Movie Review: Men in Black

Men in Black

I've never read or even seen the comic book series that Men in Black is allegedly based upon, but I can believe that's where it all began when I see and appreciate the comic-like humor and action in the movie. Of course, starting off with an utterly unbelievable premise and making the audience buy it wholeheartedly also doesn't hurt.

Men in Black is a secret government agency that's so secret even the government doesn't actually know it exists. The group was formed as sort of an extra-terrestrial INS to control alien influx and movement on earth. Part of the appeal of the agents, the actual men in black, is just how utterly blase they can be over situations that would paralyze the rest of us in fear or disbelief. To that end, Tommy Lee Jones plays the always-serious, but somehow often tongue-in-cheek, Agent Kay to perfection; Will Smith is a New York City cop who becomes Kay's partner, Agent Jay. Smith, by the way, first proved in this movie that he has fine-tuned his comedic acting abilities to the highest levels, and that he's no slouch as an action hero, either..

We're told that the men in black save the world periodically from doom, and the story told by the film is no exception. A "bug" has come to earth and he intends to take the galaxy with him when he leaves. Another group of powerful aliens is threatening to destroy the earth if the galaxy is not somehow kept from the "bug" and given to them. The adventures of the earstwhile men in black take them from the New York City Morgue to an upstate New York farm and back, all the while surrounded by alien hijinx. Is earth doomed? Who will the "bug" take with him as an in-flight "snack"? Will Agent Jay ever learn that some buttons should just not be pushed?

The premise is out-of-this-world, and the action ranges from silly to frightening. The film as a whole is an entertaining roller coaster of seamlessly-combined detective work, high-end special effects, and edge-of-your-seat action. The make-up effects alone are worth the price of a rental, and actor Vincent D'Onofrio as the "bug" is pure joy to see with acting so brilliantly crafted the make-up effects are almost superfluous in his case (D'Onofrio has more recently gotten rave reviews as one of a detective team on the latest of TV's acclaimed Law and Order franchise, Law and Order: Criminal Intent). I watched this movie again just the other day to refresh my memory as to its finer points, and I had a terrific time doing it.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Men in Black is rated PG-13. There's no sex and very little bad language, but some of the violence - though comic-bookish, of course - is fairly graphic. The aliens are also so well done that younger children will have a difficult time not believing that they are real and becoming overly frightened as a result. For kids age 10 and up or so, though, and for any adult who still has a little bit of kid in him, I can recommend this movie without resrevation.