More than 20 years ago, Men in Black cemented Will Smith's status as an A-list star. Moreover, director Barry Sonnenfeld's film kicked off a franchise that has been, creatively and financially, much like a starship crashlanding into a farm. Now, with the recent failure of Men in Black International in our wake, we take a closer look at what made that original film such a classic and explore why its follow-ups struggle to reach the same heights.
Justin Beck of the Ditsy Comic Podcast joins the show this episode to delve into Men in Black's broad style of comedy, discuss its lasting appeal so many years later and speculate on where the series could go next. So, slip on those Ray-bans and keep those neuralyzers at the ready because here come the Men in Black.
SYNOPSISThey are the best-kept secret in the universe. Working for a highly funded yet unofficial government agency, Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) and Jay (Will Smith) are the Men in Black, providers of immigration services and regulators of all things alien on Earth. While investigating a series of unregistered close encounters, the MIB agents uncover the deadly plot of an intergalactic terrorist who is on a mission to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies currently in residence in New York City.
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