Men in Black: Dem Aliens

“Men in Black”, a 1997 film about a secret organization to help protect the planet from aliens, was a very advanced movie both in special effects, and in content.  Many views of the movie have been established, and although the majority of them are positive, some extremists believe the portrayal of aliens in this movie create ethical issues. I however believe that the movie shows no signs of ethical dilemma and does not portray aliens in a negative light. Any mentions that the movie is unethical is most likely rooted from over-analyzing.

This secret organization was founded in the 1950’s after the first arrival of aliens on planet earth, however only few were told of it. Originally the Men in Black consisted of nine people. Tommy Lee Jones acts as Kay, one of the original nine to see the aliens. He was also the only one that was not working for the government at the time. He vowed to give up his life to help deal with the situation at hand. Will Smith, acting as an NYPD officer named James, will eventually become Jay, a replacement for Kay.

Aliens in this movie are not portrayed negatively. The only reason they are being held separately from the rest of the world is that they are visitors to this planet, and knowledge of their existence could seriously disrupt everyday life. They are being treated extremely ethically aside from limiting their traveling ranges. Most of the restrictions on the aliens are only security measures to prevent harm done to the civilians. The setup to bring aliens in the country is very similar to the immigration and visa process instituted internationally. They are brought in, checked for food and drugs, and then screened through. These checks are clearly routine methods that are used not as discrimination, but more as protection. Although it seems like having restricted range is a negative, they are contained to New York City which is hardly a constraint at all. Of the notable aliens, the majority are beneficial to our everyday life, working behind the scenes at a pawn shop or some other place. However, some well-known aliens include Sylvester Stallone, Newt Gengrich, and Dennis Rodman. Only the “bugs” are detrimental to the life of the average human.  “Bugs” have a belief that they are the most important and a superior being in the universe and it is their duty to control the rest of the universe. Saying that bugs are the negative portrayal is very similar to asserting that the world we live in is a utopia devoid of any groups that believe they are superior.

The plot is completely revealed about halfway through the movie, when it comes to light that there is a galaxy that has been held here on earth. When first hearing of a galaxy they are very dumbfound, but they eventually realize that there is a little crystal ball that contains a galaxy within it. An alien “bug” is trying to obtain the galaxy in order to use it as an almost infinite energy source. With the help of other aliens, they are able to stop him from escaping earth by first taking his spacecraft, and then destroying the second one he attempts to flee in.

The ethical issues brought up in this movie are very limited, if they are even existent. If an alien race were to exist that would cause problems if the public was to learn about them, then this is possibly how they would be treated. As aliens, they have rights and are treated normally when they enter the earth. In fact, they generally come to Earth as a vacation. This clearly means that the conditions they face on earth are favorable and in no way are detrimental to their way of life. It is almost a safe haven for them. They can visit the earth to get away from the constant harassment of problems on primarily alien planets. Also, their firepower can outmatch ours to the point where they could destroy our planet as a whole from one of their space crafts. The only thing stopping that was the return of this coveted galaxy.

In the end, although some of the restrictions on aliens seem harsh, the overall freedom they are given based on the fact that their existence must stay a secret is very substantial. They are able to walk around with the freedom of any other human so long as they disguise themselves as a human. They can own businesses, become actors, and pursue their dreams, or use the earth as a temporary hiding place. Regardless, although concerns and critics may say this movie portrays aliens negatively, I believe that it does the opposite. They are important, but are also only kept secret and restricted to protect the rest of the human race.

Works Cited

Berardinelli, James. "Review: Men In Black." Reelviews Movie Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 July 2011. <http://www.reelviews.net/movies/m/mib.html>.

Men in Black. Dir. Barry Sonnenfield. Perf. Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones. Columbia Pictures, 1997. DVD.