With Will Smith in the driver’s seat and the occasional alien popping up, it’s no wonder “Men In Black” has garnered comparisons to last summers’ “Independence Day.”

But put aside Smith, the aliens and the fact that both movies opened over Fourth of July weekend, there is actually little in common between the two.

“Independence Day” had a big cast of big names, including Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and Randy Quaid. “Men In Black” stars Smith, sure-fire tough guy Tommy Lee Jones and that’s it.

“Independence Day” was dubbed an action-thriller but raised more brows for the oneliner-pumped comedy of Smith. “Men In Black” was dubbed a comedy but actually hooks the audience with great alien characters and chase sequences.

Although “Men In Black” draws only a few laughs, it does conquer the task of making an alien invasion seem possible (at least as much as any movie to date).

Smith and Jones star as K and J, the Men in Black — providers of immigration services and regulators of all things alien on earth. According to the job description given by head honcho Agent Jed (Rip Torn), they are the best, last and only line of defense when close encounters get ugly.

Things do get ugly (surprise) when an alien terrorist lands on earth and begins a desperate search for his galaxy. Taking over the body of Edgar, played by “Full Metal Jacket” lunatic Vincent D’Onofrio, the alien’s arrival begins to scare other aliens out of town which becomes a threat to the Men in Black.

K and J meet up with Edgar a couple of times, including a stint at the medical examiner’s office run by Dr. Laura Weaver (Linda Fiorentino). Although it is not Weaver’s first encounter with aliens the Men in Black neuralyze her every time they meet, so she never has any memories of the aliens.

For being a weapon the size of a pen, the neuralyzer actually has a big part in the success of “Men In Black.” The “memory eraser” explains how the Men In Black have remained a secret and how few people on Earth are aware of the aliens. It also draws humor with the stories Smith and Jones have to make up after its used.

As always, Smith and Jones are awesome. Both actors play the characters they do best, with completely different likeable traits. D’Onofrio also contributes as a great, even funny at times, villain.

Fiorentino’s role is a little more questionable, especially the scene where she sees an alien for the “first time” and shows little excitement or surprise.

There are other questions which arise throughout the film — which is expected of a sci-fi flick. One would be why Smith’s character, after one night of thinking, would decide to throw away his entire existence to fight for something he knows very little about.

“Men In Black” also contains a couple of cliche plot segments, such as having one hour before the entire planet is destroyed.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld took a gamble and won by relying only on Smith and Jones. Make-up artist Rick Baker also created some great aliens for which he deserves credit.

So is “Men In Black” a better movie than “Independence Day”? Definitely.

3 1/2 stars out of five.

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Corey Moss is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.