Can Double Bill With Ghostbusters.

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2015)

Men in Black (1997): Dir: Barry Sonnenfeld / Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn: Thankfully not a Ghostbusters ripoff but its title clarifies secret operations beyond our understanding. After pursuing a suspect a cop played by Will Smith is introduced to Tommy Lee Jones who is an agent for a corporation that monitors 1500 alien life forms inhabiting the Earth. An alien inhabits a human and searches for a universe, which happens to be a tiny ball dangling from a cat's collar. Jones has a device that erases any dealings with outside people. This is to keep the agency a secret. Exquisite effects with imaginative plotting evaporating in its action climax. Director Barry Sonnenfeld brings a sense of wonder with good comic chemistry between Smith and Jones. Smith brings out the bewilderment of the cop, and Jones plays it straight with dry sarcasm. Vincent D'Onofrio portrays the alien distorting a human. This allows for some effective humour. Linda Fiorentino is given a thankless role and her reactions are hardly realistic. Rip Torn is also flat as the head of the M.I.B headquarters whose role mainly consists of bearing a title. An interesting followup for Sonnenfeld who made Get Shorty prior to this. Its secret conspiracy elements are compelling in activity going on that are beyond our imagination. Score: 7 ½ / 10