Men in Black II doesn't replicate the blithely funny and hip attitude of the original.
Men in Black II (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:186
Fresh:71
Rotten:115
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: Lacking the freshness of the first movie, MIB 2 recycles elements from its predecessor with mixed results.
Runtime: 88 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Reuniting director Barry Sonnenfeld with most of the original hit film's cast, MEN IN BLACK II picks up with alien-monitoring secret agent Jay (Will Smith) in a rut. Weary of the isolated life of... Reuniting director Barry Sonnenfeld with most of the original hit film's cast, MEN IN BLACK II picks up with alien-monitoring secret agent Jay (Will Smith) in a rut. Weary of the isolated life of an MiB operative, Jay continually fires new partners until MiB director Zed (Rip Torn) teams him up with the talkative pug, Frank (voiced by Tim Blaney). Together they investigate an "alien-on-alien" murder witnessed by the lovely Rita (Rosario Dawson), who Jay immediately falls for. The case eventually leads Jay and Frank to track down agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones), who now works at a rural post office, completely unaware of his former life. Unfortunately, it's what Kay can't remember that may save the world from destruction at the hands of the shape-shifting alien Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle). As Jay attempts to jog the memory of the reluctant Kay, Serleena takes over MiB headquarters, building up to a big New York City showdown. A fast-paced follow-up to the 1997 sci-fi comedy, MEN IN BLACK II sticks to its guns, offering up more action, aliens, and intergalactic weirdness. This time around Smith and characters such as Frank and the wisecracking worms are the focus, although Jones makes the most out of his screen time with his deadpan persona thoroughly intact. And, as with the first movie, MIB II features plenty of enjoyable scenes, including an underground romp involving a subway-sized alien and Frank the Dog's head-out-of-the-car-window rendition of "I Will Survive." [More]
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Rosario Dawson, Lara Flynn Boyle
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Rosario Dawson, Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rip Torn, Patrick Warburton, Tony Shalhoub, David Cross, Tim Blaney
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Screenwriter: Robert Gordon, Barry Fanaro
Producer: Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Reviews for Men in Black II
Like a lot of the movie, the special effects are ‘been there, done that.’
With MIB2, [Sonnenfeld] triumphs yet again in giving us a quick -- albeit silly -- cinematic fix.
A textbook example of a redundant, middle-of-the-road summer sequel tailored to please the most easily entertained of moviegoers.
The chemistry between Smith and Jones is among the best of cinematic comedy duos, and the aliens are quirky and often hilarious.
[T]here are a few laughs, but there are zero surprises. . . when Michael Jackson makes a cameo as an alien, the only surprise would be that he ISN’T an extra-terrestrial
Men In Black 2 recaptures the fun of a world overrun by aliens but then fails at being memorable, unable to set itself apart from its notable beginnings.
Smith and Jones perform together as smoothly as if they never left the studio, and the script sparkles with very much the same fluorescence.
Where Men in Black II falls short is in the writing, and this is a bit of a shock, considering that Robert Gordon scripted it.
Smith and Jones pick up right where they left off, managing to recapture that same chemistry that worked well in 1997.
There are plenty of crazy aliens, and a few jokes at the expense of the occasional celebrity. Too bad none of it was really all that funny or even memorable.
What's missing is the giddy sense of discovery that made the first movie so endearing.
I can't say it was the worst 88 minutes I ever spent in a movie theater, but I could just as easily have slept.
Are they in it just for the money? A silly question since the movie's attitude is best summed up by Tommy Lee Jones' hangdog expression: tired and drained of energy . . .
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