How many Men in Black movies are there?

In 1997, sci-fi action-comedy, Men in Black beamed down into cinemas. The film – based on a comic book of the same name by Lowell Cunningham – told the story of a mysterious high-tech organisation, which monitors extra-terrestrial life on Earth.

Starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, Men in Black was a big success at the box-office which impressed critics and audiences alike. As such, further entries in the Men in Black movie series soon followed.

But how many Men in Black movies are there? For all the details and more, keep reading.

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Men in Black films in order

Men in Black (1997)

As noted above, the first entry in the Men in Black series debuted in 1997. The movie followed the story of a New York police detective named James Darrell Edwards III, who witnesses alien activity before being recruited for the mysterious organisation known as the Men in Black.

After joining the team, James becomes known as Agent J and is partnered up with Agent K. Together they work hard to defend the Earth from the worst scum of the universe, which includes a bug-like alien who crash lands on the planet and has plans which could threaten the safety of the galaxy. (98 mins)

Men in Black II (2002)

With Men in Black proving to be a big hit with audiences, as well as a profitable movie ($589 million from a budget of $90 million), plans were soon put in place for a sequel. This sequel – appropriately titled Men in Black II – made its debut in 2002, picking up the story five years later.

In this movie, Agent J is now a top agent at the Men in Black, having taken over from Agent K who retired at the end of the previous film. However, when J finds himself on a case which has links to his former partner, he has to locate and re-recruit K in the hopes of getting to the bottom of the situation. (88 mins)

Men in Black 3 (2012)

Upon release, Men in Black II was a box-office hit, however, the film was not so well received by critics and audiences. The general consensus was that Men in Black II was a weak sequel, which meant another film could happen, but perhaps not until the right script came along.

Ten years passed before the next film arrived, hitting cinemas in 2012 under the title Men in Black 3. In this film, an alien criminal named Boris the Animal travels back in time to July 1969, altering history in the process.

With Agent J’s memory unaffected by the time shift, J goes back to the past to undo the damage caused by Boris. But unable to defeat him alone, J teams up with a younger version of Agent K to get the job done. (106 mins)

Men in Black: International (2019)

After three films starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agents J and K respectively, it was time to hand over the keys to the franchise. As such, a fourth entry was put into production without Smith and Jones’ involvement.

Conceived as a stand-alone sequel, the movie – titled Men in Black: International – focused on Agent H and Agent M, who operate from the UK branch of the Men in Black. Chris Hemsworth took on the role of Agent H in the film, while Tessa Thompson played Agent M. (115 mins)

The Men in Black movies in chronological order

To date, there are four entries in the Men in Black movie series. Should you wish to watch the movies in chronological order, then follow this list:

• Men in Black (1997)
• Men in Black II (2002)
• Men in Black 3 (2012)
• Men in Black: International (2019)

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Who are the cast of the Men in Black films and are the movies the work of the same director?

Notable actors in the Men in Black movie series include Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D’Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson, Patrick Warburton, Jermain Clement, Mike Colter, Nicole Scherzinger, Josh Brolin, Will Arnett, Bill Hader, Chris Hemsworth, Liam Neeson, Rafe Spall, Rebecca Ferguson, Tessa Thompson, and Emma Thompson.

In terms of directors, the Men in Black movies are the work of the following:

• Barry Sonnenfeld directed Men in Black, Men in Black II, and Men in Black 3
• F. Gary Gray directed Men in Black: International

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What is the best Men in Black film?

According to IMDb the Men in Black movies are rated as follows:

• Men in Black (1997) – 7.3/10
• Men in Black II (2002) – 6.2/10
• Men in Black 3 (2012) – 6.8/10
• Men in Black: International (2019) – 5.6/10

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Editor/writer/man in black

Alex Wiggan

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I hope this information about the Men in Black movie series has proved useful. Should you wish to know more about other long-running movie series on It’s A Stampede!, please check out one of the recommended reads below.