A silly comedy for smart people.

Rating: 9/10 (26 May 2008)

My Take: Hilarious special effects comedy with smart gags and a whole lot of slime.
MEN IN BLACK (known simply as MIB) is yet another summer affair in an already busy affair for summer blockbusters. But like the best ones, MIB learns not to take itself too seriously. Whether it concerns that anyone on Earth is an alien, or a giant cockroach, MIB knows how to make fun with itself and happily admit that it's a comedy. And as a comedy, MIB is actually clever and ingenious. The screenplay by Ed Solomon is filled with clever gags as well as clever ideas. The film is like one clever comic book cartoon with some really smart and hilarious ideas. It is based on a famous comic by Lowell Cunnigham, so the film does the right justice to its source.
Will Smith, who last appeared in another alien invasion flick INDEPENDENCE DAY, is back, and joining him is Tommy Lee Jones, and chemistry between these two characters are terrific. Like in tradition of other partners like Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the LETHAL WEAPON series, Jones and Smith have different personalities, and the sparring between them are worth watching. Solomon's screenplay gives these two guys a lot to do. The rest of the cast have been given the same good treatment as well, which is so much to be said about other summer flicks. The story concerns MIB agents J (Smith) and K (Jones) trying to save the world from a bug-like creature, who takes the form of a Hill-billy farmer (Vincent D'Onofrio) as a sort of human disguise, to take over the world by obtaining a sort of "Galaxy".
Then of course, there are the special effects, which are terrific. Created by the effect wizards from Industrial Light & Magic, the effects here are fun to look it, as they are plentiful. There's also a lot of help from Rick Baker, a professional with monster puppets and make-up, which brings to life a series of slimy yet creative critters as tiny alien "worms" or a giant cockroach that takes the skin and life of a farmer. These effects are darn good. Other than special effects are the production design created by Bo Welch, which are elaborate and fancy. Director Barry Sonnenfeld and his associates have a field day with these crazy, colorful, imaginative and, yes, slimy galaxy of visuals and creates a very stylish summer flick, but not so without substance.
Rating: ****1/2 out of 5.