Men in Black II (2002)

Movie Info

Frank…overload…

Agent J (Will Smith) is continuing the good fight as a member of the Men in Black and missing his former partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones).  When Serleena arrives on Earth and takes the form of an underwear model (Lara Flynn Boyle), she recruits Scrad & Charlie (Johnny Knoxville) to help her locate the Light of Zartha.  The Men in Black have dealt with Serleena before and only agent who knows the location of the Light of Zartha is Agent K.  Now, Agent J has to return Agent K to the Men in Black and help protect a witness named Laura Vasquez (Rosario Dawson) who might hold the key to locating the Light of Zartha.

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, Men in Black II (stylistically MIIB) followed the popular Men in Black in 1997.  Original plans for the film’s ending to take place at the end of the World Trade Center had to be changed due to the destruction of 9-11.  The movie was released to mixed review and a positive box-office return (no where near the original film however).

You want some, jackass?

Men in Black was an ok movie.  It wasn’t my favorite film, but it was a fun film that kept moving and shockingly was a bit too short.  Here, the threads of the first film are picked up and the style and pacing of the first film are continued…I am just not a huge fan of the story which feels too similar to the first film.

The challenge for any of these films however is that I’m not a Will Smith fan and this is essentially a “Will Smith” movie despite Tommy Lee Jones having equal billing.  The movie caters a lot to Smith and his style of acting and serves as a showcase for his humor.  I do like however how Tommy Lee Jones plays a great straight man to Smith and most laughs I get from the film are a result of his deadpan humor.

Maybe he just went back home like Elvis?

Lara Flynn Boyle isn’t the best villain and the choice of Johnny Knoxville as her accomplice also doesn’t help.  Frank the Pug also gets way too much screen time in a relatively short movie and his jokes seemed very forced.  I do however like Rosario Dawson, and it makes me wish she’d develop more as a leading actress.  The movie also features some fun cameos by Tony Shalhoub, Patrick Warburton, David Cross, and even Michael Jackson himself as Agent M…proving his alien background.

Men in Black II will probably not disappoint fans of the first film but it will also not win over any new fans.  The movie is pretty standard fare summer blockbuster material and is a popcorn style film.  Men in Black II was followed by Men in Black III in 2012.

Related Links:

Men in Black (1997)

Men in Black III (2012)