Men in Black II Reviews

Just for the record, I loved the first Men in Black movie, it was funny, original and just enormously enjoyable. This sequel is not as good, but it is perfectly decent considering how awful some sequels have been. The stunts, special effects are gadgetry are just impeccable, as are the sets and cinematography, and Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones still make for a charismatic and entertaining duo. I also liked Rip Torn and Rosario Dawson. The pacing is also fine, not as fast paced but efficient enough, and the music was catchy. However, the script does have too many weak spots(some of Smith's jokes are somewhat amusing though) and while the plot starts off great it meanders. The direction wasn't as brisk or as innovative either, and the ending was a little too silly for me. Overall, decent sequel but not great. 6/10 Bethany Cox

In many ways, Men In Black 2 feels like a remake of the first Men in Black. Same concept, similar story-line, a final scene that's a direct nod to the ending of the last film (but significantly less clever), etc. But like any good remake, tweaks have been made. For one, all chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones is gone and shriveled up. Two, there are very few successful gags. Three, the sense of energy and giddiness that the first film produced is not present here. Essentially, we get an 88 minute rehash of the first movie, that lacks any of its notable qualities (excepting special effects).

Because Agent K has been retired, Agent J is now responsible for the Men In Black organization (specializes in moderating alien activity on earth). But as expected, a dangerous alien desiring some important object lands on earth, and Agent J must bring back Agent K to help.

Similarly to Gremlins 2 (a film I reviewed just last week), Men in Black 2 is not content to merely be a bad sequel, but it must degrade the original film as well. By bringing K back to the MIB organization (thanks to the highly contrived device called the "deneuralyzer"), the poignantly bittersweet from the first movie is completely undone. And then, this leads to questions. For one, does K's wife (who never appears onscreen) wonder where he is? Does K miss her? Does K have any desire to see her again. The film pretends that K's wife doesn't even exist, which creates a decided lack of realism to the proceedings. We simply don't believe the characters are there because they have lost their third dimension inbetween the two films.

Everything about this sequel feels rushed, from the storyline, the character "banter" (a term I use very lightly), and especially the ending. The plot points for the last third of the movie seem to be made up as the film goes along. Everyone is on auto-pilot here; no one's using their brain.

A lot could be forgiven if the movie was actually funny, but the problem is that there are few working gags. I laughed from start to finish during the first Men in Black film. During this sequel, I laughed two or three times, and that's about it. There's one very funny gag at the beginning, and a meager amount of chuckles to cover 88 minutes of fairly static viewing.

The deadpan comedy that was used so effectively in the last film feels completely stale this time around. The slapstick comedy is weightless and unconvincing. And the sharp lines from the original has been replaced with tamer, more family-friendly dialogue (a few edits here and there, and this could've easily made a PG rating). One outburst of "Who Let the Dogs Out" will send some screaming from the room (I remained in front of the screen and quietly dabbed the blood flowing from my ears).

If nothing else, the special effects are good, and even improved over the last time. The aliens are integrated somewhat more seamlessly, and some of the alien designs are really fun. It's a shame that the movie itself didn't boast the same kind of creativity.

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return as Agent J and Agent K, though their performances are so bland (thanks to a very weak script) that they could have been played by anybody. Will Smith's comedy shtick starts to grate really fast, and Tommy Lee Jones is given only one scene (the first one he's in) to remind us of the witty, fast-talking official he was in the first film. The rest of the time, he has about as much energy as a sleeping koala.

New additions to the cast don't fare any better. Lara Flynn Boyle as Serleena is acceptable, but hurt slightly by a poor script. She undeservedly garnered a Razzie nomination for this performance. Much more deserving of said nomination is Rosario Dawson as Laurua Vasquez, a poorly written replacement for Linda Fiorentino's much more engaging character from the first film (she is given only a brief mention in this film). Dawson's character is written as a kind of damsel in distress with moxy. She's got the "damsel" part down pretty well, " and the "distress" bit is good too. The "moxy" part needs work. On top of that, Dawson's character is almost completely unnecessary to the story. In fact, she's so unnecessary, that the writers had to shoe in some plot contrivance at the end to give her character any kind of significance.

Tim Blaney voices Frank the Pug, who briefly appeared in the last film, but returns in this one. For this sequel, he has a significantly expanded role, which is unfortunate as he is as annoying as sidekicks get. He's the kind of character that makes one yearn for a more eloquent replacement - like Jar Jar Binks. David Cross returns as well and is only slightly less annoying than Blaney. Michael Jackson has a funny cameo. Tony Shalhoub and Patrick Warburton both get their names featured in the opening credits, despite boasting about two minutes of screentime apiece.

Danny Elfman's score, like the film it accompanies, also seems to be on auto-pilot. It's not bad by any means (and some trademark Elfman choir near the beginning earns a smile), but it's even weaker than his already mediocre score for the first film. At least this time around Elfman can fault the lifeless picture for lack of inspiration.

Not as funny, inventive, or entertaining as the original, Men in Black 2 is an empty, unengaging experience. The script is flat, the characters are bland, and the whole premise has been reduced to your typical sci-fi action film - but with more talking animals. All of the wit and energy from the first film is either nonexistent or diluted here. This isn't a film bad enough to be worth getting worked up about. It's just bland and disappointing. At least the effects are nice....

Better than the first, Men in Black II is what all blockbuster movies should be: full of talent, full of substance, full of fun and full of effects.

Talent. Look at that list of actors. The talent is there. Johnny Knoxville CAN act, people! He's not just that guy from Jackass! And Danny Elfman for the score? Music plays a very important role in any movie. Elfman plays his part beautifully and his timing is always spot on.

Substance. This is a love story, on several levels. Some would all this a buddy comedy, but it's really a love story. A buddy love story to use the term coined by Blake Snyder in his book Saving the Cat. It's about J and K and and their trials and tribulations of their relationship as partners.

Fun. There is fun even in dramas, the sarcastic kind of fun, but still fun, and in this comedy, there is never a moment that isn't fun in some way. That's just how Barry Sonnenfeld rolls. If it's not the delivery of a line, it's what you see and Sonnenfeld is really good and keeping a lot of humor in the background. (I think it's so you have to watch his movies more than once ;)...)

Effects. It's Men in Black 2! Everything MiB had and more, the sequel's effects are kicked up more than a few notches. There are more aliens, bigger guns, crazier creatures and all the marbles in the universe are still being thrown together to bring the audience a bigger better show.

This movie gets a ten from me. It deserves a ten. It was masterfully written and performed. Read that book by Blake Snyder, then watch this movie a few times and you'll see that this is one of the greats.

Ok so when i saw the movie i only waited for the fun parts like when will goes after K at the post office. But the whole movie was a great creation. I liket the little guys in the closet and all the funny stuff.

this movie is a great movie! none other movies 2nd part was cool. This in cooler than the first one.

guys see this movie! it worth it!