Men in Black

This movie was really fun to watch the first time I saw it in theaters, upon subsequent viewings, however, it loses its luster. Still though, it is still a fun movie to watch. Unlike the sequel which rushes us through the story, this one takes a bit more time developing the characters even though it is only about ten minutes longer. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are very good and funny, especially Smith because he is the new guy so he is seeing all the weird aliens and such for the first time. This is also something missing from the sequel. In the end though the reason I probably like this one so much is that it sort of reminds me of a Ghostbuster movie, and seeing as how we will most likely never see another sequel to that movie it is nice to see a movie sort of like it in that they are keeping tabs and hunting aliens rather than ghosts. The pug dog scene is funny, and the dog is not over used as in the sequel, and there is also a funny scene where Will Smith must deliver an alien baby...their main objective in this one is to track down an alien insect that has hijacked the skin of a guy and is trying to find a universe. If he succeeds the Earth is destroyed, of course Tommy Lee's character is so calm about the whole situation that you feel you have nothing to worry about. So for a funny movie that has great scenes of Will Smith training and becoming a Man in Black watch this film and do yourself a favor and skip part two...not that it was entirely bad, I liked it okay, but it just seems like an unnecessary sequel.

I am very upset that most people take this movie too seriously This movie is just a nice comedy with a very intriguing subject. Most people try to find bug in this movie but i believe that they should just sit back and enjoy the great epic line. Let's be serious do you believe that a galaxy can be carried around a cat's belt or that "Elivs is not dead he's just gone home" ? For this reason I believe this is an excellent comedy with a Sf theme. I also appreciate that the acting is very good and the script is very nicely written. I urge people to stop taking the "noisy cricket" too serious! This movie is making fun of the people who take this sort of things too seriously.

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.

As my one line summary says, this is one of the best sci-fi comedies ever made, next to the classic Ghostbusters and the highly underrated Evolution. This movie has action, comedy, and some of the best special effects in the last ten years. Rick Baker, Hollywood's resident 'creature man', as I like to call him, has made such a wide variety of aliens. There's the first alien we see, Mikey; there's the Worm Guys; and the villanous Bug. But there are many others, such as Frank the Pug and the twins. The squid baby is pretty neat. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith have an undeniable chemistry together, which repeats itself in the sequel. Linda Fiorentino is also good as the leading lady, and veteran actor Rip Torn is gruff as the head of MIB, Zed. Vincent D'Onofrio is also pretty good. My favorite line: "No, ma'am. We at the FBI do not have a sense of humor that we are aware of." All in all, two thumbs up, baby!

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.