Men in BlackWho knows what kind of strange and unusual aliens walk among us? The shadowy organization that is "above the system", ominously dubbed the "Men in Black", that's who. Men in Black is a scifi take on a buddy cop movie, featuring the new recruit--formerly James Darrell Edwards, later simply "Agent J" (Will Smith)--and his senior partner, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). The duo attempts to track down an insectoid assassin from outer space--who has dispossessed a rough redneck named Edgar (Vincent D'Onofrio) of his skin and assumed his likeness--and stop it from making off with an entire galaxy and in turn plunging the Earth into intergalactic war. All in a day's work for these men of mystery in matching suits.
|
|
Men in Black is a fast-moving comedy, heightened by Will Smith's characteristic comic timing, and contrasted by Tommy Lee Jones' deadpan humor. Were Men in Black a traditional buddy cop flick, this would be enough; in this tongue-in-cheek scifi romp with aliens that explode into blue goo and squid babies, it becomes uproariously funny. Men in Black helped to propel Will Smith's cinematic career, having already made a name for himself as a professional rapper and TV star from "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"; his performance as Agent J shows his penchant for physical comedy as well. Men in Black features some very rich special effects, and this is important since the film depicts a wide variety of alien life, some looking more human than others. Like the aliens in the film, much of the humor in Men in Black comes from unexpected and unlikely things being more than meets the eye. Most of the aliens which call Earth a neutral refuge--as K puts it, like "Casablanca without the Nazis"--disguise themselves as ordinary (or at least passable) human beings (including some celebrities), with most settling in or around Manhattan. This is fortunate for J--a former NYPD cop--who stumbles into the world of intergalactic policing when he manages to run down a lithe and terrified humanoid alien on foot. These skills impress K, and the senior member feels a sense of simpatico with J--he teases his boss, Zed (Rip Torn), that they both have a "problem with authority". What this really means is that K sees in J what is really needed in defending the Earth from the unexpected--someone adaptable and tenacious, and someone who isn't afraid to leave the bureaucracy behind in the interest of the greater good. K educates J on the unusual perils of the job by throwing him headfirst into wild and unpredictable situations, helping to coax this adaptability even as he paradoxically must conform to the rules and regulations of his new, supra-national organization.
Men in Black has the rare distinction of being one of a few movie franchises--such as Blade--adapted from a short-lived comic book series by Marvel Comics (prior to the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster explosion), although the film is a more light-hearted affair. Even when the threat of blasters--like the infamous "Noisy Cricket"--and mayhem come up in the story, these moments are usually played for comedy. For example, when J accidentally activates a floating orb which bounces around without any indication of stopping, or when he fires his flimsy looking weapon, and the recoil blasts him back into the windshield of a car. These moments successfully take the tension and flip it for a potent laugh. J's world is itself flipped upside-down when K introduces him to the world of aliens hiding among us, like when he takes J to visit local pawn shop sleaze and extraterrestrial arms dealer, Jack Jeebs (Tony Shalhoub). K actually does this a couple of times, and to cover his tracks until such time as J is formally inducted into the organization, he wipes his memories with his standard issue "neuralizer"--a small rod the size of a pen which emits a powerful red light that imposes temporary amnesia. K also uses this to keep the lovely yet inquisitive city coroner, Dr. Weaver (Linda Fiorentino), from remembering her visits by the Men in Black, looking to discover the reason that Edgar (the bug) has come to the city, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake. Men in Black plays on a variety of sight gags and cultural references to make its humor resonate, like the towers at the World's Fair being flying saucers hidden in plain sight, or a comment about Elvis "not being dead", and that he "just went home". Men in Black builds off of the conspiratorial mystique of the eponymous men in black--shadowy agents who work for the government, charged with misinforming the public and concealing evidence of the supernatural. Unlike this popular interpretation, the agents in MiB all seem to be rather good-natured, or at least not malevolent, cloak-and-dagger types. When K and his then partner, Agent D (Richard Hamilton), interrupt an intervention by border patrol from arresting someone smuggling Mexicans across the border, K knows that the bigger issue is one of an intergalactic alien that proves to be a far more dangerous foe than the people in the back of the truck--K even shows that he can speak Spanish fluently to root out the pretender among the crowd. One of the scenes in Men in Black that has the most impact is the one where J and K talk by the bay about the offer made to join the Men in Black. K tells J why it must be a global secret, and what he must give up to accept it--he must leave his entire life behind in pursuit of a higher level of knowledge. It is a daring move, but one which J eventually makes after he ponders his life while staring out across the water. That rare ability to devote oneself to an adventure and responsibility like that is what proves he is the best of the best.
Recommended for: Fans of a witty and exciting scifi comedy about conspiracy theories, shadowy agencies, and the aliens who walk among us--as if pulled right from the "hot sheets" (i.e. supermarket tabloids). Since the movie moves at a quick pace, the comedy and action is just as concise and tight.
Men in Black has the rare distinction of being one of a few movie franchises--such as Blade--adapted from a short-lived comic book series by Marvel Comics (prior to the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster explosion), although the film is a more light-hearted affair. Even when the threat of blasters--like the infamous "Noisy Cricket"--and mayhem come up in the story, these moments are usually played for comedy. For example, when J accidentally activates a floating orb which bounces around without any indication of stopping, or when he fires his flimsy looking weapon, and the recoil blasts him back into the windshield of a car. These moments successfully take the tension and flip it for a potent laugh. J's world is itself flipped upside-down when K introduces him to the world of aliens hiding among us, like when he takes J to visit local pawn shop sleaze and extraterrestrial arms dealer, Jack Jeebs (Tony Shalhoub). K actually does this a couple of times, and to cover his tracks until such time as J is formally inducted into the organization, he wipes his memories with his standard issue "neuralizer"--a small rod the size of a pen which emits a powerful red light that imposes temporary amnesia. K also uses this to keep the lovely yet inquisitive city coroner, Dr. Weaver (Linda Fiorentino), from remembering her visits by the Men in Black, looking to discover the reason that Edgar (the bug) has come to the city, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake. Men in Black plays on a variety of sight gags and cultural references to make its humor resonate, like the towers at the World's Fair being flying saucers hidden in plain sight, or a comment about Elvis "not being dead", and that he "just went home". Men in Black builds off of the conspiratorial mystique of the eponymous men in black--shadowy agents who work for the government, charged with misinforming the public and concealing evidence of the supernatural. Unlike this popular interpretation, the agents in MiB all seem to be rather good-natured, or at least not malevolent, cloak-and-dagger types. When K and his then partner, Agent D (Richard Hamilton), interrupt an intervention by border patrol from arresting someone smuggling Mexicans across the border, K knows that the bigger issue is one of an intergalactic alien that proves to be a far more dangerous foe than the people in the back of the truck--K even shows that he can speak Spanish fluently to root out the pretender among the crowd. One of the scenes in Men in Black that has the most impact is the one where J and K talk by the bay about the offer made to join the Men in Black. K tells J why it must be a global secret, and what he must give up to accept it--he must leave his entire life behind in pursuit of a higher level of knowledge. It is a daring move, but one which J eventually makes after he ponders his life while staring out across the water. That rare ability to devote oneself to an adventure and responsibility like that is what proves he is the best of the best.
Recommended for: Fans of a witty and exciting scifi comedy about conspiracy theories, shadowy agencies, and the aliens who walk among us--as if pulled right from the "hot sheets" (i.e. supermarket tabloids). Since the movie moves at a quick pace, the comedy and action is just as concise and tight.