The two¼ protagonists of Men in Black are Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. Both take few detours from their typical roles. Jones is oh so serious and deadpan and Smith is oh so cool. Indeed, in his first three scenes, he dons some spectacular technicolor outfits, such that its almost a shame to make a man who looks that good wear basic black. Smith has some wonderful moments in the film. In a textbook case of upstaging, Jones and an alien converse in the foreground, while Smith struggles to help an alien woman give birth to a baby that resembles a cross between a human and a squid in the background. The tentacles fling Smith all over the place. Its belly laugh material, its obvious, and itG works well.

There are lots of other gimmicks in this film that is marked by its gentle playfulness. Indeed, probably the most charming aspect of Men in Black is its accessibility. This time last year when Will Smith was saving the world in Independence Day it was so serious it was tedious. Men in Black doesn't make that mistake. The whole tenor of the film is tongue-in-cheek with the right combination of foolishness, cuteness, and of course, slime. The film also anchors itself in popular culture. Jones gets all his inside tips about aliens from the tabloids, and finally explains the truth behind the mysteries of Dennis Rodman and Elvis.

The plot is pretty ho-hum. Smith and Jones work for a secret government agency to monitor alien migration--no not Mexicans trying to sneak across the border but the REAL kind, th¯e ones from outer space.

Men in Black is a movie by men and about men so there has to be a liberal smattering of gun envy and explosions. But there is a token woman, played by Linda Fiorentino, who was last seen as a femme fatale in The Last Seduction. In Men in Black, Fiorentino doesn't wander too far from playing what she does best. As a doctor in the city morgue, she has seen it all. There's an odd chemistry between Fiorentino and Smith, especially in a wonderful scene where she's trying to convey a message to Smith, while he assumes she's hitting on him. So the stereotypes are all intact and well here, but that's okay because the end result is wholeheartedly good entertainment.

The end of the movie begs a sequel and given the right slant, the sequel has all the potential to be as fine as this most enjoyable summer romp. Because Men in Black has all the right elements. It has agreeable stars and an adequate plot, but most of its fun, its silly, its slimy, and in short, its great.