Runtime: 98 minutes
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn
From: Columbia
I wasn't expecting to watch this late last night-let alone write a longer review than usual-but here you go...
I haven't watched the Academy Awards since 2019; the ceremony being so different last year plus not having seen most of the movies nominated in any category (even now) was why. This year, the changes they made to “increase ratings” offended me on basic principle so why bother? I actually watched another movie before this one via the DVR and that will be discussed tomorrow evening. I was expecting to talk about that now... then I got back on Twitter to see who won. Imagine my shock! All this hoopla does help obscure how I am sure many people-at least here-aren't happy with what was awarded Best Picture. For the past few days I discovered that some have a backlash against it; as that is not a motion picture I have seen there's no opinion from me on if it's an “OF COURSE the Academy would love it” scenario or something I'd actually love.
After what happened, how could I not watch something from Will Smith? He and his wife I never had any real opinion on; their kids seem like real weirdos but then again I know now not to insult anyone in his family! Otherwise I won't share my opinion on his reaction and if the joke was “OK” for someone afflicted w/ alopecia. It's not any dislike that has only made me see a few of Will's movies in my life. Not reviewed on the site is Bad Boys—something I'd rather not revisit for the first time since '96. I remembered it as being only OK at the time and as my opinion of the director since then has gone from “who is he?” to “he's the Antichrist of filmmaking”, I'd rather not. Instead what was selected is something that I know will astonish many when I say that it's a first time watch. There's never been the desire to until now... and hell, I have been on the MIB ride at Universal Studios in Orlando.
Of course I knew some things beforehand due to that ride and cultural osmosis. Smith was an NYPD cop who after a run-in with an alien is recruited by Tommy Lee Jones to join the secret organization that monitors alien activity on Earth. Yes I did know of the Neuralizer and Frank the Pug-for a long time now, in fact. Me not having nostalgia for this might be why I don't rate this as highly as many others on Letterboxd. That's not a slight and in fact if this was something I first saw as a 16 year old it might be something I look back fondly on. For certain, in 2022 this property being based on a Marvel comic... it might as well be in the MCU. After all, the world is threatened and there are jokes... at least here the humor did not seem out of place although it was not a movie I thought was uproariously funny. Not surprisingly to me, it was the subtle jokes (like the bit involving the lemonade) that most tickled my funny bone.
All that said, it's not a movie I regret watching after a quarter century. There was plenty of talent involved with this and they managed to create an interesting world that would be slick entertainment for the masses... and all based on the bizarre real life folk tale of men in black (whether they be human or aliens) tied into flying saucer sightings. Big Willie Style's charisma was obvious & he made for a wacky team with the grumpy-both in character and real life-Tommy Lee Jones. Then there's the supporting players; I won't address all those rumors as to why Linda Fiorentino left Hollywood then soon after acting all together... except that she “being difficult to work with” may be poppycock and I hope what actually happened isn't a tragic Hollywood tale. Hopefully she's been fine since then...
Anyhow, this is a movie where aside from some of the CG it hasn't aged too poorly. From hearsay I do know to avoid all the sequels unless I wanted to have a bad night... even worse than what Chris Rock experienced last night.
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