SNMR 2.17: "Men In Black"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Men In Black" (1997, PG-13, 98 minutes), starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio and Rip Torn. The film was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.

The first time that I watched this film was just after it came out on video. I didn't think it would be as good or as funny as it was, with low expectations going in, and was pleasantly surprised.

From Amazon.com:

Protecting the earth from the scum of the universe, two men who keep an eye on aliens in New York City must try to save the world after the aliens threaten to blow it up. Men in Black follows the exploits of agents Kay (Jones) and Jay (Smith), members of a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth. The two Men in Black find themselves in the middle of the deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio) who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies. In order to prevent worlds from colliding, the MiB must track down the terrorist and prevent the destruction of Earth. It's just another typical day for the Men in Black.

From Martin and Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2007, p. 729:

This science-fiction comedy, about an unofficial government agency that regulates and polices the secret immigration of outer-space aliens living on Earth, is an enticing romp based on a little known comic book series. Tommy Lee Jones is the ultimate straight man, playing against Will Smith, a darling of contemporary cinema. One of the most flat out entertaining films of the decade. The only reason it doesn't deserve five stars (they rated it with 4 1/2 stars) is because, well it isn't on the level of Citizen Kane.

Comparing this movie to Citizen Kane? That has to be one of the dumbest comparisons my movie book has ever made. The only thing these two films have in common is that they are both movies. They are two totally different genres and there is no reasonable comparison. The special effects and makeup in this film are excellent and the straight man funny man combo of Jones and Smith works very nicely. The story was well written and conceived. Whenever I see Vincent D'Onofrio in something else, I always picture him in this role or in his brief cameo in "Adventures in Babysitting", when the little girl thinks he is the Norse god Thor, her idol. This film rates five out of five stars. Excellent stuff, this.