Men in Black II
(Click here for Internet Movie Database entry)
If you liked the first Men in
Black
movie, chances are that you will like Men in Black II
. It is almost a carbon copy of
the first movie. Since it doesn’t
break any new ground, Men in Black II
while enjoyable doesn’t have the impact that seeing the first film did.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return as agents J and K.
Rip Torn is back as Z (pronounced properly as zed).
This time the world is being threatened by some bad aliens represented
by Serleena who is actually a bunch of snakes but assumes the appearance of
Lara Flynn Boyle decked out in
Victoria’s Secret
. Serleena wants to find something
and is willing to destroy the planet if she can’t get it. Unfortunately, the
only person who knows where the thing is, had his memory erased at the end
of the first movie. So J (Smith) has
to go and find K (Jones) and put him back into the last suit he’ll ever wear.
Men in Black II is pretty funny even though like
Austin Powers
, they run the same gags over and over again.
Once again, the setting is New York city, the only place in the
world that aliens can live without being considered out of the ordinary.
As they tell one alien, “Don’t go outside in the daytime unless
you are in the East Village.” Smith and Jones do a great job reprising their
roles. Will Smith is manic as always
and Tommy Lee Jones takes deadpan acting to a new level.
Unfortunately, Linda Fiorentino is not back as the medical examiner.
She is missed. Instead, we have Rosario
Dawson who witnesses Serleena killing another alien and becomes a love interest
for Will Smith. OK, she looks good.
Many aliens return for the sequel including Tony Shaloub as Jack Jeebs.
Frank the dog is back and he out acts most of the humans in the
movie. I heard that the director
demanded that the original Frank come back for the new movie even though
he had to have his grey whiskers dyed with Grecian Formula.
Lara Flynn Boyle looks good although not as good as when she doesn’t
have large tentacles extruding from her extremities.
And Patrick Warburton, most famous as Puddy on Seinfeld, does a
small but good bit as agent J’s new partner.
What can I say. this movie isn’t rocket science. The first
Men in Black
grossed about $250 million and the director, Barry Sonnenfeld didn’t monkey
with success. It isn’t the fun surprise
that the first movie was, but seeing Men in Black II
is like seeing an old friend.
