John Dodge is an MTV Writer for CBR who specializes in movies, television, comics, and pop culture. He has a deep knowledge of franchises like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel, and DC Comics, along with a passion for indie and horror titles. An expert on obscure productions from the ’80s and ’90s, John is known for his encyclopedic recall of cult classics like Beetleborgs.
The original Men in Black film trilogy has a new streaming home, and fans don't need a subscription to watch.
1997's Men in Black starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones is officially part of the Tubi streaming library as of Jan. 1. Better yet, both Men in Black II and Men in Black 3 have also been added to the expansive catalog of films and TV shows currently available for streaming on Tubi, completely for free.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld from a screenplay by Ed Solomon, which itself was inspired by Lowell Cunningham's hit comic book series of the same name, Men in Black stars Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K, a grizzled veteran of the eponymous organization tasked with monitoring interstellar activity and maintaining the secrecy of such aliens on Earth. The film also stars Will Smith as James Darrel Edwards III, a former NYPD detective who becomes the organization's newest recruit and is assigned the code name Agent J.
Men in Black also features appearances from fan-favorite stars such as Vincent D'Onofrio as Edgar, an abusive farmer who becomes the host for a malevolent alien insect known as The Bug, Rip Thorn as organization head Chief Zed, and Tony Shalhoub as alien arms dealer Jack Jeebs. Rounding out the core cast of the film is Linda Fiorentino as medical examiner Doctor Laurel Weaver, whose life is quickly enveloped in the Men in Black's endeavors.
Men in Black was a massive hit upon its release in theaters, grossing more than $589 million against a $90 million budget and kicking off an expansive multimedia franchise that includes an animated series, countless toys, and pieces of tie-in merchandise, and numerous feature film sequels.
The first follow-up, 2002's Men in Black II, brought Smith and Jones back for another interstellar adventure, this time to tackle the threat of Lara Flynn Boyle's shape-shifting Serleena. Although it wasn't nearly the same sort of critical success as its predecessor, Men in Black II still dominated the box office to the tune of more than $445 million.
Ten years later, Men in Black 3 was released in theaters, marking the end of Agent J's cinematic journey while also giving audiences a glimpse into the beginning of Agent K's career with the MIB. Men in Black 3 offered audiences a time-hopping story starring Josh Brolin as a younger Agent K, who begrudgingly teams up with a time-displaced Agent J to stop Jermaine Clement's Boris the Animal from destroying the ArcNet that protects the Earth at large.
Does the Men in Black Franchise Have a Future?
The latest film in the series, Men in Black: International, was released in 2019 and introduced audiences to Agent H and Agent M, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, respectively, a veteran and a rookie of the MIB's United Kingdom branch. Despite its overwhelming star power, Men in Black: International failed to make much of an impact on critics, earning a mere 23% "Fresh" rating via Rotten Tomatoes, as averaged across 318 verified critical reviews.
Audiences were kinder to Men in Black: International, yet that doesn't seem to have helped the franchise in terms of moving forward. After grossing just $253.9 million at the box office against a budget of around $110 million, on top of clashes between director F. Gary Gray and producer Walter F. Parkes, Men in Black: International lost any real chance of receiving its own follow-up, effectively shuttering the franchise for the time being.
Men in Black, Men in Black II, and Men in Black 3 are all currently available for streaming for free on Tubi.
Release Date July 2, 1997
Runtime 98 minutes
Director Barry Sonnenfeld
English (US) · 