Great Sci-Fi Comedy

Rating: 9/10 (15 September 2008)

Mixing Science Fiction with comedy is a risky proposition, unless the film in question is a sendup of Sci-Fi films (I still can't decide if "Mars Attacks" was worth the matinée price I paid to see it almost a decade ago). "Men in Black", however, is a near perfect blend of Science Fiction and comedy. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are two of the most watchable actors out there, and the pairing of the two in this film is ingenious. The supporting cast,from Linda Fiorentino to Tony Shaloub, is top notch. The special effects, from the dragonfly flight during the opening credits to the spaceship crash near the finale are excellent. The writing is also much more clever than one might expect from a Sci-Fi picture - the film has to be viewed several times to catch all the barbs and asides Smith and Lee throw at each other. All in all, one of the most entertaining Sci-Fi films to come along in quite a while.