The Death of the Men in Black Franchise 

It's crazy to think that Next Year would be the 20th Anniversary of _Men in Black II_ and the 10th Anniversary of _Men in Black 3_ respectively.

I'm shocked that Tommy Lee Jones is only 75. I thought he was reaching his 90's already, i swear the man was born old.

the first men in black is seriously a masterpiece, it’s so unappreciated

I ended up liking Men in Black 3 more than the first one. It resonated a little bit more for me. Mostly because of that scene where J realizes his dad was killed and K trying to comfort the younger J after neutralizing his memory of his father’s death.

I feel like MIB would be better as a series than more films. It lends itself so easily to a murder mystery 'monster of the week' format, and CGI is affordable enough to do some interesting storylines Edit: Feels like something Michael Schur could do a good job with

I gotta say Men In Black 3 really hit me with a lot of its story beats. The ending in particular was beautiful for reasons I don't necessarily wanna spoil despite its age. It might just be my circumstances, but it's got a lot of heart and made me genuinely feel, which I hadn't expected :D

One thing we can agree on, the Animated Series opening was a complete masterpiece

From what I heard, the reason why they brought Tommy Lee Jones back to MIB II was because the director didn't want Will to play the straight hero, beliving that this was the reason why failed in the role in Wild Wild West movie. Because of this the second movie end up not just ruining K's ending but also J development as agent. The moment that K recover his memories, Will returns to be the hotshot fool he was in the first movie. It makes the story feels like it's repeating itself instead of moving forward the character arcs.

Tommy Lee Jones getting relegated to a secondary character is what killed this franchise.

MIB 3 is a pretty fun time, definitely the best of the sequels.

It's really weird that MCU-fication of movies is just taken for granted nowadays. That franchises have nowhere else to go but Cinematic Universe. The new uncharted movie also feels the same. Just Spider man cosplaying as another character. There needs to be set ups and references and meta commentary with protagonists that don't take stuff too seriously

The first one was cartoony, but took place within a believable/lived-in world. The restraint in original made the unbelievable aspects much more enjoyable. The sequels had real-world elements but the world was much more cartoony. The sequels seem so much more colorfully plastic compared to the original. The dirt and grime that exist in reality, was present in MIB and helped ground the story. But unfortunately, that grime was polished away in the sequels, and it turned into a bright, ugly, video game.

That first movie is such a gem, and can never get tired of it. Yet the sequels were either... Okay, to... to... actually I haven't even bothered to watch International. But that first one though, it gave us the recruitment scene, the firing range scene, Vincent D'onofrio acting, and the bench scene, and a Agent K line that's aged so well: " "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you will know tomorrow." Followed by J, sitting there for hours, thinking about his life changing choice. (Shout out to the cartoon fro being good, and having absolute banger intro, opening theme, and closing theme, that's just a instrumental to Will's MIB sample beat of Patrice Rushen's Forget Me Not's.)

Writing Jones out at the end of MIB1 only to bring him back at the start of MIB2 is one of those bad plot decisions that always brings a movie down. See Whistler in the Blade trilogy for another example. I while MIB2 follows the tone of MIB1, I think the more serious MIB3 is the better sequel. MIB2 felt like a sequel for the sake of a sequel. MIB3 seemed more heartfelt, plus Brolin's impression of Jones was great.

I see two (successful) possible futures for the franchise: - A show with *perfect* casting and a new direction - An RPG with a gritty cyber-punk vibe

I can easily explain this: Barry Sonnenfeld was heavily involved in the creation of the first Men in Black and story. For whatever reason (studios thinking the know better/ the franchise becoming too big to let fail), they very much pushed him out of the writing and ideation process and instead left him to do his best at directing whatever crap they came up with (aka MI2)

Fun fact: For Men in Black, Will Smith, after reading the script, did not want to accept the role because one year before he starred Independence Day (1996) and he didn't want to make another movie about aliens. His wife Jada Pinkett Smith convinced him to take the part.

...dang so many years later, and I still think how they wrote out Agent L at the beginning of 2 was such a betrayal of the first film. It felt like they had no clue what had made the first one work and so wanted to copy it as much as possible in the hope of recreating the magic.

Sonys weird fumbling of this franchise has always been bewildering cause the concept of a shady government agency dealing with a monster of the week like a comedic fusion of x files and law and order kinda writes itself....which is exactly what the cartoon did

Loved MIB 3.It had heart and alot of emotion. Brolin was great and the chemistry with all 3 leads was excellent.

Honestly Men in Black International was the final nail in the coffin, that movie was so bad and was just a souless cashgrab with no personality at all

Well, at least the lead characters from INTERNATIONAL didn't get romantically involved I like platonic couples, it makes things less predictable

I wish the story for MIB 3 had been used for MIB 2. It's a stronger movie, and the time travel gimmick would be more poignant with J going back to save a partner who doesn't even remember him any more.

A new men in black with Peter capaldi as an eccentric mib teaching a young recruit chasing a simple escaped dangerous alien could be gold

MIB 3 was a pretty strong showing for the franchise, imo, and it should really have ended there. International is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and one of the only ones I would call insultingly bad. I usually get at least some enjoyment from mindless popcorn cinema because I'm extremely good at suspending my disbelief and taking whatever a movie presents me at face value. I'm not a jaded, cynical armchair movie critic looking for plot holes and inconsistencies in everything I watch. Well, International literally wouldn't let me, because it's a movie where the only way for the plot to move forward is if every single character is an absolute moron.

MiB is still more hits than miss for me. In fact the only one I didn’t like is international

I saw the new one's trailer and instantly said "nope."

Like The Matrix, MIB was a discovering a secret thing, getting used to it, mastering it, then conquering something type of thing. You can only do that once.

As far as I’m concerned, MIB 1, 2 and 3 are the only films that matter.

"Theres nothing the films love more than to split the pair apart." Same exact problem I have with the Frozen franchise with Anna and elsa.

Tbh, MIB 3 is my fav. Josh Brolin kills it as young agent K, there’s a ton of great jokes, I love the set pieces, and the reveal (even though a bit confusing) always hits hard emotionally. It’s kind of my comfort movie

I remember seeing MiB III in cinemas (wasn’t alive for the first two) and I remember loving it so much. The first will always be the best but the third has a special place in my heart and for me, it’s a close second despite Tommy Lee Jones lack of screen time. The whole movie is really fun and the premise is fantastic. Perfect for an MiB story. And I absolutely love the ending where young J looks for his dad who was just killed and is conforted by young K. It is such a touching moment.

The one thing I liked MIB 3 for was the cool depiction of future-vision. Rather than just seeing what will happen, the alien that could see possibilities that could happen was neat.

That Men in Black cartoon is surprisingly good, especially its animation and art style. I watched a few episodes recently.

Also spot on - d’Onfrio had a stellar performance

Helping with the algorithm. 🙂 Also I grew up in the 80s collecting old radio shows on cassette so the intro to your channel always makes me happy.

I remember loving the cartoon as a kid. Bring THAT back, not another boring blockbuster.

I’d honestly would’ve totally been interested seeing 21 jump street crossover they were planning on doing.

What a awesome upload. Thank you. Brought me back to my child hood. Of course prior to Netflix, RU-vid,, cable internet, streaming and covid. Nice to sit back and rewind. Thank you!

Here to help you with the algorithm! Love the MiB franchise, you did a great job breaking it down

I think that if they're hell-bent on milking this franchise, they should just do an animated show. A weird animated X-Files-but-funny like the old cartoon. High concept sci fi animated shows are in a good moment, and the pressure isn't as high to make a blockbuster. It gives new creative blood a sandbox to play in with a beloved franchise without alienating the old fans.

MIB: International isn’t even so bad is good/infuriating. At least MIB2 made me feel something regardless of it’s actual quality. Intentional was the first movie I considered leaving the theater out of sheer boredom.

Thanks for making these videos, my man. I appreciate the work you are putting in.

Great video Captain! Really nailed this one.

Ok I would adore a 22 jump street crossover but only if they go all in

MIB will always be one of my favorite trilogies. haven't watched the 4th, and honestly I have no intention to. the 3rd one ended perfectly for me. I love the movies to death, but I just can't get myself to watch the 3rd despite liking the main leads.

The first MIB came at a perfect time when Will Smith could actually carry such an odd premise. It had diminishing returns due to the fact that once audience's saw the MIB world, they didn't really want to see more. Kinda like seeing a fidget spinner for the fifth or sixth time. I love the design work in all these films, but let's be honest, they're largely not well-written, or all that unique in premise. There is a limit to nostalgia & novelty, and Will Smith can only Will Smith his way out of a wet paper bag so many times.

Another great video. Keep it up man!

Will Smith creating the promotional music video theme to each film is what hyped me up for the movie. International just dropped on us which is why it felt dead to me. If the new Agent was also a talented artist and they did the same promotional tactics to recapture the 90s, THAT mightve gave the film more soul. MIB1: HERE COMES THE MEN IN BLACK! MIB 2: NOD YOUR HEADS!! BLACK SUITS COMIN!!!

The animated series for MIB was incredible

I always thought all three movies had a sense of charm to them, and they all catered towards a certain narrative. Sure, the two sequels couldn't stand up to how awesome the first movie was, but they were still pretty nice movies regardless. The second movie I felt was the weakest because it didn't really stick to me a lot, but the third movie was probably the most emotional, because it ultimately tied itself to the first movie in a really nice fashion. International, however, can go die in a fire.

Thanks for covering older stuff. I had been trying to figure what the sequels had lost. I think you nailed it-great commentary.

I honestly really loved the 3rd movie. And that end hit me like a pillowcase full of bricks

I still think the crossover with Jump Street could have worked so well as a joke on unecessary crossovers like a missing joke from the 22 jump street credits

I liked MiB 3 surprisingly enough. Maybe it was the nostalgia of watching it on road trips when I was 14/15 or so. (Commenting for the algorithm)

Thanks a bunch for sharing this video

That first film was just lightning in a bottle. Smart, funny, but engaging enough to make you really care about the characters. Top notch special effects and make up. Tight running time. Will Smith at the height of his popularity. Tommy Lee Jones as the deadpan straight man. Great chemistry between the 2. The sequels just feel lazy trying to recapture the magic of the first one, but do it so poorly. The tv show did a better job expanding the mythology. I’m sure we will get another reboot in 10 years, but maybe a live action show would be best.

Okay captainmidnight, we've been on this big adventure with you & had barrels of fun, so when can we expect our free gifts & prizes? 😉

Only the second one of your videos I've seen (started with the Mummy one) but I think I'm hooked. Subscribing for sure 👍

Channel deserves more algorithm love

I’m not even going to lie, I completely forgot I watched MIB: International in theaters until you played some clips 😂

The saddest part of MIB: International is that it had the potential to be a better movie, and you can see it in the movie itself. The problem is the infighting behind the scenes and yeah it taking itself way too seriously.

Leaving a comment to send love to this man for his amazing videos

Leaving a like and comment for the algorithm. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have capn midnight vids to look forward to!

Mib 3 is great though. Great emotional arc

The end of number 3 with J's dad was nice

Great video!!

Great video, as always 👍

The writers of the last movie also wrote "Transformers: The Last Knight" And they're the ones behind the new UNCHARTED movie

I love the original Men in Black Men in Black II is forgettable but entertaining Men In Black 3 is a surprisingly solid conclusion Men in Black International is a disappointing mess

Great vid man

Great vid bro

The cartoon MIB was awesome. Coolest animation since Real Ghostbusters.

The first film was amusing, and the character brought to life by Vincent D'Onofrio really helped bring it to life. The second movie was a cash grab in search of a decent script, the third a "maybe we can catch lightning in a bottle" wishful thinking. MIB: International? Ugh. Tried to watch it on free TV, and gave up. It could well be worse than the 2016 Ghostbusters. And that is saying a lot.

I really enjoy these explanations 👍

Love the older topics! ❤️

Great video. I think Vincent D’onofrio‘s contribution to the first film, versus what the antagonists failed to bring to the sequels deserved more time. He was such a scene stealer and was both absurd and creepy. He was a real presence in the film where every other enemy is completely forgettable.

MIB was one of my favorite movies as a kid, I think the chemistry between Smith and Jones was just perfect. You had the young, cool but brash newcomer paired with the seasoned, grumpy old agent, not an original dynamic but it just works.

Commenting because I love your videos and want to help you with the algorithm. Don't have much to say about the video other than that it was another great one and you should keep up the good work!

Keep up the good work!

I loved mib as a kid, like all things it lost its magic when they tried to replicate the success

My ranking of the films is 1, 3, 2, 4

First video that has popped up in my feed in probably 6 months for your content... not sure why, but I got some catching up to do.

Just wanted to let you know that I really like videos about older films and shows! Good retrospectives are more interesting than the latest thing, quite often.

haven't watched it yet, but i would say MIB was so great because of the novelty. We got the first hand experience of a guy, well experienced and sort of has it figured out, thrown into an absolutely insane world that is MIB. You can't capture that feeling of wonder, absurdity, and excitement again.

I’m so happy to see MIB content

Cool video cap!

AVI ARAD is gonna ruin UNCHARTED, and you know how? Because the movie has the same writers from MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL

RU-vid algorithm was nice this time, i found this within hours of it being made in my recommended videos. I love MiB and i agree with everything said. Just let the franchise rest.

Great video. Keep it up.

Good video Captain Midnight

From what I've heard, Ghostbusters Afterlife is gonna be a great pass the torch film. People who watched it didn't expect it to be as good as it was

Men In Black 1 totally holds up. I watched it with my junior high students at the end of last year, and they thought it was great.

Awesome video

Love this channel

The story goes that the script for MIB International was actually pretty good but when Tessa Thompson & Cris Hemsworth were brought into the film they didn't like the script and hired their own person to re write it into the bad script we know today

F. Gary Gray is a decent director But he wasn't the right one for the movie

Great video

Good going Cap!

I’m surprised they never tried a live action show for MIB it seems like that’s the obvious choice to take the franchise if you had to do something with it