Men in Black is peak Will Smith. The story is compelling, the style is thorough, and the filmmaking is strong. Smith is an ideal everyman with charm, Jones is an excellent dry counterpart, and D'Onofrio steals the show with his physical acting. Meanwhile, the production design is flawlessly balanced. Men in Black is sleek, mysterious, creepy, and supernatural. This easily could've clashed and felt cheesy, inauthentic, or downright lame (like the sequels). Instead, Men in Black is timeless because its look is a home run.
Contributing to that look are the special effects, which unites CGI and practical effects. CGI aliens hold real prosthetics, real puppets have computer enhancements, and monsters switch between graphic and practical depending on the shot. This fusion synergizes the effects and stabilizes the movie between cartoonish and relatable. From there, the sound design is complex, the editing is energized, and the cinematography is potent (specifically, The Bug's landing is prime storytelling). Finally, Danny Elfman's score ties Men in Black together with an eerie yet playful tone that suits the film perfectly. All together, Men in Black is an entertaining ride that truly has it all. Even after all these years, it's a movie for everyone.
Writing: 7/10
Direction: 8/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Acting: 8/10
Editing: 7/10
Sound: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 10/10
Production Design: 9/10
Casting: 9/10
Effects: 9/10
Overall Score: 8.3/10
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