Men In Black Returning To Theaters For 25th Anniversary, All Millennials Suddenly Feel The Weight Of Age
Though it pains me to write the following sentence because of how douchey it likely makes me sound, I feel like it's probably the best way to start this article: As a Millennial, the world is constantly reminding me of how old I'm getting. There's a new article every day about what this '90s heartthrob looks like today or that movie celebrating a double-digit anniversary despite feeling like it came out yesterday. You would think that the joint pain, crippling debt, and daily existential dread were big enough reminders of the passage of time, but I guess not.
Alas, just as we get older, so do the things that we loved when we were growing up. For example, "A Goofy Movie" is nearly 30 years old. Facebook, the pioneering social media site developed as a tool for college students, has turned 18 and could attend college itself. And if you really want to feel old, Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" was first burrowing its way into your brains (whether you wanted it to or not) 10 years ago.
However, if media such as film and television is still being talked about all these years later, there has to be something worth talking about, right? That's the case with the 1997 sci-fi comedy "Men In Black." The Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones team up directed by Barry Sonnenfeld celebrates its 25th anniversary this summer. In recognition of this milestone, theaters across the country will welcome Agent J and Agent K back to the big screen for a limited time with a brand new 4K restoration of the film.
Imagine what you'll know tomorrow
According to Collider, the award-winning cinematic adaptation of Lowell Cunningham's Malibu Comic makes its way back to a theater near you on America's birthday. On Sunday, July 3rd, and Monday, July 4th, you can relive Smith's hot-shot new recruit joining the best-kept secret in the galaxy as he learns the ropes of monitoring, licensing, and policing all alien activity on Earth from his grizzled partner played by Jones. This special two-day presentation will also feature an exclusive interview with Sonnenfeld.
"Men in Black" was a massive box office hit that became the third-highest grossing movie of 1997 with $589.3 million worldwide. To this day, it maintains a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and an IMDb score of 7.3/10. But most importantly, it shows us a world where we live in harmony with cultures from across the universe. Sure, sometimes giant bug creatures squeezed into an Edgar suit (masterfully played by a young Vincent D'Onofrio) will try to destroy the galaxy from time to time, but that's why J and K stuck around for two more sequels, an animated series, a pretty awesome theme park attraction at Universal Studios Florida, and a 2019 spin-off starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson.
Armed with that hopeful and harmonious message, the original "Men In Black" largely holds up and is worth a rewatch even without all the pomp and circumstance of a theatrical re-release in honor of the 25th anniversary. However, if you want to go the extra mile and catch the film on the big screen this summer, tickets can be obtained through Fathom Events. Until then, enjoy revisiting the glorious era when Will Smith recorded a song and shot a music video for the majority of movies. Ah yes, those were the days...