Tommy Lee Jones' finest hour and a half

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2006)

"Three Burials" not withstanding, this is certainly Tommy Lee Jones' finest performance in mainstream cinema, even including his psychotic brilliance in "Under Siege".
The film is funny and well-made; still I can't help wondering about the film it could have been if director Barry Sonnenfeld hadn't been so fascinated with special effects (his commentary on the DVD is just about worthless).
But Jones has a charm that reminds one of early Henry Fonda - all innocence despite experience, and supremely American in the best sense - plain, honest, determined.
What a weird film for Jones' talent to shine through! But that grows from his inner strength - he makes this film, not the other way around.
(Too bad he felt no such urge in the horrendous sequel, MIB II. But Hollywood sequels are what they are, and that would be another review.)