful people are often thought to be idiots by those unable to properly evaluate the situation.
I think the idiots is those soldiers over there like don't the think that you need a table to write
@@Nempo13 reddit ?
Exactly 😂😂
The older you get the more you realize J was the smart one.
This movie has one of my most cherished and favourite quotes.
“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'll know tomorrow.”
At work I had it as a poster but I removed the alien part for more gravitas …I still motivates me every day
I like this one more: "A person is smart. People are dumb panicky dangerous animals, and you know it"
It sounds inspiring and all.... but it didn't address J's question at all. More importantly, MiB are actually stunting humanity's growth and development. People learning that Earth isn't flat or the center of the universe were absolutely necessary steps in our scientific advancement, and learning the truth didn't end society. There was some social turmoil, but both times humanity was able to work it out and obtain greater understanding of their place in the universe.
The way K said it, it almost seems like MiB WANTS humanity to remain ignorant, so they can maintain this incredibly fragile, fake social stability. Not to mention the enormous profits their organization makes from patenting technology introduced by alien refugees (like velcro, liposuction, microwaves, etc....). MiB might save the planet once in a while from a real alien threat, but the other 99% of the time they are actively working to hold humanity back.
Wait till you find out that this movie is a documentary
Ironically, the first two are somewhat wrong. No one thought the Earth was flat five hundred years ago. Columbus wanted a faster trade route to India by cutting across the ocean. No one knew America was there, so the trip would have been too long to make it by ship. It's the only reason no one set sail west. Columbus just thought the Earth was much thinner, meaning the trip would have been a thousand miles shorter.
And while geocentrism had been disputed slightly throughout time, it wasn't actually debunked until the sixteenth century.
@@therealwilldalbey you re right, but that line was dope though
I saw one very subtle thing, which was when he was mocking the guy and saying that he was like captain America, he was the only one who realised the fact that the confident person still didn’t know what was going on, and that’s why K was so impressed.
zed was impressed. k actually laughed like I told you this kid is worth it....his dad saved my life and now this (nod to MIB3)
And even though he mocked him, he offered use of the table!
... Y'all ain't laughin though...
It’s also a bit of an ironic statement considering Captain America is someone who often does actions more akin to the MIB, choosing to follow his own code over that of the government.
That's because he has a military molded mind. "I have no idea why I'm here but I'm goverment ordered to be here and I'm going to embrace it and do what I'm told"
why I think he passed the 'Test'
1) he asked questions and sought answers
2) looked for solutions and only made a scene when he ran out of options
3) isn't afraid/embarrassed to make a scene to get the job done
4) Very perceptive. He noticed small details like the tissue, the pole, the quantum book even in a dark room with flashing lights and noise all around. He still picked up on those small details.
5) Quick to assess a situation. He analyzed all those details and made his decision in a matter of seconds
6) Fired the fewest shots. He minimized bloodshed. While the other agents quickly unloaded their ammo, J only fired once.
7) Accurate. The one shot he did fire was incredibly accurate
8) Didn't immediately view the monsters / aliens as evil. He humanized them in his mind. He asked what they were doing instead of immediately shooting them like the others.
Tbh thats what military people are used to. If they get sent somewhere then anything that seems sus gets asked a bullet more often. J was a policeman so techniquely violence was a last resort and not a 90% situation solving tool.
And the main point is that he asked WHY they are here. To protect humanity from aliens/monsters? Or to maintain order in aliens living here? Which one seems like a job for police officer?
@@mrdoggo6094 I thought the little girl could have potentialy been an 'evil' alien in disguise, like the villain in the film
@@mrdoggo6094 i dont think you know how trolling works
@@mrdoggo6094 uh what? I think you should be taking a break from your uh "commenting on videos" gig
@@mrdoggo6094 Wtf is this comment?
"You're everything we've come to expect from government training". The shade!
yes mindless obidience
Such a great line😂 as a kid I thought he just said it to keep them happy before getting their brains zapped
@@TrequartistaFM you was correct as a kid lol but it was also a back handed compliment haha
Good soldiers follow orders.
@@AaronPaulIbarrola Lawful orders.
4:29
The reaction of the Green Beret in the back as he listens to Jays rationale is such a nice touch.
It looks like he's putting to pieces together and impressed as he realizes Jays reasoning makes a lot of sense.
Might have made for a decent agent if given a chance.
@@trevormcguffee3922 Given that this is all we see about the recruiting process, maybe he got another chance.
"A person is smart. People are dumb panicky dangerous animals."
Best movie quote ever and so damn true.
I think there’s a similar quote in the first Fantastic Beasts movie
"...and you know it."
Fact
People say sheeple but don’t realise that it’s just herd mentality and humans are as likely to do it as sheep(and vice versa)
was their a reason for the paper test?
that give way to much credit to a person
The fact that he doesn't shoot at first sight, doesn't have prejudice against the alien-looking, and examines the situation... The police department lost a good man that day.
Rule number 1 of being MIB: Dont be racist towards non-human race
Edit: Damn no one noticed i misspelled the acronym lol
And they're going to be dealing with aliens, who can wreck shit on a planetary level... on a daily basis.
This made me laugh real hard fr
it's totally bullshit.
So you don't shoot an alien with a menacing face just because you think "he's stretching" and you shoot a tiny little girl just because "she's white in the getto" and happened to have advanced text?
What kind of lame-ass double standard is that? And you praise it ? xD
@@xeanfrost901 "a little white girl in the getto at night with advanced text book" don't forget the fact that she is surrounded by aliens and doesn't show the slightest sign of fear
In addition to all of the clever characterization of J, I also love the foreshadowing when they were talking about the first contact with aliens: "Seven agents, one astronomer... and one dumb kid who got lost down the wrong backroad." And then J has the funny line, "Aw, you brought that tall man some flowers!" And we later learn about K's lost love and we can surmise that he was on his way to meet her that night when he fell down the rabbit hole with MiB.
Are you fucking kidding me you're a genius!
IKR, i love lore bits in the background
WOAH
Agreed, nice setup and payoff. Something that far too few movies (especially these days) spend time to set up like that.
Also I just realized.. he probably had to be dragged in since they probably didn't have the neutralizer yet.. or if they did he somehow convinced them he should be let in on the secret
Interesting Detail: at 3:31, Jay is the first to grab the gun off the table the moment the doors open, but immediately starts flicking his eyes around the area while keeping his finger off the trigger until he spots the odd one out.
This shows a level of trigger discipline and observation that shows his explaination wasn't just him BSing, but Jay was actually scanning the enviroment and the targets for anything that seems off... And he correctly deduced the actual threat.
It's even better when you see that at 4:30, When Jay explains, the "Captain America" has this expression of "Wwaaaait a Mo...", while the guy right behind him slowly loses his grin as if realizing "Hol' Up...", both of them looking at "Tiffany's" cutout, specifically at the Textbooks in her hands.
Matter of fact, Jay even brings up that "Eight Year Old White Girl in a Ghetto", is suspect enough as is... But Quantum Physics Books? _Brand New Ones_ at that? For an Eight Year Old White Girl who has to live in a Ghetto?
Something isn't right here. If a lass like that is living in a Ghetto, she's not gonna be looking so Prim and proper looking, hefting around brand new Quantum Physics books out in the open. The books would be second hand at best, and she'd be looking rather shabby.
And even if Little Tiffany WAS actually just a little girl, she wouldn't be SMILING in the middle of the chaos and periods of darkness amidst what would look to her to be MONSTERS. Nah, she'd be clutching those books as her eyes bulged out and her lips trembled.
Jay shot the right target. And dead between the eyes with limited visibility, at that! He's a good shot!
And Zed’s smile at 4:36 means that he’s thinking “yup, this is what I was looking for…”
I love these analogies so much. Really shows how great the writing of these movies were!
Never noticed he was the first to grab the gun! Great catch.
Not to mention it sounds like (though it’s off screen so hard to tell) he’s the only one who actually makes sure the gun is safe when he puts it back on the table
I think you can hear as the lights are coming up on the range he ejects the magazine and racks the slide to remove the loaded cartridge
This is a highly underrated scene that, if people payed close attention to Jays ability for reasoning by thinking outside of the box while in it, personifies the definition of critical thinking.
Highly underrated bitch it has 3 million views on this channel alone. Just say it's a good fucking scene for Christ's sake
It's almost as if the entire scene was scripted that way 😲
@@maxnaz47 It's almost like that's exactly what's being complimented.
well he's a black dude and hesitated to shoot the first monsters just by their sights.. there's really no mistery here
Paid
Shoots girl: "Edward, what the hell happened!?"
"Hesitated".
👏😂🎊
That's the NYPD for ya!
Oof!
I wish the NYPD was this restrictive with their shooting.
@@effytraveler6155 wish all cops were. J wasn’t just a great agent, but probably a hell of a cop given how he handled the shooting range here
**Last test is an eye exam**
You boys flunked so hard, he's doing you a solid and ensuring you don't remember the shame.
I mean seriously they never actually knew that aliens were real, the closest they’ve seen were the cardboard cutouts. At most they probably thought it was a top secret facility for a new military organization or something like that.
Aka, there was no real need for the nerolizer
@@LordTyph yes
@@GamingMasterAnthony better safe than sorry
@@GamingMasterAnthony I never thought about that until reading OP's comment but it's true.
@@GamingMasterAnthony To be fair. The failed candidates aren't normal people and have the skills for a personal investigation on the MIB that can become a obsession. Better to wipe the memories and give a lackluster story on why they can't even start the exam.
I like how J's observational skills are not just a one off remark, he is constantly watching his surroundings in this film, and he picks up on clues a lot of people would miss, the little hints that end up saving the day.
Like with the roaches in the dumpster. How did I miss that all these years?!
HEY OLD GUYS!!! Do those still work? Immediately realized where the Bug was going when two senior agents were struggling to do so
"Gentleman! Congratulations! You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training"
As a kid I thought he was just trying to get them to go to the "eye test" quickly, as an adult I realize its one of the best burns of the franchise.
And the best part it flew over everyone's heads. Lol
Why it is a burn? Can u explain?
Iam not a native english speaker
@@abijithp92 its a joke about our government sucking basically
@@abijithp92 It's easy: just think about like you won in the conversation where something important was discussed, but with Swag style
The best burns are the ones that sound like compliments.
Man I just love this scene it ages so well. It builds character and world with a lot of showing and not telling. It builds up J as someone whom is perceptive, well balenced unafraid and unbiased while also building up the MIB as reasonable authority figures by showing that they value those same things and that the only complaint is on him being a bit too sassy to people in authority positions. And that’s not even a proper downside. He’s expected to take no shit from people he meets.
More development in 8 minutes then most movies do in their whole run time
Sounds like everything from 20 years ago is better than today. Movies, games, comedy,etc. 😔
@@Insanity-vv9nn back then writers were more focused on story writting. Well, excluding the "extreme" phase on comics. We haven t had any good book series in a while
@@Insanity-vv9nn nah games are better now. Much prefer skyrim to pong
@@Insanity-vv9nn Nope, everything is exactly the same. Maybe try looking around without instead of focusing on the past.
That slight smile from Zed like “Kay told me this kid was something” too.
"You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training." Is quite a clever and subtle burn in context. They're drones, who don't think for themselves, show no creativity, and blindly shoot without thinking. J shows a capacity for lateral thinking, empathy and independent thought, making him a good candidate.
Yeah, I mean all the answers were obvious when you think rather than just doing as told.
The first exam has a table there for a reason, he could have either moves to the table or move the table towards him.
The second exam has aliens but they don't really tell you to shoot the aliens, they just gave them guns and they had to think where to point them.
In the end everything was there just to make them think.
It also helps that J was also an officer, and Officers have to really think on their feet to get out of certain situations
Actually, the fact that US soldiers can adapt was a contributing factor in our victory in WW 2.
And he dragged the table and made it SCREEEEECH
@@davidhough7070 the European military forces on both sides in WW 2, both the Allies and Axis, were frustrated and confused how readily the Americans would throw out the strategy book
"aww, you brought that tall man some flowers" never fails to crack me up
Honestly one of the smarter scenes in film history. They had to demonstrate why MIB would pick this NYPD every-man over the best the US military had to offer, and they did it in a way that was not only believable but wound up as an amazing character moment for J and an excellent piece of world-building in the process. MIB doesn't want gung-ho Rambo types looking to pop everything that looks different, they want smart people who use their brains.
Damn Right! Thinks before you shoot!
Totally. Up until they made number 3 that would be the exact analysis.
Number 3 undid everything they intricately formulated for J and how he was the absolute perfect man for the job. Then watching this again after seeing 3 you realise that he was already predestined to join the agency. It's a touching sentiment but for me it kinda ruined everything that was so great about J and his growth.
It was J that inadvertently threw himself into the scope of the MIB not the other way around.
HOWEVER It would've been so clever if the third film showed the MIB orchestrating J's intial run in with the alien at the beginning of this film and then everything that followed just so happened to prove he was also perfect for the job rather than a just the result of a promise K made to himself to honour the man that in essence saved the planet.
As far as I'm aware this wasn't the case.
@@tyrannosaurusflex3698
...K only promised to look after J. He got into theagency because of everything on this film. Maybe watch thr movies more closely.
That because MIB is not a police or military, they are immigration agency. Too bad in today real world prefer rambo type instead wise & smart type.
They're all smart. But he's the only one who can think outside of the box. All of them assumed the aliens were just some generic bad guys to test their ability to shoot a gun, but he thought of the situation from a different perspective. They probably got higher marks on the actual written test than he did, but he was the only one who solved the problem of the chair, by applying lateral, independent thinking.
I see everyone talking about pulling the table and shooting the little girl, but he also showed he's the right guy for the job by questioning why he's there. That's the point when Zed turns to Kay.
But for all we know everyone else did that too, just before J got there. Zed did say he was late XD
(Ah J even says “maybe you already answered this”)
@@DeathnoteBB Maybe they didnt ask because they were there to show "they were the best of the best"
Plus, by showing that K laughed, it tells the audience that K though it was funny as hell.
He was always going to be the one chosen, that was all set up to test him, Kay is the one that nominated him,
That's why even though it seems he passed, Zed still has the look of dealt on his face
No child is so tough they don’t scream in fear of monsters at night. They’d have already dropped the books or throw them at the monster
Yeah I feel like that he shot the right one I mean consider the fact that she was happy among the monsters, she was probably one.
@Fo Hat you are comparing the reality of real life where kids get used to living in a harsh environment and thus get more used to seeing criminals around their neighborhoods to where they can chill out a little to a fictional world where the aliens are not supposed to expose their true nature while being on earth thus looking like that would be totally unexpected and a shock and impossible for a kid to get accustomed to that horrible threat so remaining calm is not a red flag? Nice one ha
Autistic kids: oh ho ho ho that's where you're wrong buddy
That's the point, she's definitely not a normal little girl.
Unless they have autism and super Intelligent to know same things as J they are just normal person
"Gentlemen. Congratulations! You are everything we've come to expect from government training."
It took me until I stumbled upon years of government training to really appreciate this scene.
Did anyone ever notice that out of all of the "best of the best of the best."
Not a single one cleared and safed their firearm.
and no one press checked them when they picked up the guns first
That's because it wasn't in the script. ☝️
Lol loved the way j just flung his loaded pistol around like it was a laser pointer lol he even stuck it in z’s belly at one point
For a second before J fired no one was shooting best guess they used all their ammo before J shot his bullet
@@britishjack9931 safety regs at any gun range require you check the chamber is empty even if you just emptied the mag. You don’t put the weapon down until its clear and safe! That goes double for any military or law enforcement range lol they don’t tolerate any laps in safety
J, sees K with tall alien: "Awww, you brought that tall man some flowers."
I always remember that line, one of my favorite from Will Smith liners.
"He's not snarling, he's sneezing! Y'know, no real threat there." 2020 laughs
Covid specifically doesn’t cause sneezing though
@@TulpechaidoplaysMC no but COVID is spread through respiratory droplets hence the common act of sneezing is now a big threat
@@foreal7712 Ok yeah, that is true
Freaking hell, this year just doesn’t feel real tbh
@@TulpechaidoplaysMC Until the CDC all of a sudden says it does then it will lmao.
As a health risk, yes. As something that is about to rip your face off, hopefully not, the guy just wants to get home and have a cup of tea.
I love that J raise his hand. Ed reminds us all that even as adults we should raise our hand, because it gives an attention to the speaker that we want to speak in a polite way
He passed the 1st test, u should not be afraid or embarrassed to make a scene in front of a huge crowd of people to get the job done that's why they have the neuralyzer for to make all witness forget
Damm it’s so obvious. Love it!
I don't get why he didn't just lift it up
@@thatoneantoid51 heavy probably
Also the last test since he didn’t shoot aliens on first sight since that’s kinda important for the job too
@@JoshityJosh plus you notice how everyone else blazed away at random, potentially causing damage to bystanders and property. J meanwhile fired one shot, and made it the best shot he could with the knowledge he had
Everyone is pointing out several things but there's an important point everyone missed:
Sure, he sled the table to him, but knowing only 1 would get in, probably feeling a bit intimidated between special operators and so on, HE ASKED THE OTHER GUY IF HE WANTED TO SHARE THE TABLE
Not only was he resourceful, intelligent, asking questions and wanting definite answers, didnt care about being loud (remember MIB can just wipe memories), but he's also a team player, willing to help someone out even if it doesnt benefit him directly.
Yeah, it's almost as if it was scripted that way... Incredible! 😲
@@maxnaz47 thats just good writing dumbass for a good character
@@tonylamont9699 he’s being sarcastic
@@liancao7163 And it wasnt needed
Great point
I love how J is able to distinguish between a good alien and a bad alien thoroughly even though he got deneuralyzed twice
@Cosmic Nomad
TL;DR, Short term memory loss doesn't impact long term skills and personality.
A good cop knows how to pick out the details. J demonstrated this perfectly. And neuralizers are usually meant for short term memories. It's how MIB is able to erase memories without damaging people most of the time. You can empty some of the water out of the leaky bucket that is short term memory without impacting long term memory if you just tip the bucket over for about five seconds.
“I put mah pants on today.” 🤪
6:02 I'm the CIA, I'll erase your memory! Hi Dan, hi reptilian. I'm the CIA, I'll erase your memory! Be a good German, you lost the war! Here come the men in black, defenders of the galaxy! Welcome to Sony Studios! I'm 9, upside down, inside out, and one minute ahead of time. d 6 IM MI6 + 1 minute. overt ops. Serpent being cast out, challenging Me, Michael. Haven't fallen from grace. 'overt ops'
@@ericwilson6994 bro are you ok
@@leonardjulius6098 I believe he missed his Schizo medication
You're all here because your the best of the best. Marines, Air Force, Navy Seals, Army Rangers, *NYPD!*
That line delivery was perfect.
I love silent comedy like this. Wish more writers understood this. It’s more funny to watch a joke pan out than to have it forced with a laugh track on television.
Shin well sircoms and this movie are two different things
Its like comparing a beast to a flower.... but yeah i wish it too
I do think some sit ons like sunny are against it thankfully
A lot of people agree with this but people be like “FaMiLy GuY jOkEs ArE ToO lOnG”
I hate laugh tracks. I intentionally avoid any and all shows that have a laugh track.
"Yeah you know I had the sex with her....with my PENIS!"
^The state of American comedy these days.
Yes it makes the joke seem "epic"
I like it how MiB 3 basically demonstrates why K was so keen on recruiting J.
Thank you! All the top comments on why J was recruited because J was so unique/different or because K saw something in him of himself, but with MiB 3 we now know it was because they had already met from K's POV and this was meant to be.
That was hindsight scripting. Almost non-canonical.
@@scalp340 Because those "top" comments are speaking from the own film's POV, not a film that was filmed many years later, and the third installment when not even a sequel probably wasn't planned at the time.
Like in Empire Strikes Back, it wouldn't make sense to say "Darth Vader did this because of what his mom said in A Phantom Menace".
Honestly that really destroys a large part of what the first movie was about. Agent J wasn't some chosen one, he was a regular person who had just the right qualities to make a good MIB agent.
MIB 3 says, "No, actually he was the chosen one, and no one else could've been chosen".
@@pureskill123 it would actually. That's the point of sequels and prequels, to tie things together and give context to things not previously understood/known. If we looked at each individual move as it's own just because expansion of it may not have been previously planned, nothing would make sense.
This scene is how you tell a story. A common cop in civilian clothes sitting among people who is sitting among a bunch of well dressed and well decorated officers in the government. When he realized that the man in the suit is talking nonsense, he immediately questioned him.
Then someone made a reply where the man criticized him for it. Then the test began. Everyone found writing difficult and he made the right choice by dragging the table. Now the practical test. Instead of start shooting, our MC took his time to study the situation and made the right choice. He knows they are aliens, but it doesn't matter. Some of them even looked terrified. Then a little girl with a smile in an unusual time and unusual place and smiling on top of that. The book has nothing to do with here. The book is nothing but a subversion and if not a big fat hint. There was only one shot and a well aimed one.
The whole thing played like comedy when it was the most genius way of character portrayal.
Spot on!
There was another one of those types in the building
Also Z doesn't explain anything why they're there, and the soldiers are just there without asking any questions.
@@ReigoVassal That's what the military is all about, "Do what you're told and don't ask questions".
@@amannamedsquid313 exactly.
I think the script and the acting from the actors that played the other soldiers is great here.
They never exchange words with J, didnt outright insult or belittle him, but from their expression and gestures, you can see that they didnt think highly of J, dont see him as an equal, and that he's just a dude with an attitude.
The other guys are good soldiers, but they wouldn't make good agents. An agent is someone who can think for himself, ask questions and not be afraid to go a different path then others.
That was my later question: why invite all these distinguished military men when you know they're rigidly-minded and orthodox in their tactics? Having a whole room full of them in uniform only would make the issue worse.
The actual policing and administrating issue is like .001% of the job: the rest is learning to deal with actual space aliens, many of which are horrible to behold. You'd need to seek out incredibly open-minded and stable individuals with good charisma to be able to handle that kind of job. Solders are not widely known for their charisma (I was one for years).
@@gastonbell108 that is a good question, and my best guess is that they probably make them go through the exam to comb through the forces for what they need. They probably do this a lot often
@@gastonbell108 The narrative needs so believability bleeds! Poor writers basically.
So he shot an 8 year old for delivering her brother's quantum physics books, and that counts as 'going a different path'?
@@paksta I think the point was if they could recognize a sense of danger. MIB agents have to recognize who is an alien since their disguises are pretty believable (look at the couple who tried to skip town while giving birth). Even J who felt his teacher from elementary school was from a different planet was actually from a different planet. Aliens can look menacing and act such but I think MIB focuses more on motive rather than how they appear.
"He's just really excited, and he has no clue why we're here"
More true of the military today than it was then.
When you try out for a prestigious unit in the military, they expect you to act like a super-soldier: stiff, aggressive, obedient unto death, etc. These guys think they're trying out for like Delta Force or something, which is why they're going by the only playbook they know. "Be a good soldier, and you'll get the job"
Jay, being a rather rogue cop in a very diverse city, is also going by the only playbook he knows: do what works, not what people expect of you, and being clever is much more valuable than being fearless. His mindset is "I have no idea if I even want this job, so screw it, I'll be me."
They say you should always go into a job interview with the attitude that you're fine if you don't get the job. Jay was the only guy in the room with that attitude.
@@gastonbell108 good analysis
That lieutenant is what we would call a ‘boot’.
Most soldiers: "To DeFeNd OuR cOuNtRY!"
Yet the real threat is within the country, masked as rich people who smile and pretend they are nice and do nice things.
Oh, I dunno. Once met a vet who joined the army right out of High School. He said where he was from he was gonna join a gang no matter what, so he picked the biggest one with the best guns.
I wanna break this down:
1. J didnt know why he was there, and he knew that nobody else did either. He was able to confirm that based on the Soldier's response that NOBODY knew exactly what they were doing in that place. He pointed that out despite the soldier showing clear authority and amazing pedigree. He was not intimidated by it.
2. The written examination was actually a practical problem solving trial. There was only one table in that room and everyone had to sit in the most impractical place imaginable to take a written exam. It makes no sense at all to make people take a written exam in egg shaped monstrosities from 1970s IKEA. The written exam didn't matter, it was about finding a solution to a problem they all had. Who was gonna be the guy to stand out instead of conforming? That's the guy you want to represent Earth around weird aliens. He aced that test even if he didn't know a single question on it.
3. The target practice scene. You know by default every man in that room would be proficient with a firearm. That obviously wasn't the test. It was another lateral trial that required you to think before you acted. The soldiers see "monsters" and think, "shoot". You don't want your agent to be the guy who shoots an alien by reflex and start an interstellar war. The suspicious one was little Tiffany. No way it wasnt.
K had an instinct (not gonna cite MIB 3) and J had the weird lateral thinking and stamina necessary to be an agent. He proved that despite appearing to be an abysmal failure when looking at the trials on their face.
Excellent
Nice comment man
No, the written examination was all about who would try every possible way to write on the exam before moving to the noisy option of moving the table
@@lightningjet9444
...
That's essentially what I said. That was the idea, to think outside the box of the current situation which included the noisy table.
@@lightningjet9444 "No, actually-" *goes on to say the exact same thing he did already*
You stupid
Why you shot little Tiffany?
Will: she made a joke about my wife
lmao
LMAO
“He’s very excited, but he has no clue why we’re here”
Hahahahahaha classic line.
Now that I'm in the Army I find the Captain America joke funnier when I meet real life luitenants that don't shut up about graduating from West Point. 🙄
O o o fff
XD
"With honors!"
So True. The same happens in the Marines.
Because West Point is the best of the best of the best, sir!.... With honors!
Well, in ROTC....
"Those books are way too advanced for her. She was about to start some shit, Zed. And I'd appreciate if you'd ease up off my back about it. Or do I owe her an apology?"
4:35
How the fuck did you read that there in the dark with all the white flag things in the aliens popping up I just wanted to shot the white girl
@@brint3453 strobe lights
"Owe her an apology" After he shot her on the head? A normal guy would say something in the line of her funeral. He knows its not her funeral after shooting her on the forehead.
👍👍
I love how as J was explaining why he shot Tiffany he smiles because he's impressed but that smile just wipes itself off when J tells him to get off his back.
Honestly the fact that he pulled the table and knew that would be perfect to use and had a good reason for shooting the girl all things considered, made him the most likely candidate because he was able to think differently from the rest
All of which was absolutely intentional and part of the testing process. Why do you think the MIB put them in such uncomfortable chairs with only one table?
@@Cailus3542 instead of just pulling the table towards you and making all that racket. I'd just pop a squat right at the table and work from there. Simple easy and it's less of a hassle to move either your chair or the table.
@@furionmax7824 The paper and pencils were deliberately meant to be bad quality, the test was less about the written test, and more about problem solving. Popping the squat would have sufficed but dragging the table with the loud squeal was necessary for comedy. In that sort of actual test situation either would have been what you were looking for.
As for the gun range someone else commented on the novelization but his response was the correct one. If you are going to be exposed to aliens in a regular instance you do not want someone who's response is to shoot at first sight, but to analyze.
@@DwarfyDoodad yep. It's honestly amazing looking back on old movies like this and realize the details they wrote in that make everything make sense.
And yeah the table moving was for comedy. Lol. And the whole shoot out was a reversal of "one of these things doesn't belong". Makes you think. Why are there so many aliens here and only one human child? Somethings not right. The situation they were presented needed a scalpel instead of sword. Or in this case. One bullet instead of dozens.
Speaking of which that headshot demonstrated J's skills too. All of the others went for body shots. Shots that would still leave the target alive long enough to escape. What MIB looks for are professionals that can end a confrontation quickly, efficiently, and without a mess. J only needed one bullet and got her right between the eyes. Safe. Efficient. Quick. And clean. You only get one shot when you encounter an hostile alien. One slip up and the secret gets out.
And we get that answer when I walks into MIB headquarters and sees all of those aliens walking around. If any of those soldiers saw that they'd pull their guns out and start shooting or turn tail and run.
There is a table in front of their eyes and yet they didnt utilize it.
This interview scene was a great example of problem solving and thinking outside the box. Valuable characteristics to employers. More valuable than people would believe.
Many don't realize this, though. They often select people who obey orders without question and are just a mindless drone. If they embraced people who might be a little bit more resistant to authority, they might find their bottom line improves in the long run.
@@Opethfeldt That would require actual thought and work though. In their own way employers are just as much mindless drones as the people they hire. They want a cog in the machine, not someone would would think to question the machine because the former still get the job done and don't complain as much.
This isn't the kind of problem solving and outside the box thinking that the sane public wants in law enforcement. He shot someone because their skin color didn't belong in the neighborhood. He judged not only the book, but the person carrying it by the cover of the book, and shot them for it. It's hollywood nonsense, not valuable insight into intelligent hiring processes.
This kind of scene is a lost art. It’s a perfect and subtle display of who the characters are, what the goal of the organization is, and what makes the main character qualified to operate in these unusual situations beyond sheer personality or just dumb luck. It does all of that naturally, without any need for outright stating the obvious, trusting the audience to be smart enough to follow the logic on their own.
It’s something Hollywood seems to have forgotten how to really do. Especially in that awful MiB reboot.
It's a lost art because the viewers in general don't GET subtlety anymore. Whether it's a TV show or a video game or a movie, the audience has to be spoon fed everything as obviously as possible or else it's a "plot hole" or "badly acted" or some other B.S. to criticize it because they neither want to have to think or expect to.
Hollywood gives what the viewers want, and like it or not subtlety is not what most viewers want anymore.
@@immortalfrieza sadly you are correct here, very few people would have understood the tests and questions on a first time viewing
@@immortalfrieza actually Hollywood gives use what producers, finacial stake holders, and test viewers (don't even know where they get people, I've never been asked) want. The rest of us are just living off their cinematic crumbs.
@Geostomp true. @immortalfrieza also true.
Top Gun Maverick feels like an actual movie with a beginning and an end and a story with good actors typically stuff like that is low budget or indie and not successful but it made a lot of money
Love this moment in MiB series. They tried to match it in the rest, but this was and still is my most favorite moment.
"Your everything we've come to expect from government training" OOF!
J went full Fresh Prince on Captain America over there.
Best of the best of the best SIR! Yeah, with honors..... 🤣
@@mkaplan1383 Can't really blame him, he was REALLY excited after all 😂
@@omegamysterio3701 Edwards did have a point, which I guess means he passed the first ish test: Don't put on a show if you're don't know to whom you're performing.
@@jeffbrehove2614 Exactly! All joking aside he showed that he was the best choice out of all of them because he could think outside the box and had really good judgment. From the questioning why he's there, to shooting Tiffany, he's unknowingly everything MiB needed from him!
That was the best part aside from the table being pulled 😂😂
"Gentlemen. Congratulations, you're everything we've come to expect from years of government training."
I took me until just now to realize he was insulting them. He expected the government trained men to fail all these tests.
Also, J actually passed all the tests. (He was the only one to ask questions. He was the only one to use what's around him to his advantage. And he was the only one to really focus and think about the situation in the shooting range rather then just shoot what looked threatening.) That's why he didn't say anything other than, "he's got a real problem with authority." That's the only thing he had to say about him negatively.
That’s not even an insult, that’s what’s expected of MIB agents: take no crap, among a plethora of other things.
The moment J started the simulation, it looked as if there was something wrong here. The use of awareness and use of you’re conscious is important before violent.
@Neiodas Those books were way too advanced for her age. Clearly she was going to get up to some shit :P
@@DarkAngelGuyver That’s right.
@@DarkAngelGuyver or do I owe her apologize? 🤣🤣🤣
@Neiodas The point isn't the fact he shot a cardboard cut-out of a child, but that he was able to discern something was out of the ordinary with her, despite there being the obvious monsters showing up. He was capable of picking out the strange among what was basically the norm.
So if you think about it. He was the only one who got the “challenge” right. He wasn’t freaked out by aliens, and later we find out the aliens on earth hide in plain sight. He actually shot the correct target.
The first test is surprisingly complex.
On top of the written portion the desk is intentionally small and intentionally spaced away from everyone in the room on fixed chairs requiring someone to get up and drag the table to their chair.
An MiB agent has to not only know their stuff, but also needs to know when to be the centre of attention to distract regular humans from whatever it is they should not be seeing. Essentially that test gauges how little shame you have when on the field.
I feel this, any of them would've been embarassed to move the table, the way it shrieks as it scratches over the floor hammers it in, to anyone else it would be embarassing, to J? It's what he needed to do and he doesn't care how he looks.
@@felinusfeline5559 an MIB agent shouldn't have to worry about making a noise or a disturbance. That's where neuralyzers come in.
@@lunak1391 Even still, they don't want to make more noise than they need to - neuralyzing people takes a few seconds and could slow an agent down when time is of the essence, plus a serious enough disturbance might require a clean-up crew to fully cover up.
MIB might have a lot of resources, but considering how vast their responsibilities are - those resources are stretched pretty thin
5:43 K is waiting outside the room like an anime school girl
will never unsee it now
I will never un-see this
"S-senpai..."
He does do commercials in japan
@@rancorlover coffee?
“I promised his father I make him an agent, that’s got to be tough enough”
I see what you did right there.
I don’t get it
@@salvadorenoify you'll understand if you seen the third film.
@@salvadorenoify in the third film it takes place in the past with time travel instead of j it's his dad meeting K sending stuff to space he was about to recruit his dad till he got oofed by the main villain all while j watches until he gets flashed
I don't like how the 3rd movie told us he was more or less predestined to join...
If I recall, in the book not only was J absolutely correct about "little Tiffany", but the actual "test" involving the written test was using the table.
There's a book of it?
and a novel
well, I mean the using the legs when writing should have worked if they closed their legs together or that little ashtray thing could be a good thing to write on too.
@@KB-pe1ej comic i think, more like BPRD
@@alformodoritos2076 it works, but its not the right answer. they could have stood up and used the chair to write, but its not the answer they wanted. the table was there for a reason. but none of them besides J had the nerve to do it, because they assumed it would be wrong to move the table. dude literally called them robots by saying they were what they expected from years of govt training.
Something else to point out, around 5:17 we see the other soldiers grouped together messing around with their guns. Then you got J, who's standing out (quite literally) and observing the situation.
i thought this was all done for laughs
but everything is done with purpose
him showing up late
A MIB agent shows up when hes ready to deal with a situation
Being loud and intrusive
A MIB agent shouldn't be afraid to ask questions
The chairs are designed to be uncomfortable and leave no way to actually write so he grabs a table
A MIB agent will use all the resources he can
the shooting part is being unbias and observant
It was all a test
@@hasarutoetensakey7091 yeah I dont know where I saw or read about the scene.
I'm usually one of those
"it's not that deep" people but this makes so much sense
@Dan 240Z think they assumed he was kicked out
I love how we was the only who questioned why he was there.
"To find the best of the best" was not a convincing answer
The late part is probably more accidental if anything but everything after that shows him being able to adjust to the situation at hand. Dealing with a broken pencil, the test ripping up, the seats ensuring it's difficult to write on, all of these are things he dealt with.
And the shooting scene is meant to be a deliberate test. Are you going to shoot at the scary looking aliens who are really just average dudes walking around? Or are you going to aim for the cute kid who seems completely unafraid of hte monstrous creatures and is holding books on quantum physics in a world where you know aliens hide themselves as humans?
I love that K refuses to give up on J and, love the movie or hate it, MIB3 shows us why. He's been watching and waiting for J and is willing to fight for him to become an Agent
and Z only had problems eith J because J has problems with authority, that was his only
issue, see how he's impressed by J in this clip but then J starts to say that he should get off his back and Z stopd smiling.
@@yisus4681 Typically as police, you ARE the authority.
I think you completely missed the point dude, J ACED the test. There is no question of giving up of on him as he was the best in EVERY test. The only problem Z(Zed) had was that J had a problem with authority. J obviously proved through the test he was way better than the other candidates in every aspect and the perfect MIB recruit
I think the others were just decoys from the beginning to get him to come in and prove himself.
Agent K knew agent J father. Agent J father used to be a military general. Agent J father and agent K took down "Brios the Animal" in 1969. Agent K wanted agent J father to join "MIB". Brios killed agent J father. Agent K started to look out for agent J throughout his childhood until he found J again.
Can we appreciate guy at 2:36 that tried to erase a hole
Part of the reason why he got the eye test
🤣🤣🤣
There's acting, then there's this.
Years of government training after all
Hehe
You compare the writing of this movie to the movies we have today in the 2020s, and this film blows them out of the water effortlessly. It's not even a contest. It's not just how tightly written the story is, but the witty dialogue and characters are all top notch. And this film was classified as a sci-fi comedy.
“He’s not snarling, he’s sneezing; no real threat there”
Me in 2020: Yeah, about that...
I thought we're scared of coughing not sneezing
@@Raooka It’s both. That’s why you cough and sneeze into a mask
@@DeathnoteBB Not to mention people in a certain country that see wearing a mask as a political party statement when in every other Sensible country on the Earth they are viewed as a Public Health matter to protect both the wearer and others in the community.
llol
Ooooof xD
I really like how they treat observation and understanding as qualifying traits over aim and military skill. Despite having alien technology and government anonymity, the MiB treat themselves pretty much as intergalactic airport security rather than a military defense, so Will acting more like a civil dispute Police Officer that understands how bad discriminating based on outward appearances is and uses his authority responsibly (nice tiny bit of social commentary there also)
A skill many people seem to think doesn't exist anymore....
That's exactly the thing. MIB isn't a military force. It's essentially a customs agency.
Those technical skills are easy to obtained through experience and practice, what matters the most is Critical Thinking of a person that prevents him for being a stagnant machine that only performs a single job, but a person who's capable of improving and evolving. They really nailed that part to give emphasis that MIB is not just your ordinary defense agency, and its there because its not some military branch that just solely revolves around giving orders and executing it. Military cant be trusted to handle this job because they are trained to be obedient and thus lacking judgement. And Foreign Relations cant either because their main understanding is only designed for humans, and they have no capabilities that will require them to address sudden adversary. Thus MIB was built because it can handle both.
To that last point, he's also a black cop in NY, who probably dealt with BS of that sort growing up.
@@felinusfeline5559 and probably internally.
I like how Jay took the time to look at every cut out and analyzed their look and intent. Everyone else had the "Shoot first. Talk later" mentality. Every time the MIB meet an alien, they try to talk with it. That's the thing they look for I think, general reasoning and practical thinking. Also yes Will Smith. That was a great shot.
They're soldiers, James was a cop. Make all the jokes you want, but cops aren't supposed to blindly shoot. Soldiers in a combat zone are making quick friend/foe calls and reacting accordingly
@@TheKyrix82 He wasn’t dissing the military only pointing out what happened in the scene. But he’s also right, thats the exact opposite of what the MIB look for in a agent hence why they got flashed. The purpose was more so to sue these highly trained, super professional military dudes as foil to J in order to examplofy what qualities MIB are looking for. At first glance you’d assume they want a soldier. Someone that comes in, takes charge of a situation and takes care of a problem. But thats not the case. Theh want someone able to read a situation and if possible defuse it peacefully. A sleuth that can act subtly and look at details rather than big in your face things and handle them accordingly as needed. All the tests were designed to show this and why J was successful where the military guys failes
This sadly doesn't translate to the cartoon. I can think multiple times when K shot first and asked questions never. Then again he probably had prior knowledge that they were dangerous.
@@CesarACastillo He was one of the original Agents, old enough to have known Alpha when he was a good guy
@@TheKyrix82 Still doesn't excuse the fact that I remember J having to actually call him off a few times.
This is why the main character is better than the reboot main character.
Reboot? I thought that was a sequel.
@@BarberShave19 Oh yeah, my back, it is a sequel.
@@BarberShave19 technically - if he's talking about MIB international - it is kind of a reboot.
@@chrisdomingo8787 It's kind of not, because it isn't a reboot in any sense of the word. Technically it's not a sequel, since it doesn't relate to the original trilogy beyond involving the same organisation, so I would go with either "revamp" like the new Doctor Who or "spin-off."
@@theguywithsomething8634 yeah you're right. it's more of a spin-off.
They did have portraits of J and K in the MIB HQ in the UK btw.
Only found out when I read the novelization that he got it all right. It's actually really brilliant:
1.They're told that they're the best of the best, but he asked WHY they were there out of everyone.
2.He problem solves by pulling the desk in rather than continuing to rip up the paper and bending over backwards to find a place to write on it.
3.He didn't judge things by appearance. As we've seen with a bunch of the aliens, there are a bunch that look scary, but are actually benign. The soldiers treat the place like a shooting gallery, but Jay takes his time and chooses a single target, the one that appeared to be the biggest threat.
We even see the rest of the recruits neuralyzed, as they all failed(and Kay stopped him from going for the "eye exam".
thanks for explaining the video for the deaf people
@@juless27 Not everyone can analyze that much from a movie clip lmao
@@arciantum 3/4 of the original comment was literally the video we just watched.
And all high ranking military/government officials all dressed in nice uniforms completely surrounding the protagonist wearing too casual clothing. Not even phased by such intense intimidation; can’t have an MIB agent intimidated too easily especially when two quarreling extraterrestrials can get Earth immediately into the brink of intergalactic wars, annihilation, among other worse than usual days that come with that job…
He could’ve just put the paper on the desk, just saying
"Your everything we've come to expect from years of government training" aka a bunch of mindless drones with no agency. I love that remark now that I'm older.
Obedience brings victory.
And victory is life.
@@ensignmjs7058 ok
@@ensignmjs7058 Victory for whom? Last I checked, mindless obedience gets you killed.
@@filthycasual8187, it is the order of things.
I don't think it's fair to call them mindless drones. They're career military officers who make decisions all the time, just within a highly conventional framework. Skilled and motivated, yes, but also dogmatic in their worldviews and inflexible in their thinking. MiB requires a degree of open-mindedness and ability to adapt that the average soldier simply isn't required to possess to do their job.
It's kinda unfair, really. If you're trying to hire an accountant, why would you invite a bunch of professional tap dancers to interview for the position? Or vice versa? Jay was the single wildcard in a room full of token characters serving only as narrative devices.
I love with the firing range bit, J actually double checks that his pistol's safety is on
It's no wonder why J was picked. He's skilled, intelligent, capable, but he's not a robot. He thinks for himself, isn't afraid to question and looks outside the box.
What's great about this scene is that ever single action he takes, is actually the best response to each test. Grabbing the table whenever everyone is trying to use their chair, shooting the little girl and explaining why. He nails every test.
But what if the little girl was just carrying the book for someone else
@@wolves600 she's still alone, calm, in the middle of the night, surrounded by gun shots
@@thehuman2734 and a human can be like that too also as we learned just because they are a alien does not mean kill them
@@wolves600 yeah humans can be like that. Buts if a young girl acts like that. It's definitely suspicious
@@thehuman2734 sure but even if she is a alien it does not mean she deserves to be shot after all in this series there are a ton of legal aliens living on the planet as well
“Why else would we hold it in Queens?”
Kay throwing some shade! Where Spidey at?!
🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱
Brilliance! just be yourself even when you don't know what you are doing... Be yourself.
"You brought the tall man some flowers." always gets me. 🤣
In addition to J showing reasoning and thinking well outside the box, he was also humble enough to openly admit what he did and not try to sugar coat it.
Zed: What the hell happened?
J: Hesitated.
No shame, no excuses, no over-explaining. Simple, direct, and to the point.
are you super excited and have no idea why we are here?
@@raven4k998it's one of lifes great mysteries isn't it?
@@JohnTrustworthy yes it is here drink this chocolate milk it will help with your temporal fracture headaches🤣🤣
No wonder the NYPD full of good detectives
Look at Zed at 4:38: He’s smiling at J’s assessment. He recognizes that J, unlike the others, actually assesses the situation before firing.
Now look at 4:45: Zed starts frowning because he recognizes J’s smart mouth.
Truth is, J said all this to make himself look less stupid for shooting a little girl.
Little did J realize, All that makes sense if you know aliens exist.
On top of that, J saying "these guys are exited to be here and have no idea.." was Zed's impression of him ACTUALLY KNOWING why he's there in the first place. Which again is an entendre.
@@gnodab2036 He could have also inferred that the tests were a trick based on context.
@@kaicreech7336 ok. But why?
@@gnodab2036
Because he's being head-hunted by an organization that's top secret, because the first test already included an outside-the-box solution, because monsters are a weird thing to put in a shooting range, and because he's seen any movie ever.
It's really well done how down to earth J is. A lot of intelligent characters are written as knowing the answer on the first try and given free reign to put down everyone else. J during the test started trying to keep his head down and emulate the others before seeing that their methods weren't working and choosing to do it his own way. He also has an awareness of when he may be taking things too far, when ribbing Jensen and snapping at Z.
4:37 just noticed this little smirk
i think at this moment he knew he's the one they were looking for
I was an adult when I realized that smirk meant Zed was proud of that answer. He only becomes disappointed when J gave attitude
I've seen a lot of people saying the third movie kinda ruined J's developement , but I disagree.
While its true that J set his own recruitment in stone with the time loop, everything between and after that is still J
K only recruited him, he passed the tests all on his own. He found a way to time travel and save the world all on his own.
And while its a shame we probably won't ever get an MIB movie continuing the story of this cast, the third movie was a great way to cap it off and tie the whole trilogy together with the neatest of bows
Well said.
2nd one was so so. Third was my personal favorite
Not to mention that K only was able to meet young J because present J was able to grow up, prove his worth with MiB and stop Boris in the past. It is a predestination paradox, but it only worked because the original J was an amazing agent.