There are aliens among us. This is something that Hollywood has taught us for years. What we haven't been told, however, is that most of these aliens are harmless and simply going about their daily lives, sometimes right next door to us. That guy with the funny eyes who runs the corner pawn shop? Alien. That little dog that sometimes seems just a bit more interested in your conversations than should be normal for a canine? Alien.

And with all of these aliens running around, the Earth needs a special police force to regulate their activities. We can't just having any alien coming here and raising trouble. Not only that, but something must be done to keep the secret of the aliens away from the general public.

This is the job of the Men In Black and the premise of the film by the same name.

As the tag line says, these guys are our last defense against the scum of the universe. It seems that not all aliens are content with simply coming here to live or visit. Some want to destroy the planet, others just want to eat as many humans as they can get away with.

The two protagonists of the story are Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent J (Will Smith). K is the seasoned vet, one of the very first MIB's. J is just a good cop whois recruited into the organization after he chases down a robbery suspect who also happens to be a disguised alien.

J learns that the life of an MIB is a lonely one. All ties to the outside world are severed and their identities are erased. Much of the organization's function is to serve as something of a galactic customs checkpoint, filtering the aliens onto and off of Earth. Agents K and J work in the enforcement division, tracking down illegal aliens and erasing the memories of anyone who witnessess strange, alien activity.

In the midst of learning the MIB ropes, agents K and J learn of an artifact that has been hidden on Earth. The rightful owners of the artifact want it back while at the same time an evil alien has landed on Earth to search for it. Unfortunately for us, the owners are willing to destroy the planet rather than allow it to fall in enemy hands.

This, K explains to J, is all fairly routine stuff. The Earth is always on the brink of disaster, with one alien race after another threatening to destory us all if we don't meet some demand. An MIB has always been there to save the day.

Thankfully, none of this seems routine for us as the audience. Men In Black brings and interesting and quirky twist to the alien invader story line. The film is infused with a playful and at times biting sense of humor. Our heroes are perfectly cast, with Jones playing the straight, no-nonsense agent and Smith bringing just the perfect amount of sarcasm and skepticism to his role as a fledgling Man In Black.

The film works as a science fiction story, but it is a comedy first and foremost. And not since Ghostbusters has a film so successfully blended humor with special effects. The problem is that humor, by nature, should be (or at least feel) spontaneous, whereas special effects are required to be carefully scripted. Advances in filmmaking have created some leeway, allowing the actors to ad lib some scenes.

Care has also been taken to create a believable world for the Men In Black to save. Even scenes that are essentially throw away gags, such as a bit where Agent J assists with the birth of an alien, are given the flavor of backstory.

Men In Black was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, who also gave us the hysterical Addams Family films. He has just the right comic timing for this film and creates the perfect balance so that no joke feels rushed and yet the film moves along at the brisk pace of an action story.

The film, based upon a comic book of the same name, is an original, fresh and highly funny story and contains enough detail to justify many repeat viewings.