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"You know the difference between you and me? I make this look good," says rookie Agent Jay to his veteran partner Kay as he prepares to take on the aliens.

Lines such as that made Smith an overnight Hollywood star on the back of Bad Boys and Independence Day; this dialogue was also a major contributing factor in Men In Black being immediately successful at the box office when it was released back in 1997. The charisma, overall, is what made the film so likable and worthy of numerous repeat viewings; this is one of the most enjoyable Sci-Fi Comedies, right up there with Ghostbusters. 

If you didn't know already, there are fifteen-hundred alien refugees living on Earth -- most are good, but some occasionally are bad. The "Men In Black" (M.I.B. for short) are part of a top-secret private agency attempting to keep the planet in order by "neuralyzing" the memories of the witnesses who claim they've seen extraterrestrial lifeforms and, then replacing them with more pleasant ones.

When word breaks out that there is a new alien threat to civilisation, Agent Kay (Jones) decides it's time to bring in a new partner. He recruits young NYPD hotshot James Edwards (Smith) after a series of confusing tests and then begins to show him the ropes. Edwards struggles to adapt at first to this anonymous lifestyle (much to the delight of the audience).

Loaded with witty character exchanges, Men In Black evokes great laughs for all the family. The screenplay, credited to Ed Solomon, is brilliantly written; and Jones and Smith just ooze chemistry and make an inspirational pairing whenever they take to a scene, interacting with one another so confidently (it wouldn't be at all surprising if the actors have a close, off-screen friendship).

This isn't a movie that offers detailed reasons into why there are alien life forms on Earth (this is a comic book adaptation, after all), but Men In Black does bring UFO conspiracy theories to life via the hilarity of its characters. Their truth is that anyone of us could be an alien; particularly, there is a moment when the head of MIB, "Zed"(Rip Torn) is monitoring several celebrity homes, and we notice familiar faces like Sylvester Stallone acting suspicious. O.K., so we don't really believe in the theories regarding extraterrestrial lifeforms here (do we?), but it's still a lot of fun to watch as the filmmakers poke fun at the whole subject. Barry Sonnefield's film manages to be very appealing in the visual department, also provide some exciting moments of action (check the fight scene with the big "bug" at the end).

As silly as Men In Black is, the story's simple willingness to let things entertain the audience, giving them very little time to think indefinitely, makes the film a hugely enjoyable experience, on the whole. Forget what you thought you knew: The MIB are good guys, and they're here to protect you from the scum of the Universe. Have faith in cinema, humanity.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.