Subject: REVIEW: MEN IN BLACK (1997)

From: [email-masked] (James Berardinelli)
Date: 30 Jun 1997 23:52:20 GMT

MEN IN BLACK
                       A film review by James Berardinelli
                        Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli

RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5
Alternative Scale: *** out of ****

United States, 1997
U.S. Release Date: 7/2/97 (wide)
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence, profanity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Rip Torn, 
      Vincent D'Onofrio, Tony Shalhoub
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Producers: Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald
Screenplay: Ed Solomon based on the comic book by Lowell Cunningham
Cinematography: Donald Peterman
Music: Danny Elfman
U.S. Distributor: Columbia Pictures

     Have you ever seen a tabloid headline like this:  "Woman gives 
birth to son of six-headed alien"?  MEN IN BLACK, the new science 
fiction comedy from cinematographer-turned-director Barry Sonnenfeld 
(GET SHORTY), postulates that such stories are not the result of fertile 
imaginations, but accurate representations of the truth.  You see, ever 
since the 1960s, Earth has become an intergalactic hideout for aliens in 
need of a place to lie low for a while.  Currently, there are over 1500 
visitors, most in New York City (based on personal experience, that 
number may be low), and their ranks include such high-profile names as 
Sylvester Stallone (he obviously had trouble mastering the language), 
Newt Gengrich (guess what he looks like in his natural form), and Dennis 
Rodman (who knew?).

     MEN IN BLACK is Will Smith's second consecutive motion picture 
close encounter of the third kind.  Here, instead of engaging in ship-
to-ship dogfights with creatures ripped off from ALIEN, he's using 
Series 4 De-atomizers to blast giant cockroaches.  As Jay, he's the 
latest recruit of the ultra-secret sixth division of the INS (the "Men 
in Black" of the title) -- a group of government workers in charge of 
licensing and regulating the presence of non-Earthborn aliens.  His 
partner, Kay (Tommy Lee Jones), is a venerable agent who knows the ropes 
and is willing to give lessons.  Together, the pair go in search of an 
intergalactic assassin (played in human form by Vincent D'Onofrio) whose 
unauthorized activities on Earth could result in the planet's 
destruction.

     In many ways, MEN IN BLACK is the movie that MARS ATTACKS! wanted 
to be, but wasn't.  This is a snappy, clever, often-funny motion picture 
that provides the perfect blend of science fiction-style action with 
comic dialogue.  The screenplay, credited to Ed Solomon (and based on 
the Marvel comic book by Lowell Cunningham) has a sly, sophisticated 
edge that many blockbuster scripts lack.  Sonnenfeld's direction is 
crisp and the editing is tight, resulting in a film that clocks in at a 
mere ninety-five minutes, which proves to be a nearly-perfect length.

     That's not to say that the movie is of masterpiece status, or even 
light on flaws.  There are plenty of minor problems along the way, and 
the ending is somewhat rushed and anticlimactic.  On the whole, however, 
viewers are less likely to remember the glitches than the clever one-
liners, subtle parodies, and effective use of visual effects to 
integrate aliens into everyday existence.  MEN IN BLACK's deliciously 
unconventional spirit lends a refreshing twist to a premise that has 
fueled numerous conspiracy theory movies and one currently-popular 
television series.

     The chief pleasure of MEN IN BLACK isn't being dazzled by the 
special effects, but enjoying the deadpan performances of Tommy Lee 
Jones (whose offhand attitude towards the most bizarre events would make 
Jack Webb proud) and Will Smith.  This is a rare case when the multi-
million dollar, computer-generated creatures don't upstage their real-
life co-stars.  Smith and Jones are a fine pair, and the film's focus on 
them never wavers.  However, while the two leads can't complain about 
screen-time, the supporting players have all been short-changed.  Linda 
Fiorentino, who gets third billing, is vastly underused, appearing only 
peripherally throughout.  Vincent D'Onofrio (as the bad alien's human 
host) and Rip Torn (as Zed, the leader of the Men in Black) don't fare 
much better.  

     A word of caution for those who expect to see INDEPENDENCE DAY 2:  
despite the attempts of certain marketing campaigns to link the two, 
they're vastly different in scope and intent.  MEN IN BLACK is an 
outright comedy (in fact, some of its satire is directed at movies like 
last year's box office champ), not a pastiche of worn sci-fi/adventure 
elements, and there's no big space battle to be found.  In fact, from 
the opening credits to the closing ones, our heroes stay firmly rooted 
on terra firma.  Those accepting MEN IN BLACK for what it is will likely 
agree that this is one of 1997's more satisfying big-budget offerings.

- James Berardinelli
e-mail: [email-masked]
ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin