Men in Black (1997)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  5 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: Barry Sonnenfeld's 'Men in Black,' is genuinely one of the strangest films I've ever seen.
  
  Alien refugees live secretly among humans on Earth, and the Men in Black monitor their activity, wipe the memories of anyone who discovers the truth, and help to ward off invading aliens who aren't so friendly. That concept has potential legs, as, written down like that, it could make for an interesting sci-fi or a commentary on immigration. But instead, the film clearly wants to be a comedy.
  
  That largely comes from the fact it focuses on a New York City cop (Will Smith) this drafted by one agent (Tommy Lee Jones) to join the team, as he's used as a fish out of water to make constant slip-ups and jokes against the straight faces of his new colleagues. That, especially when combined with the absurd set and creature design, makes for a truly bizarre experience, but one which is clearly intended to make you laugh.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The trouble is, it's not actually that funny, and there's nothing else engaging about the film either. There's intended to be a kind of emotional heart with the relationship between the two central agents, but that doesn't get much sincere development, and the aliens aren't given much to form any kind of investment in their fate either.
  
  VERDICT: 'Men in Black,' is the most bizarre concept for a comedy, and in the end, it doesn't really land.

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