Men in Black - Unearthly Delights (c) Homer Yen
Did you ever wonder if Dennis Rodman was actually from this planet? Or if Sylvester Stallone was some kind of weird extra-terrestrial? I used to think that about my 7th grade English teacher, Ms. Carey. But after seeing this movie, they may have confirmed my suspicions.
As the story goes, at any time, there are over a thousand aliens living among us here on Earth. The Men in Black (MiB) are the watchdogs that oversee the cosmic citizens, guardians of our beloved planet from nasty-tempered aliens, and secret service to the stars. Based in New York City (where weird is the norm), the MiB organization gives human form to our space-faring emigrants so that they may walk and live among us unnoticed. But to enforce the laws of Earth, the MiB carry weapons that are powerful enough to meet or exceed destruction quotas in one single blast. They carry other-worldly technology to erase people's short-term memory when common folk see the MiB in action. And their best leads on cosmic things-gone-awry are the supermarket tabloids.
Little do we know that there are much stronger battles of good v. evil going on in the depths of space. One of the aliens-as-human on this planet is an important diplomat that is carrying something very precious. It holds the 'key', literally, to universal peace. A giant cockroach-like alien soon arrives on the planet and steals this 'key'. In the wrong alien hands (flippers? mandibles? tentacles?), it can be used as a weapon. Therefore, it must be recovered and returned to it's rightful owners. Otherwise, to ensure universal safety, Earth will be destroyed, along with the 'key'. Now, it's the MiB who must prevent this catastrophe. The MiB agents on the case are "K", played by Tommy Lee Jones. He is crustier than burnt toast and even more serious than Al Gore. The stars in the sky no longer spark wonder in his eyes. He is accompanied by a flippant rookie, "J", played by Will Smith.
But, despite this shoot-em-up, protect-Earth-from-destruction premise, this is nothing at all like a typical summer action movie. And, this isn't an Independence Day knockoff. Rather, this is a stylishly offbeat sci-fi comedy that pokes fun at what the government always denies Í that there are real aliens that live here, and that the government does its darndest to cover them up. But to give it some sense of excitement and to keep it within the parameters of the summer movie recipe, there must be some kind of earth-hangs-in-the-balance scenario.
Yet, this movie is very appealing. The abundance of wierdness (talking aliens, pee-wee atomizers, a mortician who 'lives' for her work, and lots of yucky bugs and slime-splattering galore), is played straight, like as if this were normal (of course, we are in NYC). It gives it a deadpan feel, which makes it all the more funnier and odder. Jones plays the venerable seen-it-all agent with seriousness and maturity. Smith is likeable and makes a great comic partner to Jones' straight man routine. They click like Dorothy's ruby red shoes. The look and feel of the movie is made even better with direction from Barry Sonnenfeld (The Addam's Family). This guy has a knack for 'gothic' comedy, and successfully transfers his macabre sense of humor onto the screen. And, an appropriate dose of special effects helps to bolster the oddness of their task without diverting attention from the human actors. The story moves well, and before you know it, the end credits are already rolling! The result is 100 minutes worth of fun in the form of Ewwwws and Blechhhs, Aaaahhhs and Wows. Let the Men in Black protect and color your world.
Grade: B+
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