Subject: RETROSPECTIVE: MEN IN BLACK (1997)

From: [email-masked] (James McGowan)
Date: 23 Jun 1997 16:11:59 GMT

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

I had the pleasure of seing Men In Black last night at a press 
screening.  First, if there's justice in this world, MIB should blow 
every summer release out of the water (not a thinly veiled reference 
to that execrable waste of celluloid, Speed 2, or to the upcoming 
Titanic).  Second, it's great to see some imagination to go along with 
great special effects for a change!

The story line is cute, and does a great job of twisting popular 
perspectives on such things as the tabloid press and government 
conspiracies.  Jones is his usual gruff, lovable self as a seasoned 
"man in black".  Smith is terrific as a befuddled inductee to the MIB 
organization.  My personal favorite (and obviously the audience's) was 
Vincent DiOnofrio as, well, a loathsome human who gets hijacked by an 
even more loathsome alien.  His spastic body English had me in 
hysterics from beginning to end.

In short, MIB is hysterically funny, with lots of witty dialog and 
beautifully rendered sight gags.  If you could combine Terminator 2 
with Beetlejuice, you'd have a rough approximation of what I mean.  
I'll stop here and just advise that you get in line on opening night.  
What a blast!