'Men in Black': A colorful spin through alien territory<\/p>\n
By Bruce Emond<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The U.S. has an immigration problem, and it has
\nnothing to do with the world's have-nots desperately trying to
\ngrab a piece of the American pie.<\/p>\n
These unwanted guests are aliens, grotesque monsters with
\ndeadly powers, which are threatening the stability of planet
\nEarth. So runs the premise of Barry Sonnenfeld's Men in Black, a
\nhuge surprise hit on release in the U.S. last summer.<\/p>\n
It is easy to see why -- the special effects are stunning, the
\nmonsters frighteningly lifelike, the pace fast and furious, the
\nsprite humor just enough to counter the occasionally staggering
\nviolence. But a chorus line of alternately cutesy and threatening
\ncritters does not make for exceptional moviemaking.<\/p>\n
There is no denying it will keep you in your seat as it
\nhurtles along on its breathtaking pace. But its entertainment
\nquotient is dependent on the ability to forgive glaring lapses in
\nfeasibility (easily done), and a simple plot line which becomes
\nunnecessarily tangled and drags towards the end (not so easy).<\/p>\n
K (Tommy Lee Jones) is a stoic, by-the-book agent of a
\ndivision of Immigration and Naturalization Services set up in the
\n1950s to deal with space aliens. The agency conducts its
\nactivities surreptiously, keeping the aliens in line through a
\nsophisticated tracking system and leaving the world's mortal
\npopulation blissfully unaware of the bizarre life forms living in
\ntheir midst.<\/p>\n
The imminent landing of a destructive alien bent on destroying
\nthe world has put the agency on red alert. This alien lands in a
\nPennsylvania cow patch and assumes the human form of the abusive,
\ndim-witted farmer Edgar (Vincent D'Onofrio), who lives with his
\nwife as American Gothic personified.<\/p>\n
K's daunting assignment is to neutralize Edgar the monster but
\ntime is running out. He needs a partner, which leads to rigorous
\ntesting of the best of the U.S. military academies, plus one odd
\nman out, J, a raw New York city police offer.<\/p>\n
While the other candidates are wooden yes-men, J (Will Smith)
\nis glaringly unhindered by the dictates of protocol. While the
\nothers struggle over using a pen and paper with nothing to prop
\nthem against, J grabs a table and hauls it over to his chair. In
\na simulated shoot-out with alien terrorists, J picks off the
\nfigure of a innocent young girl in pigtails carrying her
\nschoolbooks because, he argues, \"no little white girl would be
\nwalking around Harlem looking like that\".<\/p>\n
For his zany ability to think for himself, he is offered the
\njob of K's partner. It comes with a troubling catch. In addition
\nto wearing the standard uniform of black suits and dark shades, J
\nmust also agree to give up all relationships on the outside. A
\npotentially serious detour in the film's supremely lite pace is
\nresolved tritely, with one shot of him gazing wistfully over the
\nEast River.<\/p>\n
Agent J is now on board, and thus begins the chase for the
\nrabid Edgar, riding around in a souped-up pest exterminator van.
\nAlong the way, a devoted cat, beautiful coroner (Linda
\nFiorentino) and thrilling face-off at the site of the 1938
\nWorld's Fair are thrown into the cinematic pile.<\/p>\n
In his previous movies, including Throw Momma from the Train
\nand both Addams Family flicks, Sonnenberg showed his skill at
\nblack comedy. He does it again in Men in Black, nimbly walking
\nthe fine line between overkill (literally) and a beguiling comic
\ncharm which tells viewers it is all in fun.<\/p>\n
Smith, best-known for his long-running role as TV's Fresh
\nPrince of Bel Air, is fed the best lines, playing up the cop's
\nnaivete and rough edges. But the real highlight is Jones,
\nundoubtedly one of the most talented actors of his generation
\n(witness his mincing tour-de-force as the fey homosexual in
\nOliver Stone's JFK).<\/p>\n
He subtly sends up the role of the tenacious detective in The
\nFugitive; his K is a tough guy with a soft center, a man who can
\nswap stories and devour eggs rolls before effortlessly jumping
\nback into his dour agent's demeanor. Despite Smith's
\ngrandstanding, Jones is the actor to watch.<\/p>\n
Fiorentino has a thankless role as Laurel, the token female
\ninterest, sitting around in the morgue waiting for something to
\nhappen. But with her larger-than-life persona and reputation
\npreceding her from her steamy turn in The Seduction, she can
\nstill manage to milk a few laughs.<\/p>\n
As she points desperately to the floor where Edgar lies
\nconcealed on a stretcher, K gets a mixed message of amorous
\nintentions. Laurel forgets her life-or-death predicament to
\nlaunch into a feminist tirade of the double standards on gender
\nand sexuality. Fiorentino seizes on this brief moment to shine,
\nand pulls off one of the funniest snippets in the movie.<\/p>\n
Men in Black entertains throughout but inexplicably loses
\nsteam towards the end. It is then that one realizes the
\nsignificance of its adaptation from a little-known comic strip.
\nThis may be a brilliant homage to visual and special effects
\ntechnology, but the stunning vignettes are difficult to string
\ntogether successfully in a full-length movie.<\/p>\n
And the insidious presence of executive producer Steven
\nSpielberg is always apparent. As the myriad product placements
\nand a veritable conveyor belt of aliens, large and small, pass
\nbefore the eyes, thoughts can only turn to the merchandise spin-
\noffs soon to be decorating the malls. You've been warned.<\/p>",
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