Review of 'Men in Black II'
2nd film in the 'Men in Black' series
Following on from the events of the first film Men in Black J (Will Smith) is now an experienced agent at Men in Black with a propensity for going through partners. His latest partner is agent “F”, Frank the pug dog (from the first film; voiced by Tim Blaney) but it looks like this partnership might not last that long. An evil alien, Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle) lands in Central Park taking on the disguise of a Victoria's Secret model in search of the Light of Zartha. Her search takes her to a local pizza joint. J learns from a witness what Serleena is looking and is told that there is only one person on the planet who knows about Serleena's visit to earth in 1978: J's old partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) who is now working in a post office (spoiler whose memory was zapped at the end of “Men in Black”). It is up to J to restore K's memory and put a stop to the evil Sarleena.
J and K are back in this follow-up to the original “Men in Black” with things pretty much back to the way they were before: Pretty fun, silly effects and great dialogue. It is more of what we enjoyed in the first film including The Worm Guys who are now banished from MIB having been caught stealing, and “Frank” the pug at MIB and J's partner. I suppose the problem is exactly this though: More of the same and not much really new other than the easily dealt with manner of bringing K back into the agency. With K back J slips back into the same role he had in the first film very much as a fish out of water and being thrashed left, right and center.
The plot is, of course, requisitely silly with just enough of an excuse for more MIB mayhem. It is enjoyable enough with a lot of new, funny gags but it is not original enough to satisfy which is doubtless why this was the last film in the original series. Another short runner at under an hour and a half long we never really get too involved in the characters with only time for a slight crush between J and Laura Vasquez (Rosario Dawson) before she is whisked away…
Disappointing but still a lot of fun.
Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”
Review Date: 2019-12-01
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Year: 2002
Length: 88 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120912/
Other reviewed films in the 'Men in Black' series:
- Men in Black (1997)
Other reviewed films by Barry Sonnenfeld:
- Men in Black (1997)