Still holds up after 20+ years

Rating: 7/10 (14 June 2019)

This was my first time watching this film, as I'm intending to binge on the series before heading for the new MIB: International. I knew what to expect as the knowledge of this franchise always existed in my head.
First off, the chemistry between Tommy-Lee Jones and Will Smith is really charming and appealing - almost accomplishing an unmentioned father-son bond. The contrast between Jones' deadpan delivery and Smith's energetic and hyper performance is what makes it all the more entertaining.
Speaking of entertaining, the humor and wit managed to genuinely make me laugh - especially with the experienced comedy-chops of Smith and his improvised quips throughout the film. The film manages to understand its tone and bring everything to contribute to that tone - especially casting and production design.
The world building is very interestingly done, with props, sets and alien design obviously influenced by the alien-craze of the 60s - when such fiction and theories about 'men in black' arose. The filmmakers established the world and the MIB agency as much as we audiences need to know in order to follow this film, while leaving a potential for more exploration in the future and sequels.
Oddly, the cheesy 90s VFX of the aliens works with the weirdness of the tone of this film, and the absurdity of the concept of aliens hiding in our normal world.
Not so much
I feel the film downplayed the reactions of unsuspecting humans to discovering the existence of aliens, which normally would somewhat traumatize someone and make them question their beliefs -- before finally being used to the concept. This definitely applied to Will Smith's and Linda Fiorentino's characters, who don't really seem surprised about seeing aliens for the first time ever.
The plot was very convoluted, and it's almost as though there was no substantial reason as to why things were happening the way they were. The stakes were extremely elevated, but we audiences could not feel the urgency of the matter as the film didn't clearly establish why a particular McGuffin (prop of great importance) was really important to save/protect - and especially why the antagonist needed it.
Will Smith's character 'J' - though entertaining - felt shallow as a written character. No backstory or any motivation for joining the MIB was explored, which would add more resonance and relatability to the character.
Overall, it's a very entertaining family-friendly watch, and has gotten me excited to watch the sequels.