Men In Black Alien Attack (5K) POV - Universal Studios Florida 2024

Front Seat POV©
Men in Black: Alien Attack is a shooting interactive dark ride located at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida, based on the film, Men in Black, itself based on the original comic book of the same name created by Lowell Cunningham. The ride opened in 2000 after a five-year development process. The ride has generally been well received, winning an Outstanding Achievement award from the Themed Entertainment Association.

Riders enter a MIB training facility disguised as a pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair. After navigating through a themed queue and pre-show, riders board a spinning dark ride system. Once dispatched, riders are tasked to kill aliens using the supplied laser guns, and subsequently accumulate points. At the time of its opening, the ride was the biggest dark ride ever built at a Universal park, spanning 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) and featuring over 125 animatronic aliens.

After the release of the first Men in Black (MIB) film in 1997, Universal Creative, the research and development division of Universal Destinations & Experiences, set about developing a MIB-themed shooting dark ride for Universal Studios Florida. After the ride system was finalized in mid-1998, construction began on the ride's large show building. By late 1998, sources speculated that a Men in Black-themed attraction would be built.[4] Planning documents filed with Orlando City Hall in March 1999 described an alien-themed laser tag ride, supporting previous rumors. After an official announcement of the $70 million attraction in October 1999,Men in Black: Alien Attack officially opened to the public on April 14, 2000, in the World Expo area of the park, replacing the Back to the Future Part III locomotive display which was relocated two years prior and the Swamp Thing set that resided there before being demolished in 1994.[9] In 2001, a year after its opening, Men in Black: Alien Attack was awarded a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement by the Themed Entertainment Association.

Main sign at the front of the attraction
After a brief romp through the city, the two head-to-head vehicles face each other and pass on either side of a large green scanner. The scanner reveals that the opposing car is really full of aliens in disguise, thus prompting a shoot-out between the two paired vehicles. Both cars race to shoot the other's "fusion exhaust port," a glowing red light atop their vehicle. A hit causes the opposing vehicle to wildly spin out of control, offering more time to collect points while they spin.

The battle between the cars comes to an end when Agent J (played by Will Smith) appears on a giant television screen in Times Square, alerting the riders to "get their game faces on" because a "really big bug about the size of Alaska and Florida and California" has been found. Turning the corner, riders come face-to-face with Edgar, a gigantic cockroach-like alien seen in the first film. The animatronic bug in the ride stands 30 feet (9.1 m) tall, measures 50 feet (15 m) wide, has 8-foot-long (2.4 m) teeth, and 20-foot-long (6.1 m) claws. The bug is immune to the weak guns' laser fire, so Zed orders the riders to press the much-dreaded red button (which activates the Subatomic Thermonuclear Disruptor). There is a small window of time when the button is effective, and the first rider who presses the button during this window is granted a 100,000 point bonus. Both cars enter into the bugs mouth and spin out of control amid strobing lights. Soon there is silence followed by a belching sound.

During the wind down, both teams have their scores averaged and are given one of three rankings: "Bug Bait", "Cosmically Average", or "Galaxy Defender". The "Bug Bait" rank is less than 100,000 points on average, "Cosmically Average" is 100,000-150,000 points, and "Galaxy Defender" is worth 150,000+ points. The two vehicles separate to view the final scene; "Bug Bait" or "Cosmically Average" teams are shown an alien "Coach" saying "Basically, you zigged when you shoulda zagged! You gotta learn when to run and gun and when to lock and load baby. Try again!". A "Galaxy Defender" team pulls up to an alien "Tailor" finishing a black suit and telling the riders "your suit will be ready next Wednesday". These various combinations allow for 35 different endings.

Agent J comments on the team's performance, offering "Bug Bait" teams a condescending "better luck next time"; "Cosmically Average" teams, "not bad, but not good enough"; and praising "Galaxy Defender" teams "that was pretty hot". Agent J neuralizes both teams regardless and the vehicles re-enter a retro-themed atrium with the "Universe & You" logo on the wall in front of them, and the big question answered: "Are We Alone? Of Course We Are!" Riders then exit into the Men In Black gift shop.