Action Adventure Clip Genre Analysis

'Men In Black' is an Action-Adventure Sci-Fi film. It reflects sci-fi convention in its use of aliens and flying saucers, and is also very comedic, with a running gag about the idea of famous celebrities being aliens. However, it is predominantly an Action-Adventure film.

The Narrative follows the conventions of the action adventure genre, and reflects Todrov's narrative theory.

Equilibrium:James Edwards (Will Smith) is a cop for the NYPD

Dispruption: After a run-in with a criminal who can scale walls and blinks like a bug (Shown in the clip) James is recruited into 'Men In Black' an organisation which moniters extraterrestrial activity on earth.Now named Agent J, He is paired with the experienced Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones).
Soon they are on their first mission. A vicious cockroach-type alien called 'The Bug' has disguised itself as a human and stolen a galaxy, hidden in a diamond owned by the member of another alien race called the Arquillans. The Arquillan government gives J and K one earth hour to find the galaxy, or they will destroy the earth

Resolution: Agents J and K take on 'The Bug' at the site of the 1964 world fair. with the help of Laurel (Linda Florentino), a medical examiner who has found out about the organisation and existance of aliens, they destroy it and retrieve the galaxy. Agent K tells Agent J he has decided to retire.

Restoration:The film ends with Agent J working with Laurel, now Agent L

The familiar action-adventure concepts of finding an important object and saving the earth are blended, and there is also no shortage of action, with car and foot chases, explosions, and very powerful guns.

The guns and explosions fit very well into the traditional action iconography. The Men in Black wear smart black suits and Ray-Ban sunglasses, and carry 'Neuralyzers' which they use to wipe people's memories. There is plenty of CGI in the action sequences, but conventional make-up is also used for the aliens. In the chase at the beginning, James is dressed in a casual white shirt with orange tracksuit trousers. The difference between this and the smarter clothing he wears as a Men in Black agent showcase the changes James has to go through as Agent J

The character types reflect Propp's character conventions

Hero: James (Agent J). Like most heros in the genre, James is confident, athletic and handsome. He also gets most of the comedic dialouge in the film
Helper: Agent K. Agent K is an experienced MIB agent who serves as James's mentor
Villan: The Bug. Like most action-adventure villans, The Bug, who poses as a human named Edgar for much of the film, is searching for power through the galaxy, which serves as an energy source, regardless of the consequences
Princess: Laurel. Laurel is a relativly unusual variation on the princess sterotype. She is a doctor, and quite intelligant. Futhermore, she helps Agent J and Agent K defeat The Bug.
Donor: Jeebs. Jeebs is an alien who sells Agent J and Agent K their weapons.

The film is set entirely in New York-the banaility of the location is juxtaposed with the unusual nature of the aliens seen to create comedy. As is typical of the action genre, the buildings often have an exaggerated height.

To conclude, Men in Black uses the conventions of Action-Adventure well, but combines them with Sci-Fi and Comedy in an interesting and original way to make a unique and enjoyable film.

Homework 1 - analysis of comedy clip

The Muppet Movie is primarily a comedy. In this clip, Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear sing a humorous song whilst on a journey to Hollywood, where they hope to become stars. There are sight gags (A literal fork in the road) and comedic dialouge sung or spoken, primarilly by Fozzie ("Aah.. a bear in his natural habitat...A Studebreaker")

The film's characters reflect Propp's conventions...
Prince: Kermit the Frog
Princess: Miss Piggy
Villain: Doc Hopper
The Helper: Fozzie Bear (And the rest of the Muppets)
The Donor: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

The plot reflects Todrov's narrative theory...
Equilibrium: Kermit lives a simple life in a swamp, but dreams of making it big (Reflected by the "Rainbow Connection" song)

Disruption: A talent agent recommends that Kermit persue a career in Hollywood. He sets off on the journey there, meeting the other Muppets along the way, whilst being pursued by Doc Hopper, the owner of a frog-leg restaurant chain who will do anything to have Kermit as his spokesperson.

Restoration: The Muppets arrive in Hollywood after a western-style showdown between Kernit and Hopper, Which Kermit wins after Animal, turned into a giant by one of Dr. Honeydew's inventions, scares off Hopper.A Studio executive hires them to make a movie based on their experience.It is a success, and they become famous.

The film has a fairly conventional storyline,but, as part of it's humour, breaks the fourth wall using meta-references. For example, Kermit and Fozzie give the script to another Muppet, who uses it to help them when they get lost in the desert. This is common nowadays in the genre, but was relatively fresh and unique when the film was released in 1979. It was also the first to feature humans and puppets interacting at real-life locations.

Though the narrative is conventional, the use of The Muppets and the distinctive humour help it stand out, and The fact that the Muppets aren't exactly typical stock characters (Miss Piggy is an expert at karate, and able to defend herself a lot better then most princesses)allows the movie to be both familiar (The Muppets were already popular when this was released) and unique, ensuring the movie's success and longevity.