Critics Scoreboard
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Average Critic Score:
71
(22 sources)
71
(22 sources)
-
100
USA Today
The snappy sci-fi hoot Men in Black...is a kind of "Independence Day" for smart people. Read Full Review » -
90
Slate
The smartest, funniest, and best-looking sci-fi comedy since the movies learned to morph. Read Full Review » -
88
San Francisco Examiner
The script by Ed Solomon is tight, well-paced and lighthearted. If this were a musical, Fred Astaire could have played the Jones role, although somewhat more dashingly. Read Full Review » -
88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Sonnenfeld moves things along with alacrity and panache, serving up the exotic visuals quietly, blending in the sprightly humour efficiently, and keeping the mix at a rolling boil. Read Full Review » -
88
Chicago Tribune
A smart, funny and hip adventure film in a summer of car wrecks and explosions. [4 July 1997] Read Full Review » -
80
Rolling Stone
Sonnenfeld deftly orchestrates the intricate two-part harmony, and Smith and Jones -- a powerhouse comic pair -- make it all look easy. Read Full Review » -
80
Salon.com
Behind its mask of deadpan goofiness, it's a friendly, clever picture, one that doesn't feel untouched by human hands. And at an hour-and-a-half, it doesn't wear out its welcome. Read Full Review » -
80
-
80
Chicago Reader
Don't expect any psychological depth here, but the cool wit and fun... are deftly maintained, and Sonnenfeld provides a bountiful supply of both fanciful beasties and ingenious visuals. Read Full Review » -
75
Christian Science Monitor
Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith give uproarious comic performances as government agents ordered to keep New York's monsters in Manhattan, where they'll blend right in with the rest of the confusion. Read Full Review » -
75
Chicago Sun-Times
When the plot finally does click in, it slows down the trajectory a little, but not fatally. Read Full Review » -
75
ReelViews
The movie that "Mars Attacks!" wanted to be, but wasn't. This is a snappy, clever, often-funny motion picture that provides the perfect blend of science fiction-style action with comic dialogue. Read Full Review » -
70
LA Weekly
A great goof of a film...However daftly amusing, and periodically inspired, Men in Black is distinctly short on character and plot, even for a cartoon. Read Full Review » -
70
Washington Post
Sonnenfeld, who demonstrated a knack for Gothic comedy in "The Addams Family," brings the same mischievous gleefulness to this deliriously macabre enterprise. Read Full Review » -
70
Los Angeles Times
A genially twisted riff on the familiar alien invaders story, a lively summer entertainment that marries a deadpan sense of humor to the strangest creatures around. Read Full Review » -
60
Washington Post
The movie, which is based on the Lowell Cunningham comic book series, throws out some wonderful implications, but they’re frustratingly few and far between. Read Full Review » -
60
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Deserves credit for supplementing its special effects with a breezy script and genuinely charismatic performances by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Read Full Review » -
60
Variety
A witty and sometimes surreal sci-fi comedy, Men in Black is a wild knuckleball of a movie that keeps dancing in and out of the strike zone. Read Full Review » -
60
TV Guide
Extravagant special effects notwithstanding, this is really a triumph of casting: The aplomb with which Jones plays wry straight man to Smith's street-smart wiseacre is terrifically enjoyable. Read Full Review » -
58
Entertainment Weekly
The aliens aren't particularly scary or funny, and so the joke of watching Smith and Jones crack wise in their faces wears thin. Read Full Review » -
50
Austin Chronicle
Like the inky void of space, there's really not much here, but what there is, is certainly entertaining. Read Full Review » -
50
San Francisco Chronicle
Summer fluff that admits to being summer fluff, but it's no better off for admitting it...Intended as lightweight comedy, but if you think about it too much, it's not so funny. Read Full Review »
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