MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Sci-Fi Action Comedy/Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D’Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Mike Nussbaum, Jon Gries, Sergio Calderón, John Alexander, Patrick Breen, Becky Ann Baker, Carel Struycken, Fredric Lehne, Kent Faulcon, Richard Hamilton, David Cross, Sean Whalen, Verne Troyer, Harsh Nayyar; Voices of: Tim Blaney, Mark Setrakian, Brad Abrell, Thom Fountain, Carl J. Johnson, Drew Massey/Runtime: 98 minutes
I think it can safely be said that, despite the differences that may exist between all of us as individuals, there are some things that we all definitely have in common. Yet besides the fact that we can all agree that Monday is less a day and more a test created by the world governments to test the range of our individual degrees of sanity, traffic is an absolutely horrendous experience which should be outlawed, taxes are just a straight up headscratcher of a nuisance especially when you learn just what is being paid for with them, and the fact that the sun provides all of us with light (to say nothing of making some of us myself definitely included look like ticked off lobsters if we stay out in it too long) there is another one that I feel is worth including for the benefit of this review. That being that we all have, or at least I would like to think this is the case, looked up at the night sky at some point and/or just straight up wondered if we are truly alone in the vast and seemingly infinite reaches of the universe. Yet what if, through an incredible circumstance, you were invited to be a part of an organization that not only knew the answer to that question, but was also the reason why more people did not? Indeed it is that key narrative hook dear reader that was at the core of a slice of cinema from the long ago year of 1997, and film I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, known simply as Men in Black. A film that, surprise surprise, I happen to have quite a bit of fondness for. Of course, when this is one of the first PG-13 movies that I can honestly remember seeing (and even squirming a little bit) at the tender young age of 6 to say nothing of the fact that all my friends and I actually thought we too had what it took to become a member of the titular organization, is it any wonder that this slice of cinema had such the impact on me as this one has managed to in the over 27 years since it first came out? Yet even when you take off the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, there is no denying that this slice of cinema is an absolute delight in every sense of the word. Yes there are a few miniscule issues here and there, but with the aid of incredible work behind the camera and impeccable work done in front of the camera by an exceptionally well-chosen cast of players Men in Black is one engaging and entertaining sci-fi action comedy that is an absolute delight from beginning to end and every minute in between.
The plot is as follows: A loose adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Lowell Cunningham and inspired by a key element to a lot of the theories in existence about UFOs, Men in Black gets its story underway at a rather unusual place. That being at a sting set up by a group of border patrol agents at the border between the United States and Mexico. It isn’t long though before this sting finds itself interrupted by the arrival of a pair of men wearing dark suits and shades going by K and D respectively. It would appear that amidst the group that has been rounded up by this sting there is one that they would like to have a word with. Not because of any additional crimes he has committed, but because the individual in question isn’t even human, but rather an extraterrestrial (or alien if you prefer things short and simple) known as Mikey. Unfortunately for K and D, this rather routine mission for them doesn’t exactly go the way they want it to which leads to not only them having to engage in some serious clean-up efforts, but also D making the choice to retire from their agency. Cut to some time later and we see that a member of the NYPD named James Darrell Edwards III is in pursuit of an unusually fast perp only to, upon actually catching the guy, see him blink in a strange way and given an ominous word or several of warning before the perp willingly jumps off the top of the Guggenheim Museum. Following this encounter, we see that K show up at James’ precinct and, quite impressed with the kid actually having chased down this individual all by himself, presents him with the opportunity to be a part of his organization. An organization known as (get this) the Men in Black and which, following first contact with aliens being established in the year 1961, has been designated with the objective of monitoring and policing any extraterrestrials who decide to make Earth their residence of choice. Intrigued, we see that James makes the choice to accept K’s offer and is quickly eliminated from all public record whilst also taking on the new identity of “J”. Soon after J’s induction into the MIB however, we see that a potentially serious problem makes itself apparent. It seems that a rather nasty and despicable extraterrestrial entity, known simply as a “bug”, has crash landed in upstate New York, killed a farmer named Edgar, and has proceeded to take his skin to use as a costume to better hide out whilst it pursues its nefarious goals. Thus can our newly formed dynamic duo of J and K get on the same page and work together to figure out what this creature wants on our planet and put a stop to it or is Earth fixing to get a serious butt kickin’ of the extraterrestrial variety? That I will leave for you to see for yourself…..
Now right off, it should be pointed out that the work done behind the camera is quite impeccable and still manages to hold up remarkably well despite a solid 2+ decades having come and gone since the film was first released. Without a doubt in my mind this starts with the work done by the iconic Barry Sonnenfeld in the director’s chair and he was honestly a brilliant choice for the job. Indeed not only does Sonnenfeld bring a wonderful oddball/quirky-type quality to the film that the story desperately required, but through his past as both a director of photography and cinematographer we see that he does a wonderful job of really permitting the camera to be less a filming device and more an actual character in the story. As a result, we see that this creative choice really permits us as an audience to become significantly more invested in whatever is going on in screen at any particular moment than we might otherwise have been able to. Besides the top-notch work done by Sonnenfeld at the helm, this slice of cinema also manages to incorporate jaw-droppingly magnificent work from none other than make-up effects icon Rick Baker. Indeed I have always been an admirer of Baker’s work since either the first Star Wars or The Fury from 1977 and 1978 respectively and here he once again shows audiences why he is seen as one of the elites in his respective corner of the cinema realm as he gives us a gallery of alien creatures here that, regardless of if they are meant to inspire fear, laughter, gasps, or even an adorable “aww” from the audience, all manage to be nothing short of jaw-droppingly impressive both in design and in regards to their execution in the film itself. Indeed I think it can safely be said that, in terms of giving credit where credit’s due, this film might not worked half as well if Baker had not done the creature designs for it. Another key element that I think definitely fits that also would have to be the exceptional score for this film as done by the equally as iconic Danny Elfman (literally any Tim Burton movie ever it feels like). Indeed Elfman’s score here does a wonderful job of really synching up to the delightfully strange and just plain quirky wavelength that the rest of the movie is surfing and proves to be engaging, lively, and genuinely thrilling at points in equal measure. Lastly, I would definitely be amiss if I didn’t take some time in this section to praise the work done on this film’s script by Ed Solomon. Indeed Solomon does a terrific job here of giving us a script here that takes the bare minimum from the source material, but then throws in a delightful blend of three-dimensional characters, loving pop culture wink and nods, goofy comedy, engaging action, and even some genuinely thought-provoking moments and rolls it all into one incredible cinematic package. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate into the mix wonderful work from Donald Peterman in the cinematography department plus stellar efforts from the editing, costume, and set design departments respectively it’s clear that there might be a few hiccups in the machinery here, but overall the work done behind the camera on this film is most assuredly out of this world in the best way possible.
Alongside the impeccable work done behind the camera, this slice of cinema is also one that is blessed quite immensely with possessing a top-tier collection of performances in front of the camera by a cast of players that are all spot-on in their respective roles. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the iconic (or notorious dependent on the story being told about him) Tommy Lee Jones who I feel is absolutely perfect casting as Agent K. Indeed say what you will about how the man has been to deal with when the cameras aren’t rolling, but there is no denying that he is a talent to be reckoned with when given the right material. A claim that is very much validated here as we see that Jones does a phenomenal job at not only bringing to the character the necessary gravitas and gruff demeanor, but also an absolutely delightful deadpan approach to the humor aspect of the film that, as a result, helps make the comedy work that much better. Alongside that however, we also see that Jones does a beautiful job of also bringing some flashes of humanity to the character that do an invaluable job of helping us see past the grouchy exterior and really relating to a character that prefers to keep everyone at arm’s length if he can help it. Suffice it to say it’s an incredible performance and easily one of the 7 best of Jones’ entire career. As terrific as Jones is however, he is matched beat for beat by Will Smith in the role of J. Indeed in many respects, this character is very much meant to be the audience’s guide through this out of this world universe and in that we see Smith is able to not only succeed in that endeavor, but also bring a wonderful mix of charisma, charm, mile-a-minute and very smart-alecky humor, and street-savviness to the part that makes him a delight to watch here especially when paired alongside the very much deadpan Jones. Suffice it to say that, much like with the former, this is easily one of the best performances of Smith’s career and easily one of the 7 best characters he has ever played as well. Now backing our dynamic intergalactic duo up here is a collection of truly incredible support turns and without question this starts with Vincent D’Onofrio in the role of Edgar. Indeed this might be a performance that is more physical than dialogue-driven, but even so D’Onofrio does a fantastic job at really bringing to life a character that is without a doubt sinister yet also (in a darkly comic way) gets increasingly annoyed and uncomfortable as the film goes on at having to wear a literal human suit that, without going into spoilers, feels perhaps just a few sizes too small. Of course, I would be very much amiss if I didn’t take some time in this section to praise the work done here by Rip Torn in the role of MIB Chief Zed. Indeed Torn was always an underrated talent and here he brings a delightful mix of gruff demeanor and droll comedic style to a guy who is no-nonsense yet also able to stay level-headed and grounded during some of the crazier moments in the film. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in winning efforts from such talents as Linda Fiorentino, Mike Nussbaum, and Richard Hamilton plus even smaller yet no less delightful work from David Cross, Verne Troyer, and Tony Shalhoub among others it’s clear that this particular sci-fi cinematic outing might have a few moments where it goes off course, but thankfully the work done by this cast still makes it immensely enjoyable all the same.
All in all and at the end of the day is the first Men in Black from 1997 a perfect slice of cinema? Honestly, as much as 6-year-old Alan would love for me to tell you otherwise, I am afraid that is definitely not the case though by no means is that due to lack of effort on the part of either the incredibly talented cast or crew respectively. With that in mind however, does that make this the worst film in the careers of Barry Sonnenfeld, Tommy Lee Jones, or Will Smith? Oh heck no! Not even close! As for what titles would qualify for that rather dubious honor, I think in the case of the first individual that would have to be either 1998’s Wild Wild West or 2016’s Nine Lives respectively and in the case of either Tommy Lee Jones or Will Smith I think it’s a fairly safe bet to make that you are sure to find at the very least a few entries on their respective filmographies that’ll make you scratch your head and wonder what they were thinking. Sarcasm aside however dear reader, there is no denying that it might not be a perfect film, but I genuinely do love the first Men in Black with a passion. Indeed the work done behind the camera is without a doubt in my mind movie magic at its absolute finest with particular regard to the direction by Sonnefeld, the set designs, a top-notch script, and make-up/visual effects from the iconic Rick Baker that are jaw-dropping both in creativity and execution. As for the work done in front of the camera, it too manages to be just as phenomenal with particular emphasis on the performances given by Smith and Jones as J and K respectively which have gone on to become two of the more iconic characters in both men’s individual filmographies. Suffice it to say then that Men in Black is more than just a delightful start to a fairly noteworthy sci-fi franchise of some renown to say nothing of one of the most enjoyable movies that the year 1997 gave us as movie goers. Rather, it is also an engaging, exciting, genuinely funny, and just plain fun slice of cinema that you and any at least 9- to 10-year-old extraterrestrials in your own life (or kids as I hear that they are called here on Earth) are sure to enjoy time and time again. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go talk to these suspicious suit-wearing individuals who’ve been following me and remind them that not only am I most assuredly not from Mars as per popular rumor (I am actually from Pluto. Everyone knows this), but also not to neuralyze me anytime soon. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Men in Black “97” a solid 4 out of 5.
