Men in Black

MiB Web site

SF elements

aliens secretly on earth, conspiracy theory

Men in Black (1997)
Men in Black II (2002)

1997

Men in Black

Saving humanity from the scum of the universe

Review

Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are "Men in Black", ultra-secret agents ensuring that ordinary people never realise that various aliens are visiting the earth, and ensuring that those aliens obey the law. Now there's trouble: a giant bug with an attitude is on the loose, and another bunch of aliens are threatening to destroy the earth.

[A new baby] MiB is a bit slow in places, and rather thin on plot, but the various gags are deliciously witty, rather than the usual second-rate slapstick that seems to pass for humour these days. The special effects are different and clever, and Smith and Jones play it serious and wonderfully deadpan, which is the only way to do this style of comedy well. A superior send-up of all those alien-invader government-conspiracy movies.

Rating: 3

reviewed 22 August 1997

2002

Men in Black II

Same planet. New scum.

Review

[They're back] Five years on, and Jay [Will Smith] is now a mature and respected agent at MiB, while the neuralysed retired Kay [Tommy Lee Jones] is living a happy life in a rural Post Office. But now there's trouble: a McGuffin happens, so Kay must be brought back, and deneuralysed, to Save the World.

Somewhat faster paced than the original (there's none of that slightly tedious "naive Jay in training"), but even thinner on plot (it's essentially just a straight line chase), and rather less of a send-up, yet there are still enough good scenes, and references to the original, to make this a fun way to while away an evening.

Rating: 3.5

reviewed 27 August 2002