MIB: Homens de Preto

Agents Jay (Will Smith) and Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) protect our world, that is crammed full of aliens who live among us, and most of them are respectful citizens of planet Earth, but every race can have a bad apple or two. Smith and Jones make an unlikely pair, but they work in harmony really well here, and it's a pretty funny adventure.

Fine special effects help to bring the aliens in MIB to life, and they have as much character as the duo in black, and they get just as many laughs. The film carries a good plot and is entertaining from the opening scene; which sets the tone of the film nicely, and makes you yearn for some more.

8/10

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" 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.

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.

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!