You Have Just Days Left to Stream This Blockbuster Sci

In the 1990s, Will Smith transitioned from sitcom star to movie star by seeking out the most commercially viable projects in Hollywood. Action film Bad Boys was Smith’s first blockbuster vehicle, but his work in the sci-fi genre further solidified his place on the A-list. A year after he welcomed aliens to Earth in Independence Day, Smith teamed up with Tommy Lee Jones for Men in Black, a sci-fi comedy that rode the chemistry between the two stars and an entertaining premise to tremendous heights. Men in Black earned positive reviews and was a box office smash, grossing $589.3 million worldwide. Unsurprisingly, the success of Men in Black spawned a franchise, with Smith and Jones returning for a pair of sequels. Hulu subscribers interested in watching their full trilogy are running out of time.

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The first three Men in Black movies are scheduled to leave Hulu on September 1st. So, if you’re looking for some zany action and comedy with aliens this weekend, make the time to binge the series … or at least just watch the first one.

The Men in Black Franchise Could Never Match the First Movie’s Success

On paper, Men in Black seemed ripe for sequels, but it’s a classic case of a sci-fi franchise that should have quite while it was ahead. While the follow-ups starring Smith and Jones were financially successful (Men in Black II and Men in Black 3 grossed $441.8 million and $654.2 million, respectively), neither matched the original in terms of quality. Men in Black II was seen as diminishing returns, earning a 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes, a far cry from the first movie’s 91%. Lacking the freshness of what made Men in Black so unique, the sequel was lacking, though Smith and Jones retain their strong chemistry. Their dynamic elevates the final product so Men in Black II isn’t as bad as it could have been.

It took a full decade after Men in Black II for Men in Black 3 to hit the big screen. The extra time was somewhat worthwhile; the threequel is considered an improvement from the second movie (67% on Rotten Tomatoes), but it still wasn’t strong enough to match the original. Men in Black 3 is notable for mixing up the established franchise formula, bringing time travel into the mix as Smith’s Agent J goes back in time to work alongside a young Agent K. Josh Brolin was inspired casting as a younger Tommy Lee Jones, and it can be fun to watch J develop a dynamic with a different version of K, putting a spin on what audiences are familiar with. Men in Black 3 <a href="https://comicvibe.com/5-tv-shows-you-probably-didnt-know-betty-white-guest/” title=”5 TV Shows You Probably Didn't Know Betty White Guest”>probably isn’t going to be most people’s pick for best Men in Black movie, but it is the franchise’s highest-grossing installment, unadjusted for inflation.

The last time viewers went on an adventure with the Men in Black, Smith and Jones weren’t even along for the ride. Sony attempted to kickstart a new era with Men in Black: International, a 2019 misfire starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. The studio was attempting to recapture some of the comedic magic that made Thor: Ragnarok such a success a couple of years prior, but Men in Black: International fell flat, leaving critics unimpressed with dull action and an uninspired story. The worst-received Men in Black film on Rotten Tomatoes (23%), International grossed just $253.8 million worldwide against a budget in the range of $94-110 million. An International sequel never came to fruition because of that reception.

As fans catch the original Men in Black trilogy on Hulu before it leaves, Sony is trying to entice Smith back to the franchise. Last year, there were reports that Bad Boys for Life writer Chris Bremner had been hired to write a new Men in Black script, and the studio hopes the work is impressive enough to get Smith to sign on. It’s been mostly quiet on that front since then, but it shows Sony remains committed to revitalizing one of their more recognizable properties. It’ll be interesting to see if anything happens there, but at least sci-fi fans will always have that magical first film.

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