One of the funniest comedies to come out of Hollywood in years

Rating: 9/10 (18 February 2005)

Not a year goes by where we don't hear some theory about aliens walking among us. Tons of sightings all over the world. Tabloid headlines lapping them up. One of the great things about Men in Black is the way it pokes fun at all of these concepts, and still finds time to laugh at itself in the process.
Men in Black is one of those refreshing comedies we used to get in abundance, and are a rarity these days. I'm talking about films like Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. All great comedies with terrific special effects that never overshadows the acting, and plenty of wall to wall gags from start to finish.
Our story begins on the Mexican border, where cops have just grabbed a group of illegal Mexican immigrants. At the same moment, two men in black suits, Agents K (Tommy Lee Jones) and D takes one of the immigrants aside. In reality, this 'man' is an alien in disguise. This comes as no shock to K and D. And when they are forced to kill the alien (Mikey), they simply wipe the cops memories clear of the event. These agents are the Men in Black (MIB), whose job is to "monitor, license and police alien activity on the planet Earth."
The Men in Black are about to get a new agent, the smart alec J (Will Smith), who has just had a close encounter of his own. J's resourcefulness in dealing with the alien impresses K, and J is immediately drafted. Just in time to combat a new alien threat.
An alien cockroach (yes cockroach!) arrives on Earth to steal a miniature galaxy from two alien ambassadors. The cockroach (or Edgar as he comes to be called) will take the galaxy back to his people so they can conquer their arch-enemies, the Arquillians.
If the plot sounds daft, well it is. Doesn't make much sense does it? But you'll find yourself not caring. Men in Black is tremendous fun. The writers get a lot of enjoyment out of poking holes at the old clichés of alien invasions and government conspiracies.
It also has two great actors on top comic form. Smith and Jones are a terrific double act. Smith's wise-ass remarks and Jones' laid back, deadpan attitude are a perfect fit. Every scene with them is a highlight, and they get a lot of great exchanges:
K (on an alien) "Did he say anything to you?" J "Yeah he said the world was coming to an end." K "Did he say when?"
As we follow K and J on their job, we learn about their world and ours in the process. Aliens have been on Earth for years, living in secret. The World's Fair was a cover-up, and if they look like flying saucers to you, that's because they are. Steven Spielberg. Sylvester Stallone. They're aliens too. (No surprises there!) But the people of Earth must never know. Why? Because we're too panicky to handle the truth. Harsh, but probably true. The truth is out there. We're just too stupid to see it.
A lot of the gags comes from the alien effects designed by Rick Baker. Some are slimy. Some are hairy. And some of them smoke too! And dogs, they're probably aliens too if Frank the Pug is anything to go by. But what is refreshing about Men in Black is the way Barry Sonnenfeld doesn't overkill the story with effects. Most of the jokes are more subtle, and one of the film's joys is looking for them. There is a nice running gag throughout Men in Black about whether or not cab drivers in New York are aliens. No, not as many as you think.
Rip Torn and Linda Fiorentino (sexy as hell!) get a bit shortchanged because most of the exposure is on our heroes. That's a shame, but it doesn't spoil the fun, especially when you get great lines from Jones:
Beatrice "You're here to make fun of me too?" K "No ma'am we of the FBI do not have a sense of humour that we're aware of."
Clocking in at a lean 97 minutes, this makes the direction crisp, tight, and straight to the essentials. Maybe Men in Black should have been longer, because it would have strengthened the plot. But as it is, we have on our hands a very enjoyable comedy that just gets better and better with age.
Love the gag at the end too. Our entire galaxy is nothing more than a marble being played with in a game of marbles.