Review of Men in Black (1934) by Ryan R — 23 May 2012

There is so much positive to say about Men In Black. First of all, I haven't read much of the comic, but I'm inclined to believe that it's perfectly transferred from the pages of the 1990-97 series, to the big screen. This is what comic book movies are supposed to be. They are supposed to have great scripts, with a nice balance of tongue in cheek humor and riveting drama. I mean, they are based on publications of literature. And they wouldn't become movies, unless they were well written. How can screen writers mess up something that was already written out for them? I don't know, but they do it. Another thing that comic book movies should always have is top notch acting. I understand that all movies should have this, but comic book movies need it even more, because they are not taken seriously to start with.

Obviously comic book adaptations should have well done action set pieces. Most comics are full of action, so that's a no-brainer. And finally, I think they should have great music. That's just me being me. I love film scores, so that's something I pay attention to. Too much pop music, and not enough orchestra can really turn the audience off. It can be very distracting. Men In Black has all of the above. It's very stylish, and cool. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are a match made in heaven. They are both hilarious when they want to be, but also have the range to be excellent dramatic actors. Also, they both know their way around an action set. An experienced cast makes for a great start. Plus it's a lot of fun. What good is a film of this nature if the fun is sucked out of it?

The humor is very good, in my opinion. One scene in particular was so racist and stereotypical, that I couldn't stop laughing. The scene I'm referring to involves a cab driver's religious practices. I'll let those of you who haven't seen this in a while reflect on that. Anyway, MIB is actually hilarious at times. I don't think they ever missed the mark with a joke. Some weren't as laugh-out-loud hysterical as others, but they all worked nonetheless. As for performances, I mentioned Smith and Jones, but the stand out was Vincent D'Onofrio as Edgar/The Bug, or roach, or whatever he was. He was great. It takes a lot of skill to walk and talk like he did, for god knows how many hours. His hard work paid off, and he delivered to us a perfect villain. I cannot say that Director Barry Sonnenfeld has done a lot of work that I really enjoyed.

This would have to be his crowning achievement, if you asked me. I sort of enjoyed Wild Wild West, was bitterly disappointed in Men In Black II, haven't seen Get Shorty, don't remember The Adams Family, and don't care to check out any of the television work he's done. So, I cannot give much credit to a less than credible Director. I give all of the credit to the writers, and the cast. Also, the music by Composer Danny Elfman (just about every Tim Burton and Sam Raimi film, The Simpsons, and many more brilliant scores) really accentuates the creepiness of the film, and the fun simultaneously. I loved his score. It was everything I said comic book movie scores should be, and more. In fact, that sums up how I felt about the entire project. Men In Black is everything a comic book movie should be, and more. Save for your extremely required suspension of disbelief, and the occasional cheese, this is an amazing way to spend an hour and a half.