Men in Black (1997)
A movie review by Michael J. Legeros Copyright 1997 by Michael J. Legeros
(Columbia)
Directed by Barry Sonnenfield
Written by Ed Solomon, based on the comic book by Lowell Cunningham
Cast Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Rip Torn,
Vincent D'Onofrio, Tony Shalhoub
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time 95 minutes
Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh, NC (26JUL97
and 01JUL97)
==
The de facto best of the June and early-July action comedies, MEN IN BLACK has everything that you could want in yet another $100M adap- tation of a comic-book: a wise-cracking lead (Will Smith), his crusty partner (Tommy Lee Jones, all deadpan), a bugged-out villain (Vincent D'Onofrio, with a hefty assist from make-up artist Rick Baker), a pop- reference friendly premise (GHOSTBUSTERS meets "The X-Files" meets "Dragnet" meets THE BLUES BROTHERS), cool sets and cooler gadgets (prod- uction design by Bo Welch), good music (by Danny Elfman), great loca- tions (in and around New York City), and a director (Barry Sonnenfield, of GET SHORTY and ADDAMS FAMILY fame) who happens to have the most macabre sense of humor this side of Tim Burton. And all of it rendered in such a disarmingly unpretentious and almost... throwaway fashion, that you can't *help* but like it. By the second hour, however, the seams begin to show. There's not nearly enough plot or character de- velopment to offset the sight gags or special effects, both of which are *also* in short supply. MEN IN BLACK holds back on everything and the result is a cycle as vicious as Mike Tyson's appetite for flesh. There isn't enough story to keep the characters interesting when the gags go flat, nor are there enough gags to keep the characters interesting when the *story* goes flat. Maybe the sequel will be a bit better.
Grade: B+
-- Mike Legeros - Movie Hell http://www.nonvirtual.com/hell/
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