Happy Commercial Film, Maybe Too Mainstream For Me

Rating: 6/10 (31 August 2006)

Call me an elitist, or a movie snob or whatever... but when films are as big as "Men in Black" and are popular for no other reason than because they were marketed to death... I'm not going to run to my theater or video store. I think the fact it took me nine years to see this film would probably suggest that.
The film stars Tommy Lee Jones as a man-in-black and Will Smith as a New York policeman who is MIB-in-training. Their boss? Rip Torn (who was outstanding in "Dodgeball"). Their mission: to save a galaxy from an insect race of aliens.
Most of the film is Hollywood excitement with very little substance. Some gun blasts, explosions and alien special effects. Not that it's bad or anything, but the actual story is fairly thin and the "twist" is obvious. So this is therefore the perfect date movie, especially if you're a high school kid or trying to date one.
Aside from Smith and Jones, the real credit goes to Vincent D'Onofrio in his strangest role ever. He has always played a good villain, but I doubt we'll ever see him like this again. Linda Florentino (???) was also excellent, and Tony Shalhoub was decent, though he needed a bigger part.
I enjoyed the opening with the Mexicans (get it? Aliens!) sneaking into America. After that, it was all pretty much what you'd expect. Nothing memorable, nothing extremely clever. Just a fun movie, something that will be replayed on TNT for years to come. (Oh, and great product placement with the Marlboro cigarettes and New Your Post. I guess the aliens are from flavor country.)
I wouldn't have watched this if I hadn't been told to, and I probably never will again. I'd rather watch "Maniac Cop 3".