Men in Black: A Series of Tests (WILL SMITH MOVIE SCENE)

Agent Zed (Rip Torn) walks Jay (Will Smith) and other candidates through a series of tests at the Men in Black Headquarters.
#WillSmith #TommyLeeJones #moviescenes
Watch Men in Black (1997) Now: AAN.SonyPictures.com/MenInBlack
Watch Men in Black II Now: AAN.SonyPictures.com/MenInBlackII
Men in Black follows the exploits of agents Kay (Jones) and Jay (Smith), members of a top-secret organization established to monitor alien activity on Earth. The two MiB find themselves in the middle of the deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio) who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies.

[@itzbebop]

The fact that only Tiffany was on a track to move forward shows that she was the true target.

[@jawood2005]

I remember reading the novelization a long time ago, and, to my recollection, he passed the first test by being willing to be different from the group by grabbing the table and the second test for correctly identifying the target

[@tsrav5]

@@jawood2005 The first test is definitely true. But the second test is still pretty vague. It's still possibly a straightforward shooting test. Hence when J "failed" the test on purpose just to see how they'd react, Zed was visibly annoyed with his unruliness, and commented to K about his problem with authority. But more likely, there is NO correct target, but rather the solution was for them to do something else. ANYTHING but the obvious. Meaning J passed the test, more or less.

[@harsh-bm4wx]

Welcome to MIB

[@anthonydesroches8897]

@@tsrav5 accually your wrong on that point. Everything he said was true and why Tiffany got shot. WHAT IS AN 8 YEAR OLD WHITE GIRL AT NIGHT IN THE HOOD WITH THOSE BOOKS?

[@conorwellman8592]

@@tsrav5 Well actually Zed seemed quite pleased when he started to mention the book zed smiled and nodded it wasn't till J told zed "ease of my back about it" that zed got annoyed and saw J has a problem with authority.

[@MasterofthisReality]

Each test has a motive. 1. When he asked why they were there. Curiosity 2. The written test with no easy way to write. Adaptation 3. The gun range. Objective thinking in stressful situations.

[@ironcito1101]

The written test was also about showing initiative and independent thought, I think. Don't just do what you're told, or what you think you're supposed to do. I'm sure the other guys were smart enough to figure out using a table (they did try the sides of their chairs and such) but they didn't because that's not how they were trained.

[@shihoblade]

I dont know why people reinterpret the scene to make it look like he succeeded. Bossman was not impressed. J got the job because he was recommended by the top field agent, not because he passed the tests. From OUR persepctive he is a decent choice but bossman is more traditional and he wouldnt have picked J.

[@stephenlien9427]

4. An eye exam.

[@Operation_Bagel]

@@shihoblade Zed just didn't like his attitude and later says "He has a real problem with authority". You can see the satisfied look on his face when Jay is explaining his shot until it drops when Jay makes his comment

[@shihoblade]

@@Operation_Bagel That could be his major reason for not liking J but its all the same in the end. Whatever is his reasoning, its clear that he wouldnt ok this new recruit withput K's firm support.

[@kennethpurscell]

Whatever Foley artist got the job of making the single worst metal table scraping noise in the history of cinema--well all I can say is "Kudos, sir, kudos."

[@antares8341]

Yeah i watched the movie in cinema at very loud volume....

[@mg19cal]

Kudos to you for knowing that's what a foley artists job is👍👍 a lot of people don't

[@vollinaadkins8118]

Did you pass this is the Man(s) game nouthing you or +(I)+ do is not observed by the Man dosent go through the Man just like +(I)+ am an have been doing fake is not real, ... fanitcy is fiction. ... but the depts of your sold out corruption is sick +x(🍎)o- who came two who answer that question then you will know if you passed, ✌ the Man fools, ...

[@jamesbizs]

@@vollinaadkins8118 wtf is wrong with you. Momma dropped you on your head as a child?

[@jamesbizs]

Or, you know, that’s how a heavy Metal table sounds when being dragged across the floor? Who says this needed foley?

[@JCT1926]

J is the only one who notices that they've been called to compete for a job that is completely unexplained, and he sees how weird that is. He's also the only one who doesn't automatically determine that big, scary aliens are definitionally a threat.

[@hmrhuang]

That wasn't the point of the alien scenario....=)

[@wesleywallace4426]

@@hmrhuang The point of the alien scenario was actually think when placed unfamiliar scenarios which happens a lot in MIB. Sometimes they need to act decisively when others they need to prevent an interstellar diplomatic incident.

[@horde4909]

He's a critical thinker

[@AlexanderNixonArtHistory]

you skipped the table part.

[@dash1141]

As it said in the beginning, he’s NYPD… Aliens ain’t shit

[@aprimic]

As a kid, I thought he failed the shooting test, but as an adult I can see how he passed. He didn't judge and assume the aliens were bad and later it's proven that there's a bunch of good aliens

[@leonardwei3914]

Yeah I understood that, but it still was vague to me why little Tiffany deserved a shot between the eyes. Even if she was 8 years old in a ghetto with physics books. And note, this is before J knew about aliens on earth.

[@demiurgeobzen327]

@@leonardwei3914 It's a fucking one off joke in a sci-fi movie dude, stop overthinking things

[@stansman5461]

@@leonardwei3914 yeah. They could've been her sister's book and she's not panicking cause she knows monsters aren't real and thinks these are folks in costumes.

[@jawstrock2215]

@@demiurgeobzen327 Well, we also don't know what they were told before going in. Maybe they had to shoot something.

[@r3l1csvk]

maybe he failed for K started to convince Z about picking J because "he caught a cephalopoid (or what kind of an alien was that)" with Z replying in the "Hope you know what you´re doing." manner.

[@CalebShimomura]

3:32 First person to react. Last person to shoot. He immediately prepared to defend himself, but he also immediately started assessing the situation without making assumptions.

[@Synthwave89]

Yup. Too often are people with authority shooting first and asking questions later. Will shows an ability to think critically and that can be the difference between shooting an innocent and a disguised Bug Queen.

[@FernandoMojicaJ]

Shit, that's true. I didn't ever notice that.

[@Hopebestman]

@@CrimsonHero81 if this was the starting of the movie, i could agree with you but before that we saw that, this guy saw really weird stuff and he trained as police officer. They train for NOT to froze. Yeah they are human and can be froze but i dont think this is it because IF he was froze he wouldnt LOOK for a target. You can see that he is looking for something, a target, something to shoot. First i thought he couldnt find anything cuz all the others killed them, but if that was the case, he would still try to shoot it. But he chose to kill the girl for a reason. The last question about "do i owe her an apology", imo he thought he made a right call but he still cant be sure because he doesnt know. When teacher asks a question to you, even tho you know you are right, you never be sure until teacher says "you are right". Thats why, they make exams.

[@anthonyp9591]

@@CrimsonHero81 clearly you didn't see his face, that is not the face someone makes when they freeze up...he shot one bullet and it was a head shot, that is precision shooting...it was clear as day that he was assessing the situation

[@muhammedfeerdaus6757]

@@CrimsonHero81 has a huge ego, and can't handle being wrong. Oh, that's you?

[@Z7Sakari]

Whoever designed those chairs has the best sense of humor.

[@vermin913]

Those are The egg® designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958. I'm assuming these are dupes because "real" ones are $9k each.

[@13thvarebel16]

Holy crap. I could buy a car with 4 chairs in it for that much!

[@l3p3]

@@vermin913 They could still borrow those for that scene.

[@randybobandy9828]

@@vermin913 they are probably real since they where worth less 25 years ago and they probably just used them as a prop and didn't buy them.

[@someguyfromarcticfreezer6854]

I think the designer is a Danish, you know happiest people in the world, I crew up to see those "future" chairs, as a kid those chairs are bomb, we play as UFO fighters or cover them with blankets to make it look like house etc.

[@pontiacGXPfan]

"The best of the best of the best, sir. With honors." Your boy Captain America over here 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄

[@horde4909]

Hell yeah 😂

[@Brianlp32]

Wirh honors

[@KC_Smooth]

Hilarious 😂😂😂

[@JengaXtreme]

Y'all ain't laughing tho

[@ghostsmoke11]

it's funny because he's a 2nd Lt, just graduated west point. basically means he hasn't done anything yet.

[@MigukChelovek]

"You wanna get down on this?" That line never fails to make me laugh. He's completely oblivious to the massive disturbance he just made, but at the same time somehow thoughtful enough to offer the table to the guy next to him.

[@joeschembrie9450]

Yeah, but the real test was to see how they would cope with not having a surface to write on. He was the only one to pass.

[@patinho5589]

Not oblivious but unashamed and unabashed.

[@MisaelMatute76]

They all looked at him, like they knew they had failed. All of them were struggling to write and not one of them thought to go to the table...

[@denisesilveira3427]

@@joeschembrie9450 I was prepared to sit and write on the ground, or even to sit on the ground at the table.

[@OneWhoDreamsAwake]

I think the test was a combination of determining creative problem solving ability and outside of the box thinking as well. He also demonstrated he wasn’t concerned with how he was viewed as long as it worked. Everyone in the room but him tried to work within the parameters that had been set at the start of the test - he changed the parameters.

[@willwolf8436]

I promise you any Marine would've gave him props for that shot. It's a damn good shot.

[@danielhaire6677]

So would any Army Soldier worthy of their SF or Ranger Tab. Hell, I used to be my units Basic Pistol Marksmanship trainer. If I saw that shot, he would be helping me train the next batch of people to qualify on a pistol at a range (and somehow barely know which end is which)

[@manwiththecigar2606]

They went to military school and never experienced combat

[@oz_jones]

@@manwiththecigar2606 not the point cancer-stick man

[@blynkers1411]

Well yeah, definitely. But reality isn't really the standard here, even back when this movie was made, rite? I mean... The NYPD is in the running for "the best of the best of the best"? XD

[@danielhaire6677]

@@blynkers1411 Unfortunately, that is a valid point given some of the NYPD's friendly fire situations of the last several years. But that is what happens when politicians decrease funding to first responders consistently over the years. Decrease in proper training and range time availability causes decreased marksmanship standards.

[@askashik]

To everyone also wondering about little Tiffany. In the MIB cartoon, "Tiffany" is the disguise for an alien called the Bug Queen and is EXTREMELY dangerous. J was the only one to shoot the most dangerous being in the shooting range, he just didn't realize it. His reasoning still lead him to the right conclusion regardless.

[@zac8670]

Wow! 😲 awesome stuff.

[@jehoiakimelidoronila5450]

Hmm... Might be handy for MiB trivia. Thanks for the info 👍

[@ravenclawzz3761]

And however he was reasonable when saw not the monsters but aliens on their peacefull routine, not all of them are criminals

[@whosthisguy7333]

Plus in the novelization K and Zed talk about how the other aliens were friendly species that looked scary.

[@jonathanstinson754]

I never noticed Zed’s smirk watching this movie before until now. (at 4:41). Made me realize the job interview was to prove you can think creatively and not view all aliens as a threat, cause you know, that’s the job...

[@connergillott6154]

I also think Rip Torn (Zeds actor) was trying not to laugh at Will Smith. If I were on set, I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face either

[@themachine9000]

It took you that long to figure that out?

[@bubbaguy4411]

@@themachine9000 wait...to figure what out? DID he or did he NOT ...owe her an apology?

[@connergillott6154]

@@bubbaguy4411 think OP would appreciate if he eased up and off his back about it.. or does he owe him an apology? lol

[@Zuon94]

@@connergillott6154 Dear Humanity... we regret being alien b*st*rds. We regret coming to Earth... And we most definitely regret that the Corps just blew up our raggedy-a** fleet!

[@Thiccjimbobway]

As a kid: “what an idiot, why would he shoot a kid and not the aliens” As an adult: “those aliens don’t bother hiding because they’re peaceful, while the hostile one is trying to conceal itself but slightly failed”

[@The-Alpha-Niner]

I think it's a silly part with the kid example they used. It should have been like a person holding up one hand whereas in the other as a concealed weapon held partially obscured etc.

[@ftb282]

@@The-Alpha-Niner It's just for comedic effect lmao, its supposed to be silly

[@clarence8389]

@@The-Alpha-Niner That would have been too easy. No one thinks a kid is initially a threat

[@alberthwang2900]

@@The-Alpha-Niner Headcanon is that the "Quantum Physics" books probably hold some alien weapon like the noisy cricket or some such.

[@tridentsilver766]

I love how Zed was starting to agree with J before he asked him to get off his back. He almost had it.

[@trianglemoebius]

J gave the objectively right answer, there was nothing to agree or disagree with. As soon as they unloaded into aliens without even thinking twice, everybody else had failed. Well, some had probably failed earlier, since J was already acing the tests: not being afraid to question orders, creative problem-solving, and critical thinking.

[@Bomtaker01]

4:35 i love how when J calls attention to that fact Zed smiles. Its such a small detail where its like Zed is telling us that J's assessment is right on the money

[@justinwalker2460]

K is also laughing behind the double mirror during the test

[@DG-EditsMedia]

​@@justinwalker2460thats a funny one

[@loganoutlaw9769]

" that was a good shot though right?" always makes me laugh.

[@aidenfurry471]

the guy's reaction looked like a mix of dismissal and jealousy (i.e. that was a good shot and he knew it)

[@Jishnuk011235]

or do i owe her an apology ?

[@tarrker]

Same. My cousin was an ROTC graduate and that was 100% him until he was a dad. Always something smart to say and always having the last word.

[@canisarcani]

immediately after the dude in the back turns his head trying hard not to smile.

[@shadowshots9393]

It is a good shot

[@danielperkins1815]

When he rips the first page of his test 😂💀 gets me every time

[@pcpolice2518]

Always laughed so hard as a kid watching that

[@Mutantgamer]

I legit don’t understand what he’s trying to do forcing the pencil between the pages. Anyone explain?

[@jackmarston8337]

I think the first pages are stuck and that's why he rips them

[@charliexxgrey6292]

@@Mutantgamer there’s a seal on the pages, like a sticker looking thing, he was trying to remove it with the pencil lol guess he didn’t see the seal at first when flipping first page

[@theforgeryttv6449]

And then the cheap pencil just breaking in half when J tried to break the seal.

[@Kollin011]

This scene illustrates the difference between book smart intelligent and being clever. The soldiers were so tied down by their education and procedures they couldn't deal with other worldly beings and unexpected problems. A person who can use his head is far better than someone who is just intelligent.

[@Kollin011]

@Dalefurd Gribbulus. I had to learn that too late in life. I'm the perfect example of one who passed in school and failed in life.

[@lukefreeman828]

@Dalefurd Gribbulus. they’re not the same but they are correlated. Quite strongly.

[@lukefreeman828]

Your last sentence says the opposite of what you’re trying to say. Here, will is the intelligent one. You last sentence says intelligence is bad. Whilst everything else you’re trying to say is how education doesn’t mean intelligence which is what the military boys fail. It seems you have neither education nor intelligence if you can’t string together a properly coherent few sentences ;)

[@Kollin011]

@@lukefreeman828 Will knew how to use the intelligence he had better than those soldiers did who probably had more natural born intelligence than him. One of them went to west point. That is the point I was making.

[@pontiacGXPfan]

Very well put

[@thomasmurrell9832]

Let's be real: newspaper guy is probably the most badass agent. He just sits there, reading the paper, and to quote a random comment I once saw: "Never fear the man who shows off his power; fear the man who doesn't bother to." Like...just how badass do you have to be to simply point people in directions with seemingly ZERO security measures

[@hepic2874]

And that is why we fear luigi

[@LuizAlbertoGil]

I think the card was the security measure. Without the card, thing would pan out differently

[@chriso1373]

In the second one, wasnt he still sitting there reading while some serious shit was going down in that room?

[@superdave8248]

"It's about time you guys got here. That lady is causing all kinds of hell." This agent simply has no "F's" left to give. The MiB want him to retire, but he isn't going to give them the honor until he reaches full retirement age.

[@Braiam]

That only works with people in the know. Some showmanship is required for those that aren't able to recognize the ability of some achievement. That's why awards are made about hard science that many can't understand.

[@OptimusWombat]

J's observant and a lateral thinker. That's what MIB values: someone who notices things, thinks on his feet, comes up with outside-the-box solutions to situations.

[@TheWriteFiction]

2:15 - I know a lot of people praise the table scraping scene, but major props to Will's reaction to ripping the paper of his exam booklet when he tried to open it without breaking the tape first and then immediately trying to act like he just didn't do something so obviously embarrassing. That's a reaction I (and most likely many others) have had countless times when they broke something very delicate without removing the packaging correctly.

[@bastardhyena7882]

That happened to me once during my application, it had a seal on it and I accidentally opened the page without realizing it was a sticker based seal. And I looked around to see if anyone noticed. Definitely a relatable scene.

[@BenDanen]

I love the fact he is literally the only person with a side table next to him and yet he still goes for the huge one all the way across the room.

[@deedle6073]

That's an ash tray full of sand.

[@jawstrock2215]

@@deedle6073 and it's bowl shaped anyways. Infact, I'm pretty sure the table was as far from him as possible on purpose.

[@hokt443]

Every time i see this scene i think, that ash tray is probably flat on the bottom, you could flip it upside down and write on that

[@CharterForGaming]

I'm more confused that the guys who had the table onfront of them from the start didnt use it

[@teamvlcn6820]

@@CharterForGaming They weren't told to. And sitting on your knees would be very uncomfortable for the length of the test.

[@GrayNeko]

"Or do I owe her an apology?" - That line makes me die laughing every time I hear it! ^_^

[@Synthwave89]

No, you owe Zed an apology Will. Your explanation was perfect.

[@GrayNeko]

@@Synthwave89 Yup!

[@stephenolan5539]

In the book when the lights come on, she is no longer holding QM books. She is holding normal books.

[@GrayNeko]

I didn't know that. Shiny. ^_^

[@keeganseva3975]

I love that K is just loving this whole thing. We see him behind the one-way glass (I assume it's one-way???) and appears that he's trying to do everything he can from laughing around 1:58... which is out of character for him as he rarely even cracks a smile normally. Too funny. Also, why didn't anyone just stand up and use the outside 'side' of the egg chair as a table surface??? haha

[@ulycha]

because they literaly cannot think outside the box ! At least that's my interpretation

[@jq1683]

@@ulycha Yes it's that, but its also they just follow orders. They were not told they could stand up, or use the table. They were also not told they couldn't., however. Its why the chairs are so uncomfortable, they want to see if they sit there and fill out the test awkwardly or adjust to something more comfortable that works like Jay grabbing the table. You'll notice captain america in the beginning is cocky and smirky when hes appeasing Zed on why they are there. But when Jay moves the table he views that as wrong and breaking the rules and you can see him scared/fearful gaze at 3:29. This captain america actor did a great job in these scene with his subtle expressions.

[@thefreakyrobber0]

My favorite part is when J says...y'all not laughing?? They point the Camera to K and he's laughing 🤣🤣🤣

[@MrFraiche]

This whole test is basically telling you to not let the paradigm that you're brought up with limit your understanding. Brilliant.

[@auklin7079]

Poor tiffany was just picking up textbooks for her older sister who took guardianship over her ever since their parents died in a tragic motor vehicle accident. Her sister enrolled in the local college 3 years ago to financially support them but fell ill with the flu days prior to her last semester start and wasn't able to pick up her textbooks. Tiffany, hearing this, took her list of textbooks, snuck out after dinner and ran to the library trying to be as much help as she could..

[@jawstrock2215]

Right in middle of an army of "monsters" though? without a care in the world!

[@13thvarebel16]

Ya gotta admit though, it's weird she didn't run screaming at all the snarling and shooting that suddenly popped off on her way home...she just kept strolling casually with that deadpan stare on her face 🤔

[@caravb5906]

Kid just had imaginary friends. The books were her big sisters and she wanted to be just like her

[@BattlesuitExcalibur]

CNN report

[@steelbear2063]

@@jawstrock2215 I mean have you ever lived in a bad neighborhood? You'll be buying groceries like nobody's business while there's a shootout across the road

[@Madheim777]

basically if everyone of those soldiers would have been in the MIB, they would have started an intergalactic conflict cause of their "shoot first, think later". brilliant.

[@johnos4892]

" Your everything we have come to expect from years of government training."

[@oddfreaks6452]

Burned

[@PhoenixT70]

The most backhanded of... not, it's not even a compliment.

[@stargazer7644]

You’re. English really isn’t that hard.

[@TotalDec]

...Good catch. Might really be condescending. They might just be there to test J, as an illusion, intimidation, comparison; In other words, ungraded, and not competition.

[@MarioCindric]

This scene always crack me up, Will went full Prince of Bel Air character here, it's like when he tries to justify his actions to Uncle Phill.

[@svfutbol20]

The test scene is great, another good lesson of why showing, not telling, is the true art form of good cinema

[@farttur]

Lmao i just realized that the last test was actually an intergalactic level racism test

[@pain8741]

neurology

[@orochimochi905]

Big fan of the fact that when Zed yells "What was that!" J responds with "Hesitated!" That wasn't even the complaint, but he was already considering how he could/should have reached his (totally correct) conclusion faster. He's good and he only gets better. Also he's the first one at the firing line, even though he's clearly the least trigger happy one there, AND although the other applicants do hit "targets", several of them miss, and even then he's the only one I saw that hit a perfect headshot on his target. It really was a nice shot.

[@truthforyouth1995]

In the shooting drill, Will was the first to grab his gun but the last to shoot. He analyzed the situation and he only pulled the trigger until he was sure of a threat. Police today could learn a lot from this scene

[@Calslock]

Police today have at most 4 times less training in order to get a gun and be responsible for people's safety than I had to even touch company servers in my workplace, with degrees and all that (960h at police academy vs 5 yrs/~3000h on uni + 800h training at work + 3x40h certifications). It takes 16 weeks to get a gun and 300 weeks to become a sysadmin? Come on...

[@prabuddhaghosh7022]

And now we know why the NYPD keeps shooting innocent people. The good NYPD officers are being siphoned off by MIB and the rejects are patrolling the streets.. its all the illegal aliens' fault.

[@SwordWieldingDuck]

Wtf you talking about, there is no time to analyse situation like this irl, half a second of delay may cost life.

[@truthforyouth1995]

@@SwordWieldingDuck Did you watch the damn video? Look at the answers he gave Zed when he asked him "How did you come to that conclusion?" Agent J observed, analazyed and then he attacked. Everyone else was just shooting out of panic because they saw an alien. Agent J was level headed

[@SwordWieldingDuck]

@@truthforyouth1995 are you actually stupid, comparing fictional movie and real life?

[@TeddyBear7371]

I died when he said "First I was gonna pop the guy hanging from the streetlight, but then I realized he is just working out. How would I feel if I was in the gym and somebody came in and bust me in my ass while I am on the treadmill" LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@diamondjazz2000]

Never realized how dangerous this scene is with will smith waving around a loaded gun 👀

[@keshonhend2047]

He flags Zed like 5 times in less than a minute.

[@kennethpurscell]

Yeah, he could have just slapped Zed.

[@dstreetz91]

Depends on if the guns were real or fake. There are many ways to make bullet holes appear in props besides real firearms. Another distinct possibility with shots like these is that they may have had real guns during the shooting, but as soon as the camera changes they have prop guns. Usually they don't use real guns on the set of movies for many reasons, and if they have real guns you're way more likely to hear about it considering the notoriety of the Baldwin case.

[@diamondjazz2000]

@@dstreetz91 For will smith’s character. Your right, I’m sure in real life it was just a prop gun. :)

[@arctik2928]

What I love about this scene in its entirety is that it's both great comedy and completely valid within the world's fiction. Best of both worlds, you might say.

[@meganoob12]

The shooting test seems like a great gag at first, but the truth is, it‘s good visual storytelling. Everyone else just shot at what was obviously different. J showed a great level of patience and awareness of his surroundings, as well as his skill to think out of the box. The way that SEAL dude looks at the books… seems like he relized it only when J pointed it out. Just good craftsmanship

[@Ryan-zt2xw]

I’ve always wanted to take the written test they were taking to see how well I could do😂

[@billyv321]

If you don’t remember taking the written test it’s because they gave you the eye exam afterwards

[@sarcasticguy4311]

@@billyv321 I think that's the reason I can't remember a lot of things.

[@Wolfencreek]

I like to think the written test doesnt matter at all they're just seeing who thinks to use the table.

[@fd111e2]

@@Wolfencreek exactly. Doesn't matter if you got 0/100 answers on the questions in the paper, the real test was being resourceful enough in given situation (using the table) and J passed it in flying colors.

[@b1akn3ss93]

Just use the table and you pass

[@gorrow1990]

I always agreed with J’s reasoning on targeting the girl first.

[@KaiserAfini]

1:55 Its great to see Z having to hold in how impressed he is, then looks to K, who just seems satisfied with his choice. The again at 4:38 he is certain he has a great candidate, even if he has a bit of a problem with authority. Even when he had to stick to the script so he wouldn't give the real test away, J made such an impression that it made him break character for the briefest of moments.

[@76djl]

4:27 J has a point about 8y.o Tiffany with the Quantum Physics books. Unless Tiffany is a child genius, those Quantum Physics books are WAY too advanced for her

[@dstreetz91]

Yeah, like would Einstein have even grasped quantum physics and relativity at 8? I seriously doubt it. The odds of a child being that smart at 8 are probably 1 in several billions/less likely than winning the lottery.

[@ninjachannel007]

Never realized Tommy Lee Jones's character whose name I forgot was laughing at the first meeting behind the glass. They already knew they'd pick him lol

[@SplendidFellow]

It's K, and yeah I didn't notice that either! And it means even more after MIB 3

[@Somegoy]

It's funny as a kid watching this movie I reaply never understood why they chose J. Other than he's the star of the movie and that's it. Now I see it's because he thinks far outside of the box compared to the cookie cutter military men. He doesn't care about the courtesy and drags the table over to complete his job. He's able to understand aliens exist, and not all of them are bad. And he susses out the girl within 10 seconds studying quantum physics at 8 years old and that's not right. The aliens are too obvious to be the real targets. Such good writing!!

[@stephenking5852]

I didn’t understand as a kid too.

[@vaskar1017]

btw he didnt know yet aliens exist at that point in the movie he just shot the girl out of being odd and also zed didnt approve of him its only after k convinced him that he recruited him.

[@Lacosanostra699]

na they chose him because they owed his dad for the sacrifice he made.

[@vuxluongw]

"he's able to understand aliens exist" - i'd say it's more like he understands that looks can be deceiving and in the MIB's line of work, you can't judge things based on how they look. he didn't know there were aliens; even when he passed the exams and K briefed him, he still think K is nuts (until he actually saw a bunch of aliens with his own eyes)

[@arielroman8644]

Well if you watched MIB 3 you'll know why K chose J in the first place.

[@williamwhite2113]

Watching this I realized that Edwards's explanation of why he shot Tiffany was Zed thinking "this guy wants to be one of us?" is priceless. The silent communication between Zed and Kay was also pretty funny as well.

[@DesignIncase]

One thing to remember is that joining the MIB can be a lifetime commitment. Sure you can leave the organization and return to normal life but you lose all those memories when you do leave. Then all those memories aren't really gone, just hidden. So people remember in their subconcious. You can see why Zedd is trying to be sure. They aren't just trying to get a new agent, they are going to upend his whole life and that's no minor thing.

[@gsamalot]

One of the best scene I love about will smith character in this one is the dude really think about the situations he in before acting, compare to most of these guys. The shooting range is one example of them shooting all the scary monsters, but no one thought twice to question why there a little girl with books high above her learning ability, then there the table scene with him just brining it closer so he can write better. Heck he even figuring out the Orion belt was just the cat name and that the galaxy was on it collar. Plus even when we first meet his character, he not only was able to disarm an alien with a deadly gun but even keep up with him timing the jump he needed on the bus and taking a hitch ride on a car to catch up with him faster.

[@Remembrance1776]

The books the girl was carrying is small change compared to how calm she looked. Imagine seeing a little girl walking down an alleyway in the middle of the night without a care in the world surrounded by alien monsters.

[@Synthwave89]

@@Remembrance1776 And she is slowly, confidently approaching you while the aliens scamper around.

[@JohnDoe-zr8pc]

Love how he just flails the gun around like that, when he KNOWS it’s loaded.

[@jamesbizs]

lol what

[@nikel-]

@@jamesbizs well you don't hang around and pointing things with a loaded gun

[@capacitatedflux]

Yeah, as an NYPD detective his gun safety skills are severely lacking.

[@Just1American1966]

I don't know what they were shooting, but no one had eye or ear protection on, and I didn't see any slides cycling or spent brass being ejected.

[@bg6b7bft]

Love how they arranged loaded guns on a table in a circle, like it was a goddamn shrimp platter.

[@wolfman2100]

What I love about this scene, is the look Zed has when Will is explaining the reason. He just couldn't bring himself to counter Will's judgement (even though it was made up on the fly). Most would think that just because they see a child, the danger are the larger creatures. Often times though, the real danger is the people who have more going on upstairs in their brain and not what you see with their body.

[@13thvarebel16]

J: Asks why they were invited there Insults Butter-bar Bill Uses the table provided to take the test on, offers it to other candidates Identifies what's in targets' hands, uses appropriate threat discrimination Calls himself out on mistakes (hesitated) Articulates why he shot little tiffany The other guys: Shooting the first things that pop out of the scenery No wonder J got the job!

[@trianglemoebius]

Not just the butter-bar, he mouthed off to Z with the whole "I'd appreciate if you eased off my back about it". The man is NOT afraid to question authority, which - in a group that's not just above the law, but deals with shapeshifting aliens - is a really good trait. Imagine if some MIB higher-up got compromised and nobody was ever willing to step out of line far enough to question it - it'd be disasterous!

[@borderlinecrazy6444]

Truthfully, I think the answer to the shooting range test was less so about shooting Tiffany and more so about actually thinking. Not shooting anything and being able to give a decent explanation why would probably be about as good of an answer as what J gave.

[@Darksaber268]

I disagree. I think the whole drill was about identifying the “threat” alien hiding in the middle of a bunch of scarier looking ones. You’ll notice the drill ended as soon as Tiffany got shot. I think Tiffany was the only real target and the rest are just distractions

[@borderlinecrazy6444]

@@Darksaber268 arguably that could have just been for pacing, but I do get your point. I just think there are in fact other explanations for Tiffany that make shooting her not the best option, and being able to explain that might have given you just as much success.

[@LOGOS_Official]

“He’s not snarling, he’s sneezing.” 💀

[@PhatBoyFresh]

The alien did have a tissue in his hand, so it checks out.

[@NomadRepublic]

Will Smith is so hands on. I really love his slapstick humor. He really knows how to Rock it.

[@crazylarryjr]

This was a test of critical thinking, over years of regimented training. Anyone can be a grunt, but someone that can analyze a situation without prejudices, is much more valuable to an organization, that deals in flexible (unusual) circumstances

[@dadladtv8321]

These tests sought to prove who could or couldn't think for themselves, and J passed it with flying colours.

[@allykid4720]

I tried acting the same as J did on my first job interviews, but was told they need someone who can fill the vacancy without asking many questions, and that they don't need an independent thinker. Then I started acting as that West Point graduate, and got a nice job.

[@cg8397]

Guys like Jay usually become entrepreneurs instead of employees

[@Bobbing4Fries]

I still salute and say "with honors" when I'm making fun of someone for their over confidence. Great movie.

[@godsm3dic577]

“You are here because you are the best army,marines, navy, Air Force, and NYPD” I laughed way to hard at that NYPD lol

[@asher6657]

In the USMC, there is actually a Officer Candidate exam thats somewhat similar. An officer is given a flagpole, shovels and a NCO with a 4 Marines, and he is asked to give the proper commands to erect the flagpole to a particular height. ANY computations or formulas her uses to erect the flagpole to the proper height is an incorrect order. The proper command is "corporal/seargeant, erect that flagpole. Its not the Officer's job to micromanage, its his job to give the directives, and let his NCO's figure it out

[@BigTankDriver101]

same in civil construction, the supervisor tells the foreman what he wants, the foreman figures out the details and leads the crew to complete the work

[@clefsan]

I've never had anything to do with the military, but I've heard of that scenario and the "correct solution". So an Officer Candidate, who is aware of what the correct solution is supposed to be (because he also heard about this somewhere), would know how to respond in order to pass the test, even if their true personal preference would be to micromanage. In that case you'd have no guarantee that this person would not go the path of micromanaging later on in their military career, so to me it seems this is a test scenario that loses its usefulness very quickly. Unless the USMC has a way of dealing with that?

[@asher6657]

@@clefsanUsually its not a problem. Every leadership position has a NCO or Staff NCO counterpart who directly deal with the Marines. like a manager/foreman relationship. I only had one problem in my enlistment, when the CO of my squadron (a Lt Colonel) decided i was malingering when I was assigned to bed rest. I was in a car accident where my car rolled over 6-8 times 2 days before.... How dare I not show up to work the next day after being released from the hospital. . He came to the barracks and demanded that 'bed rest' meant 'bed rest'. as if my feet were never supposed to ever touch the deck...

[@clefsan]

@@asher6657 thank you for the explanation. and sad to hear about that CO. bosses sometimes have strange ways of thinking that makes one wonder if they are even thinking at all. you run into people lik ethat in civilian life too (one of my own bosses is like that at times, but one learns to cope).

[@abrahamhawkins1754]

I laughed so hard when he pulled the table.... I was like 7 y.o then and still laugh even today when I watch it

[@FangerZero]

The shooting test was the absolute best part of the entire movie imo. Loved it as a child love it still as an adult.

[@user-wu4bo1hz3p]

I like how in the first task he manipulates the environment he's presented with to suit the task at hand. And the sound the table makes is comedy gold, right up there with "the most annoying sound in the world" from Dumb and Dumber. This movie has layers.

[@romansierra5614]

I personally lose respect for any organization that doesn't reward outside the box thinking based on these five minutes and twenty three seconds.

[@SETHRX7]

Things J done right for sure: Test - found simple solution for logistical problem. Also took whole attention of crowd with simple nonthrettening action. Since agents works in pairs, it would make nice diversion for his partner. Shooting range - observation, analysys and even if Tiffany wasn't "evil alien in proces of world conquest" he made bs storry enough beliveable that you can sell it easy with later use of neuralizer.

[@RohitKumar-ou9vp]

How many ever times I watch this, I don't fell bored...

[@ZackofSpades]

Something you may have missed about the question of why they were there is that J busted down "Captain America" by calling out his bravado despite also not knowing what they were doing here, reading him like a book. That's something very important to being an MiB: social awareness, and the courage to draw attention to it. They're detectives, after all, not soldiers.

[@acmecrazyfool]

He also immediately figured out that while everyone was enthusiastic about being chosen to be there, none of them had any idea why they were actually there, based on that one guy's response and everyone else's reactions. So it shows strong investigative and communication skills as well, which are also both super important to being MiB.

[@BYERE]

That start of a smile from Zed when Jay is explaining why he shot the little girl… in hindsight, you can see him realise that Jay’s got the right reasons for picking his target… and then the attitude comes out lol

[@steveseiler478]

I've always laughed at the dude who pokes a hole in the paper, and immediately flips the pencil over to erase his mistake lmao!

[@mossymoose8920]

The writing in this film is impeccable. And tommy lee jones’ facial expressions are so brilliantly subtle lol

[@laurendaley2503]

this scene is so much different when viewed as an adult its brilliant.

[@dbaglee4497]

1:58 I like how K was actually laughing too

[@elloowu6293]

That scene where they're taking the tests, is better than anything put on the silver screen in the past 20 years. 🤣

[@staytrue5307]

You don't watch much do you.

[@elloowu6293]

@@staytrue5307 just that scene on loop because there is nothing else

[@tylerpaulson6689]

@@elloowu6293 lol respect

[@sandypickleuwu]

Smallest but such an important detail in the shooting scenario is that J was the first to react and pick up the weapon but was the last to use it. Always ready and prepared, but thinks before he acts.

[@petersilie304]

He was the one nearest to the door while the second row first checked the room before choosing their weapons and the last ones took what was left.

[@Gilgamex]

One of the best movies ever man, Will Smith was peaking so hard during these days. One of by far, the funniest guys, to pull off this, with a massive multi-million dollar budget at stake. Making it a serious drama & comedy all at the same time, a very tough, fine line, delicate balance to create. At risk of cheapening the depth of your characters, great direction, cast, script, you name it. Excellent production, so good.

[@pungalol185]

@2:39 he tries to erase the hole he made in the paper xD

[@troyskeete8372]

Always loved this scene: 1. A test of individualism: He spoke out while the other towed the line. 2. Out of the box problem solving: The others were happy to stay were they were cause no one told them other wise, he went for the table and improved the situation despite public opinion that he was weird. He'd have to do ALOT of that in that job. Lastly, yes: Why WAS she un a ghetto with Quantum Physics books in the middle of the night? 👀 She got a permit of the overtech she's building? No new permits went past my desk.

[@nicholasgoh213]

seeing K laughing behind the mirror made my day, anytime...

[@jongon0848]

3:33 Anybody else love how quick J grabs the gun with such urgency?

[@smokefreehouse]

First test. The wardrobe 😂😂. Passed with style

[@Brettlaken]

I also love how the elevator goes straight to the test room. No Hallway, Lobby or anything. Like entering a school and walking straight into your classroom without any in-between.

[@mdabdullah4379]

Test room itself is the hallway 😁

[@treasonabledoubt7251]

The shooting scene makes so much sense in the context of the MIB universe - aliens may look strange or threatening even if they are just normal, peaceful individuals, while a little girl with quantum physics textbooks is genuinely very suspicious to MIB agents when we know aliens disguise themselves as humans. Brilliant!

[@JaguarCats]

I always loved how they tested potential agents. To quote my friend "They wanted people who could THINK"

[@MrJustonemorevoice]

They were not looking for obedience or even skill. They can train skill. They were looking for the ability to solve problems with zero context.

[@ringkunmori]

Weird how KZbin suggested me MIB videos today

[@blazerocker1734]

The 90s had a lot of hits and misses in cinema. Times and tastes change. Some actors and comedy styles from that era are cringy today and nearly unwatchable, but not this. The first MiB is a bit dated but it's still perfectly watchable today. Really makes you miss the decade.

[@sitisarah826]

4:02 little Tiffany is like Elizabeth in 2nd movie during J meets K in postage office.

[@KhalidJSmith]

My favorite part will always be the look he gives after ripping the first page of the test takes me out every single damn time😂😂😂 loved how silent the room was when he tore it!

[@jland12]

Final test: "Imma call yo woman a bitch and you're not allowed to leave your seat!"

[@brookelynnenewcomer943]

I love how he agreed with everything will said. Especially the treadmill part. 😆

[@averagejoe17769]

Great movie, great acting. R.I.P. Will Smith

[@richardslater3737]

Honestly, this whole scene, just golden.

[@caiholroyd178]

I maintain that 'books too advanced for her age' is not an adequate justification for headshotting an 8 year old girl

[@mr.awesome6011]

Maybe if she's Asian but otherwise we've got some questions to ask.

[@themachine9000]

Nah we can't have them thinking to much better to eliminate the smart ones

[@Remembrance1776]

True, but if I saw a little girl walking down an alleyway surround by alien monsters in the dead of night without a care in the world, I would think something was seriously wrong. A normal human, much less a little kid, would not be that oblivious.

[@Kizaru208]

And thats why youre not in the mib😂

[@oz_jones]

@@Remembrance1776 apparently you havent met me

[@waynetaylor8082]

A young Will Smith at his sarcastic best!!!

[@JohnJohansen2]

"The best of the best of the best, Sir!" Well that's just not enough

[@brianlanders5306]

Will Smith never fails to amuse. That's why anyone in that position would get picked, because you need a sense humor to deal with aliens.

[@kreigguardsman3355]

Didn't have a sense of humor during the Oscars

[@brianlanders5306]

@@kreigguardsman3355 : You probably think he actually hit Chris Rock? Grow up, maybe your brain will grow with you to, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[@JimmyBoy9878]

@@brianlanders5306 Chill bro. Literally you can watch him hit him. Unless you think Will Smith is pretending to be a overly emotional wreak.

[@JimmyBoy9878]

@@CrimsonHero81 not really. For a while, i knew his wife treated him like rubbish and cheated on him. This just put the bread on the sandwich.

[@KenWu-pl3or]

“None of y’all laughing though”

[@fahmiluthfi7991]

this scene for me what made MIB a good movie, smart scripting, funny, great performance, and besides all the flak he received today, young Smith was overflow with charisma

[@pawelus2843]

I noticed that at the start Zed referred to 'Captain America' as "Son?" Showing that he didn't knew/didn't care about his name before the interview. But when J laughed he said "What's so funny Edwards?" meaning he remembered his name. Most likely because it was K who invited J

[@HeffyG]

1:58 when Zed looks at K, he's cracking up at J and Zed moves forward almost like if he just saw him laughing. J had it in the bag from the go!

[@danrion8839]

Jay did one thing smart by pulling the table but stupid for trying hard to attach broken pencil when he can write with half.

[@davidlabarca4268]

There are two logics that made him do that. The first is that it looks funny. There needs to another reason for plausibility. The second is he was hoping no one noticed that he broke his pencil.