Hommes en noir

This movie was good fun!

It was one of those rare films that allowed you to take your brain out and play with it for a while. While other films are just plain stupid, this film was charming. It knew the secret: if you're suspending believability, then DON'T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY!!!

This film had original and interesting moments that were neither predictable nor rehashed. It had that quality which allowed you to have fun in a fanciful world. It was extremely clever; not from scientific accuracy but from parody, subplot and humour.

As my one line summary says, this is one of the best sci-fi comedies ever made, next to the classic Ghostbusters and the highly underrated Evolution. This movie has action, comedy, and some of the best special effects in the last ten years. Rick Baker, Hollywood's resident 'creature man', as I like to call him, has made such a wide variety of aliens. There's the first alien we see, Mikey; there's the Worm Guys; and the villanous Bug. But there are many others, such as Frank the Pug and the twins. The squid baby is pretty neat. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith have an undeniable chemistry together, which repeats itself in the sequel. Linda Fiorentino is also good as the leading lady, and veteran actor Rip Torn is gruff as the head of MIB, Zed. Vincent D'Onofrio is also pretty good. My favorite line: "No, ma'am. We at the FBI do not have a sense of humor that we are aware of." All in all, two thumbs up, baby!

On the surface, a film featuring the straight-laced Tommy Lee Jones fighting aliens would seem to be a terrible idea. However, throw in some humor from Will Smith and some great filmmakers, and all of a sudden you have created a classic, genre-busting experience.

For a basic plot summary, "Men in Black" sees Agent K (Jones) policing hidden aliens that constitute our planet unbeknownst to the general population. But, since K is starting to get a bit long in the tooth, he sets about bringing a little bit of new blood into the MIB organization, which is where James Edwards (Smith), an NYPD street cop, comes into the picture.

The chemistry between Jones (the "straight man") and Smith (the "cutup") is what really makes this movie fun to watch. Their banter back and forth never stops from beginning to end and is always good for a chuckle.

Of course, just the concept of the film alone is unique in and of itself. Though the potential for utter failure was quite high, director Barry Sonnenfield (with probably more than a little help from executive producer Steven Spielberg) manages to make the film take itself just seriously enough to work, not but not seriously enough to prevent a lot of fun from creeping into the screenplay.

Overall, "Men in Black" is just a fun film that (in its day) was something completely new to the cinematic landscape. Unless you just really aren't into the often goofy nature of the movie, you will enjoy the special effects and witty banter thoroughly.

I am very upset that most people take this movie too seriously This movie is just a nice comedy with a very intriguing subject. Most people try to find bug in this movie but i believe that they should just sit back and enjoy the great epic line. Let's be serious do you believe that a galaxy can be carried around a cat's belt or that "Elivs is not dead he's just gone home" ? For this reason I believe this is an excellent comedy with a Sf theme. I also appreciate that the acting is very good and the script is very nicely written. I urge people to stop taking the "noisy cricket" too serious! This movie is making fun of the people who take this sort of things too seriously.

"Men in Black" and "Galaxy Quest" are in my mind the best sci-fi comedies ever made, because they are both hilarious parodies of two different cultures. Whereas the latter spoofed obsessed fans who take sci-fi entertainment WAY too seriously, this one spoofs the paranoid, tin-foil-hat brand of conspiracy theorists. It has funny characters, witty lines, and does not at all take itself seriously.

There are a lot of small details that can take multiple viewings to catch. One thing I found funnier the second time I watched it is the scene where Will Smith has just been severely lectured by his boss in the interrogation room when Tommy Lee Jones enters, asks a few questions, and tells Smith to come with him. Smith: "I can't, there's still a lot of paperwork to fill out." Jones: "No, the paperwork is all taken care of." Smith's boss (walking by): "Hey, nice work, Edwards!" This is one of many quick, funny scenes that you only really get if you're paying attention.

All the actors do a good job, too. I thought Rip Torn was the funniest character, and Edgar the bug was hilariously gross. Linda Fiorentino was one of the coolest female characters ever. She put Ripley to shame. Every time I watch this, I want to marry her.

Overall, it's a great comedy that is clever and fun all the way through. 8/10 stars.