A movie with a lot of style, and very little substance. But you know what? Doesn't matter.

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 2002)

The plot of aliens trying to either take over or destroy the earth has been done almost to death in recent memory. Some good (Independence Day), and some bad (Mars Attacks!). But Men in Black has something most movies don't, and that's style. This movie is just oozing with style. First of all, yes, aliens are trying to destroy the Earth, the Galaxy, whatever. The difference here is that it's not a bunch of earthlings coming together in a time of need to defend the planet from unknown life-forms. Here, aliens live among us (including Sylvester Stallone, New York weatherman Al Roker, and of course Dennis Rodman). But there are only a select group of men and women who know all about the aliens, and the rest of the planet is kept in the dark, to protect us. One of the funniest scenes is the airport-like terminal where the aliens come into the country (of course they come through New York), sometimes just for lunch. The ones sent out to protect us from the bad aliens, and to make sure the aliens conform to the alien-earthling treaties, are known as the Men in Black. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith play K and J, two of the Men in Black. When a "bug" falls to Earth and wants to take over the galaxy, it's up to those two to save the day. It's the look and feel of the movie that sets it apart from the rest. It's a comedy, so the laughs are intentional, and not accidental. And surprisingly enough, it's not Smith who turns out to be the funniest one. Jones has one-liners that sound twice as funny because he's so damn serious all the time. The interaction between the two in wonderful, with Jones being the older, wiser one who knows all the tricks of the trade, and Smith being the newcomer, brash and invincible, ready to take on whatever comes his way. The special effects are actually some of the best I've seen in that they're completely seamless. Danny Elfman provides another terrific score, reminiscent of Beetlejuice and The Addams Family. One of the most entertaining films you can see. Got it Slick?