Very similar film viewing experience to "Ghosbusters"

Rating: 8/10 (10 May 2005)

I use the summary title line to infer that MIB,as was Ghostbusters before,was very much a "cinema" movie. In other words,if you get a chance somehow to see this on the large screen,do it! The energy,special effects and rollicking rhythm of the movie fits better on a large screen with full sound.
Borrowing on elements of any alien,sci-fi movie(and a few t.v. shows,like "Project UFO" and "X-Files")and throwing in a healthy dose of humor to create a fairly unique take on the "alien invasion" genre.
Will Smith is a NYPD detective whose pursuit of a perp has him witnessing something he didn't expect he ever would see. For this,he is recruited by a grim-looking but humored agent(Tommy Lee Jones),who proceeds to explain the mission of his organization,the Men in Black,a super-secret organization that has no official ties to the government,has been in existence for over thirty years and is "the first,best and only line of defense" against rogues from other galaxies. Reluctant at first,Smith's character Edwards decides to give up his identity and join this elite group,partnering with JOnes' Agent K. Their assignment happens to be none other than tracking the bug creature who has possessed the body of a loathsome Kansas redneck farmer(played with absolute physical brilliance by Vincent D'Onofrio!),who has malevolent designs on EArth and the galaxy.
BArry Sonnenfeld,who also helmed "Addams Family" and "Get Shorty",is hardly what I'd consider a perfect director("Big Trouble","Life With Mikey"? anyone?),but he seems right for this film,as it is played mostly for laughs,but with enough action to not bore most audiences. It's also kept juvenile enough to appeal to the kid demographic,much like "Ghostbusters".
One last thing it has in common with it's 80s ectoplasmic cousin(besides the fact that hey were both produced by Columbia/Tri-Star)is that their sequels were watchable but nowhere near as good as the originals.