Your stepmother was an alien - Men in Black Reviews

A giant alien warship is threatening the earth from outer space, and Will Smith is at it, again; defending the planet from extraterrestrial aggression. This time, however, in Barry Sonnenfeld's MEN IN BLACK, the aliens are already here, with their tongues pressed firmly against their cheeks, and Smith is recruited by a veteran secret agent (Tommy Lee Jones) to join the cosmic illuminati. At first glance, MEN IN BLACK is an exaggerated lampoon of every wacky conspiracy theory you have ever heard: Yes, UFO's do land -- and, sometimes crash! -- on the on the earth; the world is run by a handful of shadowy power-brokers; Elvis is still alive; and alien babies are born, every day. In fact, The National Enquirer and the Weekly World News are to those in the know what The New York Times and The Newshour with Jim Lehrer are to the ersatz erudite. The basic comic idea of MEN IN BLACK is a very funny one; that extraterrestrials walk among us, and that this explains the all-encompassing quirkiness of our lives. So...that's why Dennis Rodman...and -- that explains New York! The movie, whose hip homages to its crypto-occult topics is reminiscent of GHOST BUSTERS, is also tender with its characters. Smith as the nice, cool-guy -- who doesn't want to let his astonishment show -- is his usual, charming self. Tommy Lee Jones as the tough guy with a soft underside is also appealing. But, of course, like the comic book figures upon which they are based, these characters are two dimensional sketches who often take a back seat to over-the-top visuals. But, MEN IN BLACK recognizes that it runs the risk of making its characters secondary, and it has fun with that idea -- especially, in a scene in which the foreground action of straight-forward conversation involving Jones is entirely drowned out by the background action between Smith and an alien baby being birthed in the back seat of a sedan. Every good science-fiction movie has contemporary sociology at its core, and MEN IN BLACK tries to shoulder its share. At a distant, secondary or even tertiary level, it tries to draw a parallel between space aliens, and immigrants who come to America, surreptitiously making the point that we do, in fact, live in a world made possible by aliens (they serve our meals and park our cars). It's a Good-Ole'-USA theme, with Smith, the all-American, as its principal salesman. But, you should not see MEN IN BLACK to dispel the misconception that aliens are to be distrusted. If you see this movie with such aims in mind, you may be disappointed. Just see MEN IN BLACK to dispel the heaviness surrounding the subject of aliens (all kinds) with a bit of levity and fun. (Carlos Colorado)