I love the smirk Zed gives when he says they're going to do an eye exam. You just know he's gonna enjoy wiping their memories and then coming up with a bullshit story.
The smirk on Zed’s face when J points out the quantum physics books 😂 And the backhanded compliment of “you’re all we’ve come to expect from years of government training”
@@vladtepes97 Zed is Zed and the letter itself is referred to as Zed by the British. Watch a Top Gear Episode, especially when Jeremy Clarkston drives a Zed R One Corvette.
@@vladtepes97 excuse you ? its called her majesty (i guess now his majesty) english, and the brits call it zed. it used to be zed in the military as well for the longest time, untill they needed call out for aircrafts.
@@liliantan2379 the knowledge isn't just about literal aliens, you can also learn about character development and writing from this. Jay is the right candidate because he's a cop and has more "street"-smarts, this is a SETUP for multiple payoffs, and it's part of his character arc sure you don't "need to understand" that but it helps appreciate good stories and understand why we like them.
what da fuck, is tiffany doing with a quantum mechanics book hanging out in the middle of the street in the middle of the night with all these alien monsters???
@@Toxodos Shit, I'd argue that it's something that you do need to understand because it's what makes a good fucking story. When you can come back and rewatch something begin to notice all the little subtle hints that enhance the story and add a lot more depth. Cause as a kid I had no idea why J thought it was a good idea to shoot the human kid. As an adult I'm right there with him.
I love how his immediate reaction to the question of “what the hell happened?” is “I hesitated.” He knows he made the right call and is just frustrated that he took too long to make it.
That's for sure. At the cartoon séries he was in a mission. There's a little kitty, the farmer's pet, this kitty looked kinda trained, and without nails. Turns out the cat tried to have agent K and then Agent Zed as a dessert.
I think the right answer was not to shoot anyone. The whole situation was setup to spook the candidates with loud noises and flashing lights into panicking and shooting anything that moves, which J didn't do. However there is no reason to shoot Tiffany either - it's entirely possible that she is from a race of small humanoid aliens that simply look like human children, which is why she is hanging out in the alien ghetto. J showed that he is cool headed enough to make think through his decisions, but he still lacks experience.
That line always bugged me because of the one later in the movie where he's surprised to learn that K was the kid in the photo. The "you brought that tall man some flowers" line was probably ADR, because test audiences didn't remember the photo or because the producers/studio didn't have faith that the audience would be able to make that connection. I think "Aww, he brought that tall man some flowers" would have worked better. One tiny nitpick about an otherwise great movie, though.
@@firstnamelastname4216 To be fair, at that point, J was still very skeptical, which is why he asked if K had a CAT scan recently. By the time he realized K's claims were legitimate, he probably had so much to consider he didn't even realize he was shown real evidence of first contact with the aliens. You can even see J start to say "Aw, you brought" before the shot switches to viewing the photograph. That almost shows proof to me that they wanted to show that J wasn't buying it yet, at least at the moment he saw the photograph.
@@iamchrispaezjr As they are in NYC which is a global hub for all kinds of foreigners, that Earth is the "NYC" of the entire galaxy encased in a marble... A marble that some god-like alien shoots against other marbles...
As a kid, the table dragging scene inspired me throughout my life. No matter how formal or awkward a situation I do not hesitate to do something differently than what everyone is doing. To not be afraid to do what actually makes sense as opposed to being too embarrassed and continue doing something that makes no sense just because everyone else is doing it.😌👍
Yep, this scene inspired many kids to develop critical thinking all right 🎉 Kids discovering critical thinking: Do i wanna be the "best of the best of the best"-guy? Or should I think like J😂?
When he pulls that table - that scene changed my life. I always thought about it when I was in a group. Always be willing to stand out, especially when you have an answer!
I would have knelt at the table where it was or moved the seat. Which is the other 2 acceptable answers. Nothing gravlocking me to that chair or the chair to where it was..
"gentlemen, congratulations! You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training" Oh shit, that's a backhanded compliment if I've ever heard one 😂😂
@@skafu9229 It degrades their skillsets by implying that they are standard and not "the best of the best of the best" but rather any old joe who went through training
The brilliance of this scene is that J is the only cop in a room full of soldiers which makes him the perfect candidate for MIB. He’s got street smarts, has seen everything NYC has to offer, and he’s not afraid to get the job done. Not only that, but he passed the tests with flying colors.
He's a critical thinker, intuitive and an independent thinker. The rest of them all follow orders without question, that was the problem with them. MIB agents are essentially cops in their own way. They investigate and catch or kill the suspect
Also at least on paper police officers are supposed to be compassionate to the communities they are serving. Like in the third test where he only kills who he deems dangerous instead of shooting everything that moves.
@@shinyagumon7015"only" kills what he deems dangerous. LOL in real life the single correct reaction would've been to kill NOONE because carrying a science book as a minor in a bad neighborhood is still not so bad as to instakill the "perpetrator". But I know this is American movie so the assessment is different LOL
Yeah, someone mention how J check his gun before put it back on the table unlike the other men who just put them down and didn't check them. Making J look like he knows how to handle a gun.
When i was a kid i didnt understand why he shot the unarmed girl walking by herself who could’ve just been carrying her sister’s books. As an adult, i get that he was in the NYPD and thats their whole thing.
@@MyBiPolarBearMax It's also funny because the whole point is how he isn't "racist" about the monsters but they chose to depict this by having him be completely racist about the "little white girl in the ghetto where she doesn't belong" bit. NYPD to the core.
5:17 notice how the military guys are all gawking and praising each other on their marksmanship skills while Edwards is walking up to the targets and is visualy analayzing them he doesnt see aliens as a threat he sees them as something to learn from
1:58 Agent K laughing this is a gem. In the whole trilogy we don't see him laugh so much and the fact that J was the one who made him laugh is so wholesome knowing the ending of MIB3.
I didn't really think about it, but it also illustrates J being the right choice, as it followed right after him saying yall aint laughing. No one was laughing, except the actual MIB agent.
RIP little Tiffany:( She was just running her older sister’s college textbooks back after she forgot them at mom and dad’s house. Your selflessness and bravery won’t be forgotten.
Same thoughts man😂 It would be clearer if Z told them: "There is a threat in next room, carefully identity and eliminate" Meaning you HAVE to shoot, but who?
Still why would the college older sister leave her younger sister go fetch books in dangerous street at night? Why didnt she go herself Why is ''Tiffany'' not scared despite being aliens surrounding her
@@SmellyNerd A lot of things to consider. What if she just happened to be there? What if she's in shock she can't even express? If you put that along with literal aliens: the monster who works out on the street light at the very least vandalizes public property. Meaning he can pose a threat when contacting humans - thus more valid target to shoot
I don't know how much J's memory being erased, but I believe he encounter lots of disguised Alien during his police works. His suspicion to Tiffany likely from experience
I always loved the way J talked about the aliens at the range as if they were decent humans doing regular things and analysed the situation before taking the shot. Really shows how to be an agent you have to look at aliens as both regular civilians or criminals, instead of all of them being monsters.
@@unit0033 Didn't you listen to his word here. She had advance book not suitable for 9 year old. I have a niece and she won't be able to read those books.
He passed the 1st test by dragging the table, you should not be embarrassed to make a scene to get the job done, that's why the neuralyzers are for, to make all witnesses forget what they've seen
Actually the first test was him asking, "Why the hell are we here?" Though everyone else wasn't laughing, K was. Zed kinda eyed him saying, "Alright K, maybe the kid has something.'
Underrated part of the scene: while Agent K mentions that James is suitable for working in the agency, we see James separate himself from the group and walking over to the aliens more casually. It's a subtle note of him stepping into the world being aware of aliens while the rest of the candidates hang back in their world.
@worker-wf2em i think both yall are right and they were just smart enough as writers and filmmakers to tell the story visually while still working for the plot.
One thing I noticed with the West Point graduate. He never seemed immediately dismissive of Jay but maybe a little threatened. His body language and facial expressions continuously demonstrated a curiosity - like a willingness to learn and understand while the others seem incredulous and self important. That actor pretty much nailed it and made it feel natural.
Yup...but as Zed mentioned YEARS of government training probably removed his instinct to behave like Jay. So while he was curious and didn't seem as dismissive as the others he just wasn't gonna ACT and make the necessary moves that Jay will. Yeah, the actor nailed it and is very memorable in this.
I mean think of it this way: your a badass marine with other equally badass special forces within the army, as expected from an anti alien task keeping force candidate. Yet this random NYPD guy starts yapping and being late, being chill with this whole thing. A literal natural. At this point you would be asking questions, who is this guy? What’s his secret to be equal to one of us? There must be something that we lack that he has to literally surpass from NYPD to a candidate to the men in black.
@@nightelf2487 That guy wasn't really that badass, he's a 2Lt, meaning a jr. officer fresh out of training. I wouldn't compare that to a NYPD cop that's been on the street. With his attitude he's going to make a fool of himself in front of the troops he's meant to be leading. If a troop asked this type of question they want real details, his answer to why they're there would become a reoccurring joke in the platoon and his Warrant would be embarrassed for him. It happens all the time, officer school teaches these kids they're the platoon savoir when they actually don't know anything. Good officers will realized there's a lot they don't know and learn by working with and listening to the platoon Warrant. That guy lacks experience and it shows, if he knew better he's realize that some seemingly random NYPD officer mixed with the best the military has to send has to be built something special, in this situation someone with good sense would have suspected he was the "little Tiffany" of the group.
My guess is, all other had already emptied their guns by shooting at everything in sight.. did not hear clicks, but can imagine the specific characters knew they had no bullets left .. Edwards had made only one shot, so he must have had plenty left inside...
@@timfrank7461 BINGO... I've actually wondered sometimes if the proliferation of such CARELESS behavior in TV shows hasn't shaped the way some people act when in the same fields... ie... you see cops acting willy nilly with their guns and pointing them dangerously at people with their finger on the trigger *ALL THE TIME ON SCREEN* ...
I do love this sequence. J is played as the "fish out of water," but he's the only one trying to figure things out in a confusing, dare I say alien situation. The elevator opening behind him, taking a written test with no surface when there's a perfectly fine table in the room, even the shooting gallery. Monster after monster. Monsters everywhere. And one little girl. J took in that situation, didn't shoot blindly, and shot the actual odd one out. The one that was actually suspicious in this specific situation. There is a reason why J integrated so well into the M.I.B. Why it takes a special kind of person to do that job. Edit: Also, I just realized that, after the shooting gallery, everyone was just walking around with their guns in hand. "Years of government training" my ass. Military teaches you how to handle a sidearm, and one thing they teach is to not just have one in your hand while walking around aimlessly.
I sometimes wonder, watching this scene, if those military sorts are ACTUALLY military. And not, say, a bunch of random schmucks pulled in, neuralized, and given a role to play before hand just to see how J reacts surrounded by what, to a cop, would seem to be higher class operators.
@@tanall5959 That would make a lot more sense. The military personnel would probably raise too many questions if they lost track an entire day like that.
@@koshi6505 I mean, the memory sticks allow them to not only erase someones memory but replace them. "Look into this stick here- *Flash* You came to this location for a military exersize, usual drills, things went well & you'll head on back with good honors."
@@koshi6505 It could still make sense. It takes a long time even in the modern day (about 30 years from the point of this movie) to pass information along in government agencies when it’s just, “We’re gonna transfer him to ___. / We’re working on submitting ___’s official documents to have their paperwork on log. / ___ didn’t make it in BUD/S training, so instead of them becoming a Navy SEAL, we’re going to transfer them to a different NCO so he can start his new job doing ___.” You’d be surprised how long it takes for people to get transferred from place to place, since many things are authorized by the signatures of higher-ranking officers, and they will absolutely drag their feet. I’ve heard of guys in the Separations units of boot camp waiting 2-3 months just to be formally signed off the base for their respective boot camp locations, which isn’t uncommon depending on the time of year or depending on the circumstances surrounding the given individual(s). Plus, the MIB could have an easy alibi as being government agents for the CIA. It’s not out of place for the CIA to recruit from the US military, and if a bunch of soldiers and officers in working uniforms saw guys dressed in tuxedos and shades they would likely assume they’re CIA. And the CIA is generally on a need-to-know basis, where most people don’t officially know what they’re up to until decades later, so an officer seeing one of their special forces soldiers being recruited by “men in black” wouldn’t seem too unbelievable. All it would take is some “misplaced” or “messed up” files as an excuse to cover everything up, a neuralizer, and it’s all covered up. I mean, K neuralized the heads at NYPD before he was even done with J. But if they wanted to be extra careful, they would more than likely have the technology to cover any loose ends-even digitally.
@@tanall5959 dude come one, it's a movie. There is no military in movies only actors, that's why it's usually so dumb about weapon usage. But they don't care, 99% of people have no knowledge of anything, some will even think Men in black is real.
To be fair the military men probably aren't fit for a civilian role like MIB. They are used to going into combat zones where everyone who looks different is an enemy. J is a New York police officer. ALL his enemies look like the people he serves and protects. It requires a different kind of training to sniff out a wolf among sheep than to fight a pack of wolves.
"You're everything we've come to expect with years of government training!" has to be one of the most underhanded insults ever considering what the job really entails.
I have a copy of the movie novelization and there's a few things in there that this scene doesn't have. Zed: "Your boy has a real problem with authority." Kay: "He got the right target. Your military mopes cooked a harmless Keruvian leaf eater with a head cold and a hookhead kitten who only wanted to lick their faces." Jay got it 100% right.
I really think that this scene is better without these lines. Without them you can interpret the other participants as the part of the test on how will he react to the pressure of others.
5:44 this detail right here was another proof of why J was the best of all, he made a quick check to see if all the guns were on the table when the shooting finished
@@mr.awesome6011 Timeless as in it'll stand the test of time and be enjoyed into the future, 90's movie as in a great example of a peak 90s movie. Not a contradiction at all.
Honestly, despite this scene clearly demonstrating why J is perfect for the job, I think what the MIB should be looking for in recruitment are detective-like agencies, cause that’s what the MIB are basically comprise of. Everything that J demonstrated are textbook detective work that most police follows. It would’ve been more challenging in this test if he was to compete against other detectives instead of military trained soldiers.
True, it would have been more competitive, but K -wants- needs J. So why not bring in a bunch of people who could never pass? Then J, even if he has some sass, would be sure to come out on top, thus fulfilling the prophecy set in motion in the 3rd film.
I think its likely that the other "test takers" were there as scenery for J, to see if he was willing to be original. The test was only for him after all.
I like the idea that MiB uses those same soldiers to test every applicant. I mean, they are clearly okay with neuralizing the morgue doctor (I forget her name) multiple times.
@@FallenOne669 I feel like it would be way too easy and more ethical to just get random military men than to keep the same group of men prisoner to repeatedly wipe and implant memories while trying to use them as convincing decoys. At one point, I think their brains are going to have permanent damage, and they aren't going to be useful as decoys anymore.
Good point! I have another theory though. The exam and the guys in uniform were there for show. J is the person they wanted from the start but they had to go through the motions anyway. So basically it was staged so they would get J no matter what.
I love how even the other soldiers are struggling to write in their test papers and not just J. It’s hilarious. Normally it’s just the main character, but in this case it’s also everyone around him. Which makes it realistically funny. Can’t say I blame them, have you ever tried writing in papers without holding them against hard surfaces?
I’m sure even the chairs were parto of the test, for an average person, they just look like really fancy chairs, but from the MIB perspective, they are perfectly uncomfortable for writing in, having literally no surfaces in which one could write while sat there, the only possible ways to write comfortably would be to think outside the box, pull the table towards you, get off the chair and write on the floor or stand up and write on the back of the chair
@@AnEnemySpy456Or just standing up next to the chair and writing against the top of it. Or just sitting on the floor next to the table and filling it out on the table. Either of which I would've personally done instead of dragging the table across the floor.
Looking back at this movie, the look Zed gives to K isn’t of pure annoyance at J’s lack of decorum, it’s a muffled shock at the fact that J’s already thinking like an MIB Agent. He doesn’t just accept what he’s told and the fact that he’s questioning why they’re gathered and recognized the fact that Zed’s explanation didn’t actually give them any information. It’s the subtlety that makes this movie great.
You could argue that this was (along with Independence Day and Enemy of the State) Will's absolute peak. So funny and charming before Hollywood really took him.
The one-two punch of "Welcome to earth *punch* " and "What the hell is that smell??? *screams and starts kicking* " represent the peak of Will Smith in my opinion.
Pursuit of Happiness? 7 Pounds? It was when he started getting his family involved in his career that everything went south. Jada was jealous of his fame and generally toxic and his kids have 0 talent. It’s the only time I can confidently say that being a good father backfired.
I would argue it was the dawn. maybe even the beginning of his prime. we later got many other classics as well. Hitch. I am Legend. Hancock. Focus for example.
_Everything_ was the test. Except the questions on the paper. The sticker's adhesive too strong to break. The paper too thin to be written on. How does an interviewee deal with the stuff that doesn't go as expected? I've never been quite _that_ diabolical, but I _do_ use that same vein in my interview process. I can teach a new hire to do the math. I want to see how they handle the ambiguous stuff that's _not_ taught in a classroom.
Zed gave a list of what they were testing for “motor skills, concentration, stamina” None of those can be measured by “correct answers on a written test”
@@bryantan4228 Yes, that's what Zed said. But “motor skills, concentration, stamina”, that wasn't the test, either. The first half was, "Can you think outside the box and improvise when needed?" And the second part was the most unlikely threat recognition ever. When I set up an interview test, the question is, "Will the candidate recognize an ambiguous situation and ask for a clarification, or will they guess incorrectly?" At the start of the test, I tell them that if there's something they don't understand, please ask me. But too many people have been trained into thinking that asking a question during a test is equivalent to admitting ignorance and failing the test, and will sooner guess wrong than to say, "This is too ambiguous. I need a clarification on what I'm being asked to do on this question." We handle multi-million dollar contracts. I can't afford my people guessing wrong, and I can't un-teach someone who has that mind-set. Good communication is everything at my job. "Gentlemen, congratulations. You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training." Never more true.
“You’re everything we’ve come to expect for years of government training.” Lmao now that I’m old enough for this joke to land that gave me a solid chuckle.
Congratulations Gentleman, you’re all a bunch of government, order-following sheep, ….and that’s what we’re searching for (wink, wink); now, if you all can come this way, so that you all may have a glimpse of the latest tools, and alien technology, that we use out on the field.. [flash] Ok gentleman, unfortunately, you all didn’t meet the requirements for the position we had posted earlier. We encourage you all to keep applying. Now, if you all will follow the gentleman in the suit, He’ll escort you to the elevator. Have a good day.
I love how even if it wasn't intentional, this lays out so much for the world-building and why he's the best for it. You have this lobby of the best of the best of the best, all struggling to do something as simple as write on a piece of paper, because they're so focused on remaining as they're told and to not think outside the box, meanwhile he just drags the whole table in. The shooting scene is also great, because they're just shooting at anything that isn't human, almost on autopilot. Meanwhile, J sees details and reviews the situation without just blasting anything different, which with what we learn later that aliens are casually among us, is an important skill, and to not just shoot everything. This movie is amazing, still holding up years later and even while having seen it many times, can still easily get a laugh out of me while keeping the absurd world they live in, relatively believable.
@@tpd1864blake To be fair, they were only going after anti-mass crystals from the border world. Impeding scientific progress is generally frowned upon, you know.
The shooting test even works on another level: had J really messed up and just made up his explanation on the spot, that STILL would've showcased his quick thinking and deductive reasoning.
Ironic part is he aced all the tests. The first test was about adapting to your situation and environment. The second one was an awareness challenge. Zed hates that he aced it and pretended to be upset to find out out if he wa statue or a fluke. Brilliant.
That line about him being so excited to be there and having no idea why he's there always gets me. Yeah, he shows great critical thinking with the table and the shooting test, but that statement at the beginning shows excellent independent thinking, to look past the compliments and buzz words to and ask for the whole explanation. I hate how much that is discouraged in the job market today. It's not selfish to want a full explanation of the job before you put your all into it.
Yes it was the best but that's because every other one repeated the jokes from it This one also was half talking about society and how mature it wasn't even if individuals are about alot of things
When Agent K is talking to Zed, I noticed how the other military guys are talking smack about (future) agent J. Some nice subtle details I loved in this movie
first test was about using your enviroment or whatever you had on hand to get the job done, no matter how others look at you. second test was the most important for them. in their line of work, you HAVE to see past physical appearances
Smith was the only one being tested. The others are more of a baseline. Soldiers and many police are "brainwashed/conditioned in very specific ways." They were testing Smiths character to see if he thinks for himself.
I think those other men were only there to be part of the test for James. They needed to see if when surrounded by higher ranking officers and soldiers if he would follow suit, or not be afraid to adapt, be unjudgmental of Aliens, and always question the situation
This movie is just so freaking good. Need to see it again (for the 110th time I guess). It has so many lines of gold all delivered with a straight face... It always has me in tears. They don't make movies like that anymore... :(
@@MrRawrCEO It came out at the same time as The Fifth Element did. I remember watching one and my friend the other - we then exchanged and DAYUM! It was so hard to choose which was better :D. Gooood times!
Wills a G too. I don't support what he did to chris but i understand, his poor sick wife... And yes she was laughing at joke, alot of people laugh, before they haul off and hit someone in the head.... Never understood why her and him laughing was a problem? Ahahahah and SMACK, watch your mouth
When I first saw this as a kid, I couldn’t breathe I was laughing so hard with that table 😂😂😂 Mom always noticed how Agent Kay just LOVED the “with honors” jab 😅
I really love old movies because they are not afraid to take things slow Just the part with how they are uncomfortable with the paper and how they write on it just speaks volumes of how much creativity went into films back then with limited budget and technology they had
I really like how J’s character ark closes. They did a perfect job with it and they should be honestly proud of the writing and consistency in his overall story.
I enlisted in the military right after this movie came out. This scene always stuck with me my whole career. For three main reasons. One: always be aware of your surroundings and take advantage of everything that is available. Two: target assessment. Know your target and what lies beyond. Three: the choice is most likely already made so f it. Enjoy the ride. Made for a heck of a ride and a pretty thick page 11 stack those first years. Semper Yut.
I think that was something that really detracted from the newest MiB movie, the main character wanting to be an MiB agent so badly. So much so that she was willing to lie about knowing things about aliens and tried to act like she knew what she was doing, it really rubbed me the wrong way how she didn't struggle at all, took Will's character nearly two movies to really become an agent and the chick does it in like an hour into the movie.
7:29 They could have had Will freak out like he does with Fred in 'I Am Legend' with shouting and intense emotion in his voice but they actually had a way more realistic take here He's in absolute disbelief/shock
Holy fucking shit dude you’re right, it’s probably funny why you said, not because it was a play on the emerging new form of racism in America, and a look into how we, as a human species, categorize one another. How insightful of you.
People are fucking dumb. Of course he was right, it was a test on critical thinking instead of accuracy that the others expected. The look Zed and K give each other is due to the added insubordination that J displays when telling Zed to ease up off his back
Look at this neat bit of directing and acting in the background at 5:06. Out the window you see all the military guys laughing and talking about their shots. At the same time J is walking up to the alien cutouts and not just inspecting, but looking at them mournfully. Like he is upset they were needlessly shot. What a wonderful detail
I don't know about "mournfully." Looks me to me like he was reviewing the engagement, checking the alien cutouts to see if maybe there was something that he missed that the others saw that would've influenced his actions if he had seen it.
@@renotarshil1224, I don't know if it was "Captain America" who was mocking because if it was him, the close-up at 4:32 would lose some of its meaning. That guy at 4:32 knew that J was right and felt ashamed.
They clearly didn't tell the guys "Hey, we're testing to see how you do shooting at space aliens. No particular reason, don't worry about it." That would have been an awkward conversation. They probably just told them "Take a weapon and eliminate the threats as they appear. You have 10 seconds." The soldiers went gung ho and killed all the scary aliens. Most people think Jay had magical telepathy and knew Tiffany was a real threat, and his argument about her school books, etc. was real: I think he was just mad and being a sarcastic contrarian to piss off Zed, because he didn't like being told to shoot things without being told WHO or WHY. Jay's investigative, he's relentless, and he's non-biased - he just hates being tested. Zed says as much.
"Gentlemen, congratulations. You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training." Not one of them saw that as a statement of disapproval.
I definitely find it nice to see how people are constantly picking up on details that they initially didn't see when they watched this scene - J refraining from fire until necessary, him making a scene for the sake of convenience, and more importantly, the MIB taking J, a man that admittedly showed fear in the face of danger (i.e. the fact that they were not alone in the universe) while others in that interview barely showed a speck of even worry. The MIB have intensely close political ties to the alien world, so humans need to understand that aliens are much like humans in the sense that some are capable of evil, but most are willing to live an honest, good life. Zed gets rid of the soldiers' memories after the interview because said government training has rendered them unable to view anything with a modicum of emotion - if it ain't human, shoot it. It's easier to make a man fearless by taking a man who is scared at first - eventually, they will learn to be brave. However, unlike the soldiers in the interview, his sentience doesn't get eroded in the process - J just simply gains the courage to fight the threat while still having the emotional intelligence. If J wasn't in the MIB, the Arquilians would've definitely laid Earth to ruin.
"so humans need to understand that aliens are much like humans in the sense that some are capable of evil, but most are willing to live an honest, good life. " Yeah, until you also realised that aliens in the MIB world are essentially living in an apartheid Earth because they have to hide their true identity and disguise as humans, not being able to be themselves. I would not exactly be call that good if I am an alien in Earth.
i like this scene because it shows how a normal citizen wanted to figure out the meaning of that appointment, while the soldiers didn't even ask because they thought they already knew the reason with no clue at all. you can see how one of them answers without a meaningful answer, just repeating what Z said and looking down on J. That, along with the shot he fires to "little Tiffany" is the reason why he was recruited. Really good movie
4:32 Okay, I love this scene and everything in it, But I absolutely adore the one army guy whos nodding his head and smiling to what J was saying like, "You know, he got a point tho-"
This is an amazing piece of both worldbuilding and character building. You see the sort of organization MIB is, it's recruitment philosophy, it's techniques, how it manipulates to get the results it wants. You also see Jay's response to this and why it makes him the right choice.
J basically got the job the second he sat down in the testing room. Thought outside the box on both the written and marksmanship tests. And K vouched for him in the end for chasing and stopping one of the fastest alien species not once, but twice. Love how amazing the cast was and how the writing and directing was done in this movie!
This movie is so well written and directed. I bet when Will Smith gets into the elevator and the door opens behind him is just a clever movie trick. They just put some lights and a sound effect to make us believe the elevator was going down but in reality is the same set level than the main entrance.
Can't remember if they address this in the movies or it's just my head canon, but I feel like any alien disguising themselves as a human child is definitely up to no good. When you're an alien refugee on Earth you have way more options as a human adult. Anyone wearing a child suit is trying too hard to appear innocent and they're definitely about to start some shit.
This is the perfect representation of what it's like going through life with a high IQ. Everyone thinks you're a fool or an idiot even though you're seeing things that either other people aren't catching or you are thinking just so far out of the box that people dismiss you. Every once in a while, someone (Agent K) will understand and those are beautiful moments when they happen.
"Congratulations. You´re everything we´ve come to expect from years of government training"
most subtle insult ever
🤣
I love the smirk Zed gives when he says they're going to do an eye exam. You just know he's gonna enjoy wiping their memories and then coming up with a bullshit story.
anyone who worked for the government knows what garbage people they have there
Omg, I never realized that before 😂🤣
😂
OMG I always missed that one. Thanks!
The smirk on Zed’s face when J points out the quantum physics books 😂
And the backhanded compliment of “you’re all we’ve come to expect from years of government training”
k's name is k, not kay. j's name is j, not jay. z's name is z, not zed.
@@vladtepes97 Check the credits
@@vladtepes97 Zed is Zed and the letter itself is referred to as Zed by the British. Watch a Top Gear Episode, especially when Jeremy Clarkston drives a Zed R One Corvette.
@@vladtepes97 excuse you ? its called her majesty (i guess now his majesty) english, and the brits call it zed. it used to be zed in the military as well for the longest time, untill they needed call out for aircrafts.
I always loved that subtle use of language lol
The shooting scene is genius when you realize that in all 3 films the most dangerous alien was always the one trying to blend in.
OK can, but you have to understand that you don't need to understand that fact cos you won't have to use that knowledge.
@@liliantan2379The person above never once suggested that their suggestion was necessary.
@@liliantan2379 the knowledge isn't just about literal aliens, you can also learn about character development and writing from this. Jay is the right candidate because he's a cop and has more "street"-smarts, this is a SETUP for multiple payoffs, and it's part of his character arc
sure you don't "need to understand" that but it helps appreciate good stories and understand why we like them.
what da fuck, is tiffany doing with a quantum mechanics book hanging out in the middle of the street in the middle of the night with all these alien monsters???
@@Toxodos Shit, I'd argue that it's something that you do need to understand because it's what makes a good fucking story. When you can come back and rewatch something begin to notice all the little subtle hints that enhance the story and add a lot more depth. Cause as a kid I had no idea why J thought it was a good idea to shoot the human kid. As an adult I'm right there with him.
I love how his immediate reaction to the question of “what the hell happened?” is “I hesitated.” He knows he made the right call and is just frustrated that he took too long to make it.
imagine your super excited to be there and you don't know what your there for🤣
That's for sure. At the cartoon séries he was in a mission. There's a little kitty, the farmer's pet, this kitty looked kinda trained, and without nails. Turns out the cat tried to have agent K and then Agent Zed as a dessert.
I think the right answer was not to shoot anyone. The whole situation was setup to spook the candidates with loud noises and flashing lights into panicking and shooting anything that moves, which J didn't do. However there is no reason to shoot Tiffany either - it's entirely possible that she is from a race of small humanoid aliens that simply look like human children, which is why she is hanging out in the alien ghetto. J showed that he is cool headed enough to make think through his decisions, but he still lacks experience.
@@dandrocalypie641ye the cartoon was suprisingly good
He was just waiting to see how Jada felt before reacting
"And he has no clue why we're here..." I mean he is exactly right. The answer that the soldier gave was a completely useless and uninformative answer.
Going to serve the country hopefully, seems obvious. But I still laughed.
Of course he's right. Derp
What shit about military is that they dont ask questions. they just follow orders. you tell them to dig, they will dig.
@@m5a1stuart83 Well, you know, there's two kinda people on this world. Those who have a loaded gun and those who dig. ;) Ask Tuco.
I like how all 5 of those dudes are glaring at him lol.
I just noticed that Zed gives Jay a smile as he’s explaining why little Tiffany deserved to die and it only falters when Jay gives him an attitude
It feels like maybe Jay realised that he'd pushed a little too hard and then softened it by asking if he owed that girl an apology.
"awww, you brought that tall man some flowers" kills me everytime 🤣
That line always bugged me because of the one later in the movie where he's surprised to learn that K was the kid in the photo. The "you brought that tall man some flowers" line was probably ADR, because test audiences didn't remember the photo or because the producers/studio didn't have faith that the audience would be able to make that connection. I think "Aww, he brought that tall man some flowers" would have worked better. One tiny nitpick about an otherwise great movie, though.
I dont think soo..
@@firstnamelastname4216 well it could have also been a plural you as in 'y'all"."
@@firstnamelastname4216 To be fair, at that point, J was still very skeptical, which is why he asked if K had a CAT scan recently. By the time he realized K's claims were legitimate, he probably had so much to consider he didn't even realize he was shown real evidence of first contact with the aliens.
You can even see J start to say "Aw, you brought" before the shot switches to viewing the photograph. That almost shows proof to me that they wanted to show that J wasn't buying it yet, at least at the moment he saw the photograph.
@@firstnamelastname4216 I think "you" in this first case was "the Men in Black, as an organization".
As a kid: "Haha he's making a fool of himself in these already awkward social situations"
As an adult: "Damn he's absolutely nailing these tests"
When he offers the table to everyone else
"Yes you idiots! Take him up on his offer! He has a good idea show you can adapt to good solutions!"
That doesn’t make sense though because that’s literally the MIB plot. Making sure the aliens fit in on Earth.
@@iamchrispaezjr As they are in NYC which is a global hub for all kinds of foreigners, that Earth is the "NYC" of the entire galaxy encased in a marble...
A marble that some god-like alien shoots against other marbles...
Yup
Me too
As a kid, the table dragging scene inspired me throughout my life. No matter how formal or awkward a situation I do not hesitate to do something differently than what everyone is doing. To not be afraid to do what actually makes sense as opposed to being too embarrassed and continue doing something that makes no sense just because everyone else is doing it.😌👍
Yep, this scene inspired many kids to develop critical thinking all right 🎉
Kids discovering critical thinking: Do i wanna be the "best of the best of the best"-guy? Or should I think like J😂?
Lie
Oh same here. This actually helped me on a couple of interviews, and as a manager.
It rearranged quite a few brains.
Stop liying to yourself.
When he pulls that table - that scene changed my life. I always thought about it when I was in a group. Always be willing to stand out, especially when you have an answer!
If nobody follows you, it doesn't matter.
I would have knelt at the table where it was or moved the seat. Which is the other 2 acceptable answers. Nothing gravlocking me to that chair or the chair to where it was..
@@hagamapama oi! no copying!
*shields paper jealously*
Nah, I wpuldve just stood up behind the chair and use the top of the chair
The nail that sticks out gets hammered.
"gentlemen, congratulations! You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training"
Oh shit, that's a backhanded compliment if I've ever heard one 😂😂
If one wants to interpret that sentence as a compliment.
@@rice83101 why, thank you for the elucidation.
What did he mean by that
It's a bit difficult to get. Why is it an insult?
@@skafu9229 It degrades their skillsets by implying that they are standard and not "the best of the best of the best" but rather any old joe who went through training
The brilliance of this scene is that J is the only cop in a room full of soldiers which makes him the perfect candidate for MIB. He’s got street smarts, has seen everything NYC has to offer, and he’s not afraid to get the job done. Not only that, but he passed the tests with flying colors.
He's a critical thinker, intuitive and an independent thinker. The rest of them all follow orders without question, that was the problem with them. MIB agents are essentially cops in their own way. They investigate and catch or kill the suspect
Also at least on paper police officers are supposed to be compassionate to the communities they are serving.
Like in the third test where he only kills who he deems dangerous instead of shooting everything that moves.
@@shinyagumon7015"only" kills what he deems dangerous. LOL in real life the single correct reaction would've been to kill NOONE because carrying a science book as a minor in a bad neighborhood is still not so bad as to instakill the "perpetrator". But I know this is American movie so the assessment is different LOL
Yeah, someone mention how J check his gun before put it back on the table unlike the other men who just put them down and didn't check them. Making J look like he knows how to handle a gun.
Well, he hasn't seen EVERYTHING NYC has to offer. But he's about to.
When I was a kid this was absolutely hilarious. But as an adult I can understand why he was the most qualified for the job.
When i was a kid i didnt understand why he shot the unarmed girl walking by herself who could’ve just been carrying her sister’s books.
As an adult, i get that he was in the NYPD and thats their whole thing.
When I was a kid, I just laughed. That’s where my story ends.😂😂
@@MyBiPolarBearMax It's also funny because the whole point is how he isn't "racist" about the monsters but they chose to depict this by having him be completely racist about the "little white girl in the ghetto where she doesn't belong" bit. NYPD to the core.
@@JG1570 When I was a kid
@@mrdarkshoe When I was
(Due to unexplainable reasons, I no longer qualify for the concept of being, therefore I no longer am)
The best and truest line comes in the next scene when Tommy Lee Jones’ character says: “a person is smart, people are dumb.”
Whole fact
imagine what you know... tomorrow
I still quote that line to this day, over 20 years later and it’s still accurate.
The intelligence of that creature known as a crowd is the square root of the number of people in it. - Terry Pratchett
@@kylehill7529 that man's wisdom and wit will NEVER cease to amaze me XD
"May i ask why you felt lil tiffany deserved to die?"
LMAO That line always makes me bust a rib!!!!
“Well she was the only one that actually seemed dangerous at the time”
The drive the point even further the Bug Queen in the Men in black animated TV show had a disguise as a little girl called Tiffany.
It was the only target with a mechanism that moves forward like in a shooting range. It was the correct target.
Bro it’s how he said it😂
I love how this scene technically lines up with MIB 3, agent K never judged aliens as monsters or evil and needed a partner that didn’t as well
MIB 3 was a mistake
@@akspartan108 Was better than 2. Low hurdle but still.
@@akspartan108international is the mistake, Josh Brolin was fantastic as a young Agent K
@@akspartan108 you were a mistake
@@akspartan108 I feel like I'm the only one who loves all the three movies. I think they're all fun. MiB international tho, is a war crime
"Ya boy Captain America over here" 😆😆
That line always has me dead haha
I love how he drags the table over making all that noise over just picking it up and taking it over there🤣
And then Tommy Lee Jones (2:18 behind the mirror) goes on to co-star in Captain America.
"With honors" 🙋♂️
The fact of that particular line, considering how much this parallels boot camp in Captain America TFA, is actually hilarious.
Men in Black is a Marvel property.
5:17 notice how the military guys are all gawking and praising each other on their marksmanship skills while Edwards is walking up to the targets and is visualy analayzing them he doesnt see aliens as a threat he sees them as something to learn from
1:58 Agent K laughing this is a gem. In the whole trilogy we don't see him laugh so much and the fact that J was the one who made him laugh is so wholesome knowing the ending of MIB3.
I didn't really think about it, but it also illustrates J being the right choice, as it followed right after him saying yall aint laughing. No one was laughing, except the actual MIB agent.
I never noticed that until now, despite having watched the movie some 3 times. That's really a gem
isn't it crazy that mib 1,2 AND 3 were all good and when i do watch MiB i always watch them in order.
@@Exrothyeah crazy you watch them in order
@@liamwatson6789
At least he wasn't watch MiB International... right?
RIP little Tiffany:( She was just running her older sister’s college textbooks back after she forgot them at mom and dad’s house.
Your selflessness and bravery won’t be forgotten.
A girl her age and complexion at that kind of neighborhood at that time of the night? They sacrificed her for those books, that's what they did lol
Same thoughts man😂
It would be clearer if Z told them:
"There is a threat in next room, carefully identity and eliminate"
Meaning you HAVE to shoot, but who?
Still why would the college older sister leave her younger sister go fetch books in dangerous street at night?
Why didnt she go herself
Why is ''Tiffany'' not scared despite being aliens surrounding her
@@SmellyNerd A lot of things to consider.
What if she just happened to be there? What if she's in shock she can't even express?
If you put that along with literal aliens: the monster who works out on the street light at the very least vandalizes public property.
Meaning he can pose a threat when contacting humans - thus more valid target to shoot
I don't know how much J's memory being erased, but I believe he encounter lots of disguised Alien during his police works. His suspicion to Tiffany likely from experience
I always loved the way J talked about the aliens at the range as if they were decent humans doing regular things and analysed the situation before taking the shot. Really shows how to be an agent you have to look at aliens as both regular civilians or criminals, instead of all of them being monsters.
silly scene
its not silly. J is pay attention to the details here.
@@BlackCatFilmProductions if you think shooting a small child with books posing no threat is sensible thats yr problem I guess
@@unit0033 Didn't you listen to his word here. She had advance book not suitable for 9 year old. I have a niece and she won't be able to read those books.
its almost like its ananalogy for police racism and sexism. jee. /sarcasm
He passed the 1st test by dragging the table, you should not be embarrassed to make a scene to get the job done, that's why the neuralyzers are for, to make all witnesses forget what they've seen
Plus..always make your environment fit you, not the other way around..
Actually the first test was him asking, "Why the hell are we here?" Though everyone else wasn't laughing, K was. Zed kinda eyed him saying, "Alright K, maybe the kid has something.'
I'd have also given the floor as an option and just laid down to write.
@@loka7783 using the back of the chair is also an option, as long as the entrance exam isn't 6 hours long.
2nd test - observe the situation and have no biases toward dangerous looking aliens.
Underrated part of the scene: while Agent K mentions that James is suitable for working in the agency, we see James separate himself from the group and walking over to the aliens more casually. It's a subtle note of him stepping into the world being aware of aliens while the rest of the candidates hang back in their world.
Or they just needed him to be the last one to exit the room so Kay could intercept him. Either way
@worker-wf2em i think both yall are right and they were just smart enough as writers and filmmakers to tell the story visually while still working for the plot.
I think it also shows that J is one of those people who is the last to leave work and the first one to show up.
@@Snipey1904 Except, you know, he was late for this meeting.
@@Snipey1904 Lol I saw what you did there. "So you know what? Fuck you, and fuck them! And fuck anybody who got a problem with Agent J!"
“Your boy Captain America over here.”
1:37
LOL
with honors
You just plagiarized the guy directly above you word for word.
@@aggrocd1985 plagiarism in youtube comment? Oh no, what a nightmare 😫
Its the "or do I owe her an apology?" that always gets me XD
Same 😂
Yeah, that one makes me laugh
I scrolled at the right time for this 😂
One thing I noticed with the West Point graduate. He never seemed immediately dismissive of Jay but maybe a little threatened. His body language and facial expressions continuously demonstrated a curiosity - like a willingness to learn and understand while the others seem incredulous and self important. That actor pretty much nailed it and made it feel natural.
Absolutely, helps that he was another brother and probably from a similar environment as him
Yup...but as Zed mentioned YEARS of government training probably removed his instinct to behave like Jay. So while he was curious and didn't seem as dismissive as the others he just wasn't gonna ACT and make the necessary moves that Jay will. Yeah, the actor nailed it and is very memorable in this.
@@billythedreameryou mean another monkey?
I mean think of it this way: your a badass marine with other equally badass special forces within the army, as expected from an anti alien task keeping force candidate.
Yet this random NYPD guy starts yapping and being late, being chill with this whole thing. A literal natural.
At this point you would be asking questions, who is this guy? What’s his secret to be equal to one of us? There must be something that we lack that he has to literally surpass from NYPD to a candidate to the men in black.
@@nightelf2487 That guy wasn't really that badass, he's a 2Lt, meaning a jr. officer fresh out of training. I wouldn't compare that to a NYPD cop that's been on the street. With his attitude he's going to make a fool of himself in front of the troops he's meant to be leading. If a troop asked this type of question they want real details, his answer to why they're there would become a reoccurring joke in the platoon and his Warrant would be embarrassed for him.
It happens all the time, officer school teaches these kids they're the platoon savoir when they actually don't know anything. Good officers will realized there's a lot they don't know and learn by working with and listening to the platoon Warrant. That guy lacks experience and it shows, if he knew better he's realize that some seemingly random NYPD officer mixed with the best the military has to send has to be built something special, in this situation someone with good sense would have suspected he was the "little Tiffany" of the group.
6:20 Awww you brought that tall man some flowers. 🤣
I love that someone pointed out that J is the only one who checks to make sure the guns safety is on
Apart from the fact he waves the gun around all over the place 😂
My guess is, all other had already emptied their guns by shooting at everything in sight.. did not hear clicks, but can imagine the specific characters knew they had no bullets left .. Edwards had made only one shot, so he must have had plenty left inside...
@Erik Blaas it's still the idea behind it and the attention to detail in the movie you should ALWAYS safely your gun
@@timfrank7461 BINGO... I've actually wondered sometimes if the proliferation of such CARELESS behavior in TV shows hasn't shaped the way some people act when in the same fields...
ie... you see cops acting willy nilly with their guns and pointing them dangerously at people with their finger on the trigger *ALL THE TIME ON SCREEN* ...
@Abigail S omg the John wick movies were such a breath if fresh air for gun safety and amo control
I do love this sequence. J is played as the "fish out of water," but he's the only one trying to figure things out in a confusing, dare I say alien situation. The elevator opening behind him, taking a written test with no surface when there's a perfectly fine table in the room, even the shooting gallery. Monster after monster. Monsters everywhere. And one little girl. J took in that situation, didn't shoot blindly, and shot the actual odd one out. The one that was actually suspicious in this specific situation.
There is a reason why J integrated so well into the M.I.B. Why it takes a special kind of person to do that job.
Edit: Also, I just realized that, after the shooting gallery, everyone was just walking around with their guns in hand. "Years of government training" my ass. Military teaches you how to handle a sidearm, and one thing they teach is to not just have one in your hand while walking around aimlessly.
I sometimes wonder, watching this scene, if those military sorts are ACTUALLY military. And not, say, a bunch of random schmucks pulled in, neuralized, and given a role to play before hand just to see how J reacts surrounded by what, to a cop, would seem to be higher class operators.
@@tanall5959 That would make a lot more sense. The military personnel would probably raise too many questions if they lost track an entire day like that.
@@koshi6505 I mean, the memory sticks allow them to not only erase someones memory but replace them. "Look into this stick here- *Flash* You came to this location for a military exersize, usual drills, things went well & you'll head on back with good honors."
@@koshi6505 It could still make sense. It takes a long time even in the modern day (about 30 years from the point of this movie) to pass information along in government agencies when it’s just, “We’re gonna transfer him to ___. / We’re working on submitting ___’s official documents to have their paperwork on log. / ___ didn’t make it in BUD/S training, so instead of them becoming a Navy SEAL, we’re going to transfer them to a different NCO so he can start his new job doing ___.”
You’d be surprised how long it takes for people to get transferred from place to place, since many things are authorized by the signatures of higher-ranking officers, and they will absolutely drag their feet. I’ve heard of guys in the Separations units of boot camp waiting 2-3 months just to be formally signed off the base for their respective boot camp locations, which isn’t uncommon depending on the time of year or depending on the circumstances surrounding the given individual(s).
Plus, the MIB could have an easy alibi as being government agents for the CIA. It’s not out of place for the CIA to recruit from the US military, and if a bunch of soldiers and officers in working uniforms saw guys dressed in tuxedos and shades they would likely assume they’re CIA. And the CIA is generally on a need-to-know basis, where most people don’t officially know what they’re up to until decades later, so an officer seeing one of their special forces soldiers being recruited by “men in black” wouldn’t seem too unbelievable. All it would take is some “misplaced” or “messed up” files as an excuse to cover everything up, a neuralizer, and it’s all covered up. I mean, K neuralized the heads at NYPD before he was even done with J. But if they wanted to be extra careful, they would more than likely have the technology to cover any loose ends-even digitally.
@@tanall5959 dude come one, it's a movie. There is no military in movies only actors, that's why it's usually so dumb about weapon usage. But they don't care, 99% of people have no knowledge of anything, some will even think Men in black is real.
‘Gentleman, thank you, you are everything we would expect from years of government training’
Best offensive compliment ever ;)
The monster hanging from the street light was working out 😂😂😂
I mean look at 'em gains.
@@manhphuc4335 even his tail is swoll...
Hey, I would be pissed too if somebody shooting at me and ruining my work out. Lol
😂😂 he trying to look good, J had it right
😂😂
The only one who looked at his surroundings and actually make a decision for himself 👌
To be fair the military men probably aren't fit for a civilian role like MIB. They are used to going into combat zones where everyone who looks different is an enemy. J is a New York police officer. ALL his enemies look like the people he serves and protects. It requires a different kind of training to sniff out a wolf among sheep than to fight a pack of wolves.
"You're everything we've come to expect with years of government training!" has to be one of the most underhanded insults ever considering what the job really entails.
I have a copy of the movie novelization and there's a few things in there that this scene doesn't have.
Zed: "Your boy has a real problem with authority."
Kay: "He got the right target. Your military mopes cooked a harmless Keruvian leaf eater with a head cold and a hookhead kitten who only wanted to lick their faces."
Jay got it 100% right.
I think even with that out, it was still clear J got it right. Zed only said, "he has a problem with authority", not "he hit the wrong target."
@@agoo7581 Zed is even smiling as Jay explains his reasoning. The backtalk is what brings it down.
Yeah, in that scene it's clear that Zed approves of Jay's choice of target. The only issue is how defensive he got when asked to explain himself.
I really think that this scene is better without these lines. Without them you can interpret the other participants as the part of the test on how will he react to the pressure of others.
add they put souns and light on/of on purpose to push them
not only did he took time to think, he did it in a situation made stressful on purpose
One of the greatest classics that had stood the test of time and always will.
1990s personified!
This is truly a classic indeed .. Johnson and Arnold would approve.
5:44 this detail right here was another proof of why J was the best of all, he made a quick check to see if all the guns were on the table when the shooting finished
He’s also the only one (unless I missed it) to confirm that the safety is on.
simply no. you're reading too much into it.
No
@@beethao9380you must be fun at parties
the original Men in Black is one of the greatest films of all time. a true classic never goes out of style. a great 90's film to boot.
Kind of a contradiction. It's either timeless or a 90's movie. But I guess not saying "90's" would have only gotten you 8 likes instead of 80.
@Mr. Awesome it does have a 90's vibe to it.
@@mr.awesome6011 Timeless as in it'll stand the test of time and be enjoyed into the future, 90's movie as in a great example of a peak 90s movie. Not a contradiction at all.
Even the CGI still holds up to this day.
4:33 i just love how the guy in the background is like "yeah, this dude's got a point"
Nah he’s that guy who doesn’t know what you’re talking about, but will nod and smile so you think he understands 😂
Is that John Wesley Shipp?
@@LocalDude7382 like Brian from Family Guy?
I do love how when J points out that the stoked West Point kid has no clue why he's there, K is in the other room laughing.
Honestly, despite this scene clearly demonstrating why J is perfect for the job, I think what the MIB should be looking for in recruitment are detective-like agencies, cause that’s what the MIB are basically comprise of. Everything that J demonstrated are textbook detective work that most police follows. It would’ve been more challenging in this test if he was to compete against other detectives instead of military trained soldiers.
True, it would have been more competitive, but K -wants- needs J. So why not bring in a bunch of people who could never pass? Then J, even if he has some sass, would be sure to come out on top, thus fulfilling the prophecy set in motion in the 3rd film.
I think its likely that the other "test takers" were there as scenery for J, to see if he was willing to be original. The test was only for him after all.
I like the idea that MiB uses those same soldiers to test every applicant. I mean, they are clearly okay with neuralizing the morgue doctor (I forget her name) multiple times.
@@FallenOne669 I feel like it would be way too easy and more ethical to just get random military men than to keep the same group of men prisoner to repeatedly wipe and implant memories while trying to use them as convincing decoys. At one point, I think their brains are going to have permanent damage, and they aren't going to be useful as decoys anymore.
Good point! I have another theory though. The exam and the guys in uniform were there for show. J is the person they wanted from the start but they had to go through the motions anyway. So basically it was staged so they would get J no matter what.
I love how even the other soldiers are struggling to write in their test papers and not just J. It’s hilarious. Normally it’s just the main character, but in this case it’s also everyone around him. Which makes it realistically funny.
Can’t say I blame them, have you ever tried writing in papers without holding them against hard surfaces?
It's a pain to write on a soft surface or an uneven one lol.
I’m sure even the chairs were parto of the test, for an average person, they just look like really fancy chairs, but from the MIB perspective, they are perfectly uncomfortable for writing in, having literally no surfaces in which one could write while sat there, the only possible ways to write comfortably would be to think outside the box, pull the table towards you, get off the chair and write on the floor or stand up and write on the back of the chair
It's the point. The room is designed to make taking the test difficult unless you take advantage of the table that's sitting too far away to reach.
@@AnEnemySpy456Or just standing up next to the chair and writing against the top of it. Or just sitting on the floor next to the table and filling it out on the table. Either of which I would've personally done instead of dragging the table across the floor.
Typical brainless military blindly doing as they're told
Looking back at this movie, the look Zed gives to K isn’t of pure annoyance at J’s lack of decorum, it’s a muffled shock at the fact that J’s already thinking like an MIB Agent. He doesn’t just accept what he’s told and the fact that he’s questioning why they’re gathered and recognized the fact that Zed’s explanation didn’t actually give them any information.
It’s the subtlety that makes this movie great.
You could argue that this was (along with Independence Day and Enemy of the State) Will's absolute peak. So funny and charming before Hollywood really took him.
The one-two punch of "Welcome to earth *punch* " and "What the hell is that smell??? *screams and starts kicking* " represent the peak of Will Smith in my opinion.
Pursuit of Happiness? 7 Pounds? It was when he started getting his family involved in his career that everything went south. Jada was jealous of his fame and generally toxic and his kids have 0 talent. It’s the only time I can confidently say that being a good father backfired.
@@carsheaven there is a reason most great actors are terrible fathers
Was that before he married the monster from the outer space?
I would argue it was the dawn. maybe even the beginning of his prime. we later got many other classics as well. Hitch. I am Legend. Hancock. Focus for example.
My favorite scene from the whole movie. Its funny that using the table WAS the test.
_Everything_ was the test. Except the questions on the paper. The sticker's adhesive too strong to break. The paper too thin to be written on. How does an interviewee deal with the stuff that doesn't go as expected?
I've never been quite _that_ diabolical, but I _do_ use that same vein in my interview process. I can teach a new hire to do the math. I want to see how they handle the ambiguous stuff that's _not_ taught in a classroom.
Zed gave a list of what they were testing for “motor skills, concentration, stamina”
None of those can be measured by “correct answers on a written test”
@@bryantan4228 Yes, that's what Zed said. But “motor skills, concentration, stamina”, that wasn't the test, either. The first half was, "Can you think outside the box and improvise when needed?" And the second part was the most unlikely threat recognition ever.
When I set up an interview test, the question is, "Will the candidate recognize an ambiguous situation and ask for a clarification, or will they guess incorrectly?" At the start of the test, I tell them that if there's something they don't understand, please ask me. But too many people have been trained into thinking that asking a question during a test is equivalent to admitting ignorance and failing the test, and will sooner guess wrong than to say, "This is too ambiguous. I need a clarification on what I'm being asked to do on this question."
We handle multi-million dollar contracts. I can't afford my people guessing wrong, and I can't un-teach someone who has that mind-set. Good communication is everything at my job.
"Gentlemen, congratulations. You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training." Never more true.
I would've just used the floor
“You’re everything we’ve come to expect for years of government training.” Lmao now that I’m old enough for this joke to land that gave me a solid chuckle.
Congratulations Gentleman, you’re all a bunch of government, order-following sheep, ….and that’s what we’re searching for (wink, wink); now, if you all can come this way, so that you all may have a glimpse of the latest tools, and alien technology, that we use out on the field.. [flash]
Ok gentleman, unfortunately, you all didn’t meet the requirements for the position we had posted earlier. We encourage you all to keep applying. Now, if you all will follow the gentleman in the suit, He’ll escort you to the elevator. Have a good day.
I love how even if it wasn't intentional, this lays out so much for the world-building and why he's the best for it. You have this lobby of the best of the best of the best, all struggling to do something as simple as write on a piece of paper, because they're so focused on remaining as they're told and to not think outside the box, meanwhile he just drags the whole table in. The shooting scene is also great, because they're just shooting at anything that isn't human, almost on autopilot. Meanwhile, J sees details and reviews the situation without just blasting anything different, which with what we learn later that aliens are casually among us, is an important skill, and to not just shoot everything. This movie is amazing, still holding up years later and even while having seen it many times, can still easily get a laugh out of me while keeping the absurd world they live in, relatively believable.
My cousin worked for Black Mesa Security and he'll tell you it's a good idea to shoot anything that doesn't look like it belongs on this planet.
@@Agent1Wto be fair they attacked me first
@@tpd1864blake To be fair, they were only going after anti-mass crystals from the border world. Impeding scientific progress is generally frowned upon, you know.
The shooting test even works on another level: had J really messed up and just made up his explanation on the spot, that STILL would've showcased his quick thinking and deductive reasoning.
Was it intentional? It was the whole point of the scene.
When MIB came out, they still wrote complete scripts before filming the movie.
Ironic part is he aced all the tests. The first test was about adapting to your situation and environment. The second one was an awareness challenge. Zed hates that he aced it and pretended to be upset to find out out if he wa statue or a fluke. Brilliant.
Thank you captain obvious
@@jakey4683 who hurt you🙃
@@Lifecounselor710 stupidity hurts me
@@jakey4683which part of it was stupid though?
The painful obvious response to garner 'likes' from stupid people should be painful to all of us by now.
“That was a good shot tho right?” Dude broke character 🤣🤣🤣
That line about him being so excited to be there and having no idea why he's there always gets me. Yeah, he shows great critical thinking with the table and the shooting test, but that statement at the beginning shows excellent independent thinking, to look past the compliments and buzz words to and ask for the whole explanation. I hate how much that is discouraged in the job market today. It's not selfish to want a full explanation of the job before you put your all into it.
This film is just brilliant. The 1st one is the Best cause they used very minimal CGI.
CGI I don't mind if it serves the story. Most of the super duper productions of today have that other way around.
Yes it was the best but that's because every other one repeated the jokes from it
This one also was half talking about society and how mature it wasn't even if individuals are about alot of things
...That's not why the first one is the best, lmao. In fact, the first one was praised for how good its CGI looked at the time!
The whole trilogy had it's moments. The first one did have that duo and it always came back to the two.
I didn't watch 2 or 3 because they were obvious cash grabs with no purpose.
When Agent K is talking to Zed, I noticed how the other military guys are talking smack about (future) agent J. Some nice subtle details I loved in this movie
Reminds me of Eggsy in the kingsman movie
I love all the little things like Jay examining the shooting room while everyone else just stands around and talks
first test was about using your enviroment or whatever you had on hand to get the job done, no matter how others look at you. second test was the most important for them. in their line of work, you HAVE to see past physical appearances
it was an intelligence test.
@@toomanyaccounts more like perception and awareness
@@chpsilva which are part of intelligence
The whole testing was about non-standard thinking.
Smith was the only one being tested. The others are more of a baseline. Soldiers and many police are "brainwashed/conditioned in very specific ways." They were testing Smiths character to see if he thinks for himself.
The line, "Congratulations gentlemen, you're everything we've come to expect from years of government training," was the most sick burn. 😂
2:40 I like how the guy turns his pencil around like he's going to erase the hole he just punched in the test.
He is so dumb... keeping the thin side of sheet and trying to answer... he could have folded the booklet...
acting naturally, " the decision is very human"
😂😂😂😂
Always wondered why they didn't just sit on the floor
Must be a Marine.
What i love here is not only is he enterprising when he grabs the table but he offers it to the rest of them!
Hey, he was pointing out they could do it too. Kind of him.
Remember the anecdotes about the one who picked up the chair and moved it during an interview, gets the job!
I think those other men were only there to be part of the test for James. They needed to see if when surrounded by higher ranking officers and soldiers if he would follow suit, or not be afraid to adapt, be unjudgmental of Aliens, and always question the situation
Yeah, J was the only actual candidate there. I never realised that when I watched it as a kid in the 90s, but it's obvious now.
This movie is just so freaking good. Need to see it again (for the 110th time I guess). It has so many lines of gold all delivered with a straight face... It always has me in tears. They don't make movies like that anymore... :(
unfortunately they don't and it's such a shame that they do not cause these movies were awesome for it
Well even back then movies like this were rare...that's partially why this stands out so much.
@@MrRawrCEO yeah and that is why it's a great movie it was back then and it still is even to this day
@@MrRawrCEO It came out at the same time as The Fifth Element did. I remember watching one and my friend the other - we then exchanged and DAYUM! It was so hard to choose which was better :D. Gooood times!
Wills a G too. I don't support what he did to chris but i understand, his poor sick wife... And yes she was laughing at joke, alot of people laugh, before they haul off and hit someone in the head....
Never understood why her and him laughing was a problem? Ahahahah and SMACK, watch your mouth
When I first saw this as a kid, I couldn’t breathe I was laughing so hard with that table 😂😂😂 Mom always noticed how Agent Kay just LOVED the “with honors” jab 😅
When I was a kid I thought he said "with almonds".😂😂😂
"Congratulations, you're everything we've come to expect from years of government training" lmao such a stealth insult
I really love old movies because they are not afraid to take things slow
Just the part with how they are uncomfortable with the paper and how they write on it just speaks volumes of how much creativity went into films back then with limited budget and technology they had
@asdf its been 26 years my guy
Limited budget? It's not like it's some Woody Allen's movie
"old movies"
- okay spiderman from captain america: civil war
@@scottmatheson3346i mean this movie is 26 years old
old is 60 years, bruh @@joserobertosolismerlin5527
I really like how J’s character ark closes. They did a perfect job with it and they should be honestly proud of the writing and consistency in his overall story.
I enlisted in the military right after this movie came out. This scene always stuck with me my whole career. For three main reasons. One: always be aware of your surroundings and take advantage of everything that is available. Two: target assessment. Know your target and what lies beyond. Three: the choice is most likely already made so f it. Enjoy the ride. Made for a heck of a ride and a pretty thick page 11 stack those first years. Semper Yut.
I think that was something that really detracted from the newest MiB movie, the main character wanting to be an MiB agent so badly. So much so that she was willing to lie about knowing things about aliens and tried to act like she knew what she was doing, it really rubbed me the wrong way how she didn't struggle at all, took Will's character nearly two movies to really become an agent and the chick does it in like an hour into the movie.
Thats Woke Hollywood for you.
@@Thurgosh_OG also tessa just sucks as a leading actor.
@@Thurgosh_OG What the fuck are you talking about. What does that have to do with anything.
@@Thurgosh_OG y'all lead sad lives
@@shade4044 And somehow your’s is sadder.
Rip Torn - one of the best. And did a stellar performance in this role as well. RIP to Mr. Torn.
I guess you could say… rip to rip.
Know how his momma felt after giving birth.
Rip Torn was perfect in this
I know. A few years later, he was crushed by a "luck of the irish" sign.
7:29
They could have had Will freak out like he does with Fred in 'I Am Legend' with shouting and intense emotion in his voice
but they actually had a way more realistic take here
He's in absolute disbelief/shock
"He's got real problem with authority".
"So do I".
😂😂😂😂😂
That has tbe the single most Fox Mulder thing I've ever heard. How marvelous.
What’s funny is Agent J was more likely correct about Little Tiffany due to the nature of their job.
Holy fucking shit dude you’re right, it’s probably funny why you said, not because it was a play on the emerging new form of racism in America, and a look into how we, as a human species, categorize one another. How insightful of you.
@@milesl6070 I’m black. I also sexually identify as a helicopter before anyone ask or get offended.
@@milesl6070 Bruh, wth are you talking about xD
He was correct that why he got the job. In other words no shit genius!
People are fucking dumb. Of course he was right, it was a test on critical thinking instead of accuracy that the others expected.
The look Zed and K give each other is due to the added insubordination that J displays when telling Zed to ease up off his back
Every time I’m in a situation where I am around a small table I think of this movie.
Him dragging that table is a memory that'll forever be welcomed in my head, such a nostalgic funny moment for me when I was younger with my dad 😂
He be a smart boy, in my opinion.
"It's not always about the best man, its about the right man."
Every wife ever.
@@trequor *cough* 500 miles of Mr Right.
Look at this neat bit of directing and acting in the background at 5:06. Out the window you see all the military guys laughing and talking about their shots. At the same time J is walking up to the alien cutouts and not just inspecting, but looking at them mournfully. Like he is upset they were needlessly shot. What a wonderful detail
They are also mocking J for his explanation. Especially "Captain America". Dude was triggered.
I don't know about "mournfully." Looks me to me like he was reviewing the engagement, checking the alien cutouts to see if maybe there was something that he missed that the others saw that would've influenced his actions if he had seen it.
@@PhycoKrusk I duno, he does shake his head, could be because of the silliness of the monster cutouts
@@renotarshil1224, I don't know if it was "Captain America" who was mocking because if it was him, the close-up at 4:32 would lose some of its meaning. That guy at 4:32 knew that J was right and felt ashamed.
They clearly didn't tell the guys "Hey, we're testing to see how you do shooting at space aliens. No particular reason, don't worry about it." That would have been an awkward conversation.
They probably just told them "Take a weapon and eliminate the threats as they appear. You have 10 seconds."
The soldiers went gung ho and killed all the scary aliens. Most people think Jay had magical telepathy and knew Tiffany was a real threat, and his argument about her school books, etc. was real: I think he was just mad and being a sarcastic contrarian to piss off Zed, because he didn't like being told to shoot things without being told WHO or WHY.
Jay's investigative, he's relentless, and he's non-biased - he just hates being tested. Zed says as much.
"Gentlemen, congratulations. You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training."
Not one of them saw that as a statement of disapproval.
"Congatz, you are all brainwashed".
Bruh it’s a dig towards the government in real life too. They are all just brainwashed robots
@@arnaudkaho7137 exact same reaction as I had, only the word I used was "indoctrination"...
say anything you want about his personal life. But Will has had a phenomenal and legendary career. His resume is up there with Denzel
I definitely find it nice to see how people are constantly picking up on details that they initially didn't see when they watched this scene - J refraining from fire until necessary, him making a scene for the sake of convenience, and more importantly, the MIB taking J, a man that admittedly showed fear in the face of danger (i.e. the fact that they were not alone in the universe) while others in that interview barely showed a speck of even worry.
The MIB have intensely close political ties to the alien world, so humans need to understand that aliens are much like humans in the sense that some are capable of evil, but most are willing to live an honest, good life. Zed gets rid of the soldiers' memories after the interview because said government training has rendered them unable to view anything with a modicum of emotion - if it ain't human, shoot it.
It's easier to make a man fearless by taking a man who is scared at first - eventually, they will learn to be brave. However, unlike the soldiers in the interview, his sentience doesn't get eroded in the process - J just simply gains the courage to fight the threat while still having the emotional intelligence. If J wasn't in the MIB, the Arquilians would've definitely laid Earth to ruin.
"so humans need to understand that aliens are much like humans in the sense that some are capable of evil, but most are willing to live an honest, good life. "
Yeah, until you also realised that aliens in the MIB world are essentially living in an apartheid Earth because they have to hide their true identity and disguise as humans, not being able to be themselves. I would not exactly be call that good if I am an alien in Earth.
My favorite part when he just rips the top page and has that face of "ah shit" 🤣🤣🤣 2:13
i like this scene because it shows how a normal citizen wanted to figure out the meaning of that appointment, while the soldiers didn't even ask because they thought they already knew the reason with no clue at all. you can see how one of them answers without a meaningful answer, just repeating what Z said and looking down on J. That, along with the shot he fires to "little Tiffany" is the reason why he was recruited. Really good movie
4:32
Okay, I love this scene and everything in it, But I absolutely adore the one army guy whos nodding his head and smiling to what J was saying like, "You know, he got a point tho-"
This film never gets old. It will still be popular in a hundred years.
This is an amazing piece of both worldbuilding and character building. You see the sort of organization MIB is, it's recruitment philosophy, it's techniques, how it manipulates to get the results it wants. You also see Jay's response to this and why it makes him the right choice.
Everybody talks about J moving the table, but I always found him tearing the paper and then breaking the pencil to be the funniest part
Oh, of course..me too!
and he broke the pencil ON THE STICKER! Like, how do you do that?! lol
That was so great.
that Pencil was FRAGILE LOL
the dragging the table gets me every time 😂
I'm surprised he didn't slap anyone on the way to grabbing the table😂
J basically got the job the second he sat down in the testing room. Thought outside the box on both the written and marksmanship tests. And K vouched for him in the end for chasing and stopping one of the fastest alien species not once, but twice. Love how amazing the cast was and how the writing and directing was done in this movie!
4:40
Thats the face of "Yeah, we got our man"
This movie is so well written and directed.
I bet when Will Smith gets into the elevator and the door opens behind him is just a clever movie trick. They just put some lights and a sound effect to make us believe the elevator was going down but in reality is the same set level than the main entrance.
the front doors of the elevator probably didn't even close too.
7:45 "otha" hmm aliens sure knew Tamil too.
You gotta love the 90s man. I remember watching this movie in theater back in the days
True that.
That. Look “ captain America” shot Will after his yearbook answer is hilarious
It'd be even funnier if the actor had been Anthony Mackee, who played Falcon :)
You all talk about little tiffany. But also him pulling the table was a sign of practical thinking and problem solving. He completely aced the test.
The truth is, we're all still wondering if little Tiffany was really up to something.
Probably is
Oh, she totally was.
The novel says J was right for exactly the reasons he pointed out.
Can't remember if they address this in the movies or it's just my head canon, but I feel like any alien disguising themselves as a human child is definitely up to no good. When you're an alien refugee on Earth you have way more options as a human adult. Anyone wearing a child suit is trying too hard to appear innocent and they're definitely about to start some shit.
@@travisshields2617that and also to me it looks like the books cover has an explosion design on it. Could just be me.
Great writing. It stands the test of time, unlike much of the Hollywood stuff released in recent years.
This is the perfect representation of what it's like going through life with a high IQ. Everyone thinks you're a fool or an idiot even though you're seeing things that either other people aren't catching or you are thinking just so far out of the box that people dismiss you. Every once in a while, someone (Agent K) will understand and those are beautiful moments when they happen.
30 years old and still makes me laugh since I saw it as a kid
7:12 Fun fact - the language the worms use is 'Huttese', the language Jabba the Hutt speaks in the Star Wars films.
should have had Jabba's ominous "ho ho ho" i the background
Huttese isn't a real language. It's just a few words derived from random sounds and the subtitles.
Only noticed now that when nobody else is laughing, Jay is laughing behind the window 😅
Anyway, this scene (or the movie) will never not be great.
4:13 yo why have I never noticed the random white guy cut out in the building next to the work out Alien 😂😂
He looks like Saul Goodman
1:20
Jensen was one of those kids we knew at school who tried hard to impress the teacher.
The first one is flat out phenomenal.
The Air Force guy putting his pencil through the page and then turning it to use the eraser is so great.
3:22 - the most genius scene in the history of scenes
Agreed. This movie had great writing.