MEN
IN BLACK
Protecting the earth
from the scum of the universe
Steven
Spielberg gives us his take on the legendary "Men In Black",
the blokes who turn up after UFO sightings and "clean up".
In this case, the two main MIBs are J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee
Jones).
NY cop, J is introduced
into the underground organisation by K, and finds a new world, where
the MIBs monitor all the alien immigrants on earth. Enter the
Bug, (Vincent D'Onofrio) a dangerous alien who has drawn the earth into
an intergalactic dispute. J and K set out to hunt the Bug down.
This is a romp
and a half. Played from a strictly comic point of view, tongues
are in cheek, gizmos and ludicrous aliens abound. There is some
great comedy here, and a bundle of classic lines, delivered po-faced
by Jones and quippily by Smith. Will Smith plays......well, Will
Smith, but in black, while Tommy Lee Jones is great as stony K, the
long-serving agent with all the answers. Rip Torn is good as Z,
chief MIB, and D'Onofrio gives a solid show as the body-stealing Bug.
This is pure hokum, but greatly entertaining. The vast array of
aliens are well-done and fit seamlessly into the HQ of the MIBs as well
as the mean streets of NY. A sequel is planned, I gather, and
was inevitable really. But roll it on- if it's as entertaining
as this one, it should be worth the while. Nothing complex, nothing
tense or gripping here, but a slick piece of sci-fi comedy, well-delivered
and solidly acted. DJY
STORYLINE:
65%
ACTING: 62%
SPECIAL EFFECTS:
93%
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 85%
Overall
: 73%
BEST
QUOTE: Kay: You sold a reverberating carbonizer with mutate capacity
to an unlicensed cephalopoid, Jeebs!
Jeebs: He looked
alright to me.
Main
Cast List
Tommy Lee Jones
.... Kay
Will Smith ....
James Darrel Edwards III/Jay
Linda Fiorentino
.... Dr. Laurel Weaver/Elle
Vincent D'Onofrio
.... Edgar/Bug
Rip Torn ....
Zed
Tony Shalhoub
.... Jeebs
Siobhan Fallon
.... Beatrice
Mike Nussbaum
.... Gentle Rosenberg
Jon Gries ....
Van Driver
Sergio Calderon
.... Jose
Carel Struycken
.... Arquillan
Fredric Lehne
.... INS Agent Janus
Richard Hamilton
.... Dee
Kent Faulcon ....
1st Lt. Jake Jensen
John Alexander
.... Mikey
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