MIB: Money In the Bank
Smith and Jones Make Men In Black Cool

In what has to be the funniest science fiction film since last year's Tim Burton masterpiece Mars Attacks!, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones take up the roles of J and K (respectively), agents in America's first, best, and only line of defense from alien immigrants. But these aren't your typical South of the Border illegal aliens, and Smith and Jones are not your average border patrol. They are the Men In Black.

Men In Black is a smart, funny, action-packed romp through alien immigration. In a world where aliens have slowly become part of society, a select group of persons unknown to the general populace (or even the US President) is charged with keeping the peace. One such man, Agent K (Jones), sees promise in a young New York detective (Smith) and invites him to try out for the elite force. Soon the new rookie, Agent J, is helping to defend the universe against a "bug" (a bad alien) who wants to steal the Galaxy. It's up to the MIB to find the bug and stop the destruction of Earth. In other words, another typical day at work.

Men In Black is filled with conspiracy theory, tabloid journalism, and enough gadgets to make James Bond envious. Sadly, it doesn't devote nearly enough time to exploring the various aliens, which could certainly have given the movie even more laughs.

Instead, most of the alien races are treated as incidental, with the attention focused on the humans. Aside from Smith and Jones, Linda Fiorentino gives a good supporting role as a coroner named Laurel. Although her character is secondary for most of the script, she becomes more important later. Undoubtedly, if there is a sequel, she will appear again. Also, Rip Torn appears as Zed, the head of the MIB.

I loved Men In Black, and highly recommend it. Most of the aliens are fun, but one or two could scare younger children. There is also some mild profanity. All in all, this is a great science fiction film, destined to be a classic.

MY RATING: 7 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME:96 min.