Mr. DuLac’s review published on Letterboxd:
You don't exist; you were never even born. Anonymity is your name. Silence your native tongue. You're no longer part of the System. You're above the System. Over it. Beyond it. We're "them." We're "they." We are the Men in Black.
-Zed
Men in Black is actually a very dark comic book series first published in 1990 about an organization that investigates aliens and paranormal activities on the surface, but actually have sinister motives to manipulate the world. They would also conceal their existence by using a neuralyzer to wipe out people's memories, but when that wasn't an option they would use any means necessary to protect their secrets including eliminating witnesses. Of course this is perfect material for a family adventure comedy.
The comic book was never a cultural phenomena so I'm not sure if many fans were really up in arms about the change in tone and plot in the film. The thing is though, by 1997 we were being bombarded by huge over the top blockbuster special effects extravaganzas that all took themselves too seriously. Men in Black showed up and it was just as silly and over the top as the other movies, but the huge difference was it didn't take itself seriously. By being a self-aware film it frees itself up to go even further then it's all-too-serious counterparts of the time. The result is an incredibly fun and entertaining film.
Tommy Lee Jones plays the straight man in the film and of course he's perfect for the role. His "nothing fazes me because I've seen it all" character is the real reason I enjoy this film. On the flip side you have Will Smith. I felt this way 15 years ago, and even more so now. Here Smith is basically playing a slightly less immature version of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It's his shallow "cool black guy" character which he brings out every now and then when it's what a film asks of him. Smith has proven he's an excellent actor on numerous occasions, the MiB series has nothing to do with that though. The other standouts of the film are Vincent D'Onofrio and Rip Torn who seem like they are having a blast playing up the comedic side of the film.
Men in Black came out at a perfect time to remind people that huge special effects blockbusters don't have to be all gloom and doom but can actually be exciting, funny and most of all entertaining.