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Written by: Lowell Cunningham (comic), Ed Solomon (screen story, screenplay)
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
A police officer joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth.
Verdict
This is such an absolutely fun movie. The concept alone is great, but it's got a great sense of humor and style as it takes tabloid headlines and provides proof they could be true. All alien and conspiracy theories are real with a secret organization protecting us. Jones and Smith play off each other incredibly well as they save the world from total destruction.
Watch It.
Review
This movie was huge, and with the hit theme song by Will Smith it was everywhere at the time of release.
The concept alone is amazing. This purports that all the alien and conspiracy theories are real, and it even provides a great explanation as to why so few people know or remeber. This movie was a big part of pop culture. Those tabloid headlines are actually true, and there are men in black policing the universe and protecting us from that. That idea alone could carry this movie, but pairing stoic Tommy Lee Jones with the exuberant Will Smith creates a great combination. This was at a time when Will Smith was consistently at the top of the box office.
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| Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith play Agent Kay and James, later Agent Jay |
A great introduction with Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) tells us just enough by revealing the existence of aliens and not giving too much away. It also introduces us to the neuralyzer which erases short term memory to keep aliens secret from the general populace.
James (Will Smith), later Agent Jay, is a cop recruited to join the Men in Black (MIB) organization. We're introduced to this world through him. He, and the audience, are shocked to learn how many aliens are on Earth, and that many celebrities are in fact aliens. This movie has a lot of fun with the concept, poking fun at all things weird and providing a new explanation. On top of that, this movie has a lot of comedy. James has an interview along with a bunch of military personnel to join the MIB. In this interview everything is a test. James propensity to buck social norms is hilarious during the interview, but also proves he'd be an asset to MIB. Upon joining, James becomes Agent Jay.
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| Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith play Agent Kay and Agent Jay |
The dynamic between Kay and Jay is the veteran and the rookie. While Kay isn't over the top like Jay, he never misses a chance to remind his new partner that Jay is a rookie out of his league. Kay's deadpan responses are the perfect foil for Jay. Jay's first mission is to stop a bipedal bug set on destroying Earth. It's a typical movie plot, and Jay is frantic to complete the mission. Kay tells him to relax. The world is always on the brink of elimination. This movie is poking fun at celebrities, headlines, and other movies. The one off event in most movies is status quo for the Men in Black.
This has a lot of props and costumes and they still look good. Though, the last sequence is CGI as the director didn't like the original ending and wanted to increase the action at the last minute.
A great idea can carry a movie far, but this casts a great duo and maintains a light tone despite the grave circumstances. It completely works, entertaining the entire way.
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