Hombres de negro

"Men in Black" and "Galaxy Quest" are in my mind the best sci-fi comedies ever made, because they are both hilarious parodies of two different cultures. Whereas the latter spoofed obsessed fans who take sci-fi entertainment WAY too seriously, this one spoofs the paranoid, tin-foil-hat brand of conspiracy theorists. It has funny characters, witty lines, and does not at all take itself seriously.

There are a lot of small details that can take multiple viewings to catch. One thing I found funnier the second time I watched it is the scene where Will Smith has just been severely lectured by his boss in the interrogation room when Tommy Lee Jones enters, asks a few questions, and tells Smith to come with him. Smith: "I can't, there's still a lot of paperwork to fill out." Jones: "No, the paperwork is all taken care of." Smith's boss (walking by): "Hey, nice work, Edwards!" This is one of many quick, funny scenes that you only really get if you're paying attention.

All the actors do a good job, too. I thought Rip Torn was the funniest character, and Edgar the bug was hilariously gross. Linda Fiorentino was one of the coolest female characters ever. She put Ripley to shame. Every time I watch this, I want to marry her.

Overall, it's a great comedy that is clever and fun all the way through. 8/10 stars.

The Men in Black(based on a comic I've never read, spawning a TV series I haven't watched, so I can make no comparisons to either) are an agency that protect Earth from not only what the aliens, some of whom are already here, might do to it, but also the common man's ignorance of this situation. It opens a doorway into a fantastic world(whilst playing it straight since most of these guys are used to this stuff) that would be overwhelming were it not for rookie agent J(Will Smith, who brings both his sass and undeniable charm) posing as a proxy for the audience, asking the questions we want to, and being given the exposition and explanations that we need. He is likable in his naiveté and his efforts to help the people affected by the outer-space stuff, and the odd couple dynamic between him and K(Tommy Lee Jones, awesome and enjoyable as the old grump who's blasé about what they experience) is great, as are the various other character aspects. Linda Fiorentino is perfectly cast as a somewhat cold coroner, and she has a nice, strong female role. As the villain, we have Vincent D'Onofrio giving an unforgettable and unique performance as the large cockroach(!) wearing the skin of farmer Edgar. It's a size or two too small, leading to it/him making some rather inelegant movements and… possessing poor motor skills. And don't worry, at the same time, he's seriously scary. He's immensely physically powerful, and he can't *stand* humans. This really gets into perspective, and that the importance of something is not defined by its size. This is primarily a comedy, as well as a fun sci-fi action adventure with some very unexpected situations and outcomes. It's exciting, engaging and a cool universe that we want to see more of, with this being a brief(and well-paced) peek at roughly 90 minutes. There are creatively designed creatures and big, shiny guns. Danny Elfman supplies this with a bombastic and playful score. There is a bit of moderate to strong language and a little violence and gore(little of it involving people, and just about none of that graphic) in this. I recommend this to fans of the stars and the concept. 7/10

MEN IN BLACK (1997) ***1/2 Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, Siobahn Fallon. Giddily hilarious sci-fi comedy: think a 90s "Ghostbusters" meets the "X-Files": hard-as-nails, deadpan Jones (a great master straight man) is one of many secret agents of MIB (Men In Black) recruiting steetsmart, mouthy Smith (a great wiseass) to team up and stop an intergalactic alien bug (in rotting human form D'Onofrio who gives a brilliant, funny turn) from wiping out the Earth and all mankind. Incredible out there special effects from ILM and ingenious aliens from self-professed "Monster Maker" makeup guru Rick Baker. Hip, clever dialogue and fine chemistry from the odd couple gives this comic book adaptation of Lowell Cunningham a glossy work over including Bo Welch's inventive production design and Danny Elfman's atmospheric score. Fluid direction by Barry Sonnefield.

On the surface, a film featuring the straight-laced Tommy Lee Jones fighting aliens would seem to be a terrible idea. However, throw in some humor from Will Smith and some great filmmakers, and all of a sudden you have created a classic, genre-busting experience.

For a basic plot summary, "Men in Black" sees Agent K (Jones) policing hidden aliens that constitute our planet unbeknownst to the general population. But, since K is starting to get a bit long in the tooth, he sets about bringing a little bit of new blood into the MIB organization, which is where James Edwards (Smith), an NYPD street cop, comes into the picture.

The chemistry between Jones (the "straight man") and Smith (the "cutup") is what really makes this movie fun to watch. Their banter back and forth never stops from beginning to end and is always good for a chuckle.

Of course, just the concept of the film alone is unique in and of itself. Though the potential for utter failure was quite high, director Barry Sonnenfield (with probably more than a little help from executive producer Steven Spielberg) manages to make the film take itself just seriously enough to work, not but not seriously enough to prevent a lot of fun from creeping into the screenplay.

Overall, "Men in Black" is just a fun film that (in its day) was something completely new to the cinematic landscape. Unless you just really aren't into the often goofy nature of the movie, you will enjoy the special effects and witty banter thoroughly.

"Men in Black" is a fast-paced action-comedy that over-achieves the whole way. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith make an amazing comedy team as the title characters who protect the Earth from the scum of the universe. Everything is tongue-in-cheek and the whole film works in a really great way. A great film that benefits from its characters and amazing special effects. 4 out of 5 stars.