Review of Men in Black

You know what the difference, between other sci-fi buddy action-comedies and 'Men in Black'? 'Men in Black' make the genre look good. That was until the 2002 & 2012 sequels came out, but that's that is another story for another day. Yet, in the summer of 1997, this film about two secret organization agents, K (Tommy Lee Jones) & J (Will Smith) having to stop an alien invasion from happening, while hiding their existence from ordinary people, could do little wrong. Even if Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones was playing, fictional versions of themselves. They are still great in their roles. Not only that, but surprisingly, both share, really good chemistry with each other. Smith's laid-back boyish charm does match, well against Jones' grump mentor, straight-man persona. They do make a good team. Nevertheless, the best acting in this movie, has to go to Vincent D'Onofrio as the extraterrestrial roach-like villain, Edgar the bug. He really went beyond the call of duty, with his performance. Not only, did he researched watch a lot of insect documentaries, spent hours in make-up with legendary, special effects artist, Rick Baker, but he also put on, knee braces to get the feel of Edgar's restricted movement. That's commitment. I also have to give mad props to animatronic effects from Baker & the visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic for making the aliens, in the film, seem real, even if some of the CGI hasn't really hold up, that well, over the years. In the end, it's still impressive to look at. Another thing that still works for me, is the music score by composer, Danny Elfman. It's fascinating how Elfman was able to make an orchestra sound like crickets and hornets buzzing and chirping. It really adds to the visuals of the title sequence. As for the other music in the film. The rap tunes from Will Smith are just as catchy & memorable as the day, it first came out. 'Men in Black' song really does stand out on its own, to the point, that many people forget that the beats was a sample of 1982's 'Forget Me Nots' by Patrice Rushen. As for the humor for the film. Most of the jokes, physical, and verbally are still, laugh out loud, funny, even if some of them are often recycle, throughout the film, somewhat dated or even not complex. Don't get me wrong, as much as I would love more, well-though out sophistical jokes that mirrors, author, Douglas Adams's 'the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' novel; the lighter, cartoony, out of this world, simpler tone of 'Men in Black' works better for the general audiences. Plus, it's a lot better than the much darker and dryer bleak tone that authors, Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers had in the comic book series of the same name, in which, this movie is loosely based on. Don't get me wrong, I still like the cynicism & more grounded nature of the comic book, but a boogeyman like version, 'Men in Black' fighting the supernatural & brainwashing people to commit mass-school shooting, might not, be the right amount of family-oriented science fiction comedy, this film really need to be successful. After all, it will be really hard to root for, a selfish organization, wanting to secretly control the world, rather than trying to save it. Thank goodness, director, Barry Sonnenfield went with the right direction, by making them, 'the Men in Black' heroic than self-centered a-holes in the action scenes and the case work. Nevertheless, the movie still has a few problems with some of the judgment calls, the agents do, throughout the film. Without spoiling, most of it, I never truly, understood, why, Agent K would neuralize J after meeting him for the first time if he was just going to recruit him the next day? Even, today, it really does bug me down. Regardless of that, the plot-holes in this movie are mostly pretty minor. They're not too jarring, not to enjoy the rest of the film. After all, I quickly forget, that the giant bug alien somehow, fit with Edgar's body, because how entertaining, this is. That's how, watchable, it is! In the end, No neuralyzer will be powerful enough to make you forget this theatrical experience! It's a movie that's worth travelling millions of lightyears for. It's worth probing, after!