James Edwards (Will Smith) is a New York City cop who, after chasing down a surprisingly agile suspect with some unusual eyelids, is approached by Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) of The Men In Black - a secret agency in charge of policing and monitoring alien activity on Earth. After his memory of recent events is wiped, Edwards is invited to come to an interview the next day and subsequently becomes Agent J, K's new partner, just in time to get himself caught up in a situation in which the outcome could very well be Earth's destruction by an alien warship. Tony Shalhoub makes an appearance as Jeebs, the slippery alien pawn shop owner, and Rip Torn stars as Zed, chief of MIB.
The film plays out in a comic book style that even non comic book fans will enjoy, though if you don't have at least some interest in sci-fi it might not be your cup of tea. The whole thing is wonderfully polished in an enjoyable way - it's obvious that the actors all had a great time filming, and that fun seeps effortlessly out of the screen. Really, what is not to like about a cocky Will Smith and a straight-faced Tommy Lee Jones kicking alien butt under the executive production of Steven Spielberg? The special effects stand the test of time (minus one very offensive instance of green screening) and the story is there. There are plenty of interesting ideas played with throughout and there's enough action to keep anyone interested.
I've never heard of anyone who doesn't like this movie, though I'm sure there are some detractors out there, and with good reason. While not a classic masterpiece, it's nearly perfect on the enjoyability and quality scales. If you're behind the times and never got around to seeing this one, do yourself a favor and rectify that situation post haste.
***** (5/5 stars)
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