Men in Black II Review
by Frankie Paiva (swpstke AT aol DOT com)July 9th, 2002
MEN IN BLACK II * * * ½
2002 – USA
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Writers: Lowell Cunningham, Robert Gordon, and Barry Fanaro
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Lara Flynn Boyle, Rosario Dawson, Johnny Knoxville, Rip Torn, and Tony Shalhoub
Reviewed by Frankie Paiva
Is there anything new and original for audiences this summer in Men in Black II that wasn’t in the first movie? No, not really. From a critical perspective, the film isn’t very good. It is a complete rehash of the first version, with few surprises or twists. That said, the film was immensely enjoyable and entertaining. While it doesn’t do anything new, it keeps the same sparkling, fast-paced wit, bizarre characters, and well-executed special effects from the original. The jokes come rapid-fire, and the majority of them are hilarious. Smith has perfected his role as the cocky Agent Jay, but Jones is given less to do in this film as the older and wiser Agent Kay.
It’s a few years after the first film, and Agent Jay has become the head agent of the Men in Black, an organization that protects the citizens of Earth from evil aliens, and monitors the aliens among us on our home planet. Lara Flynn Boyle is Serleena, a Medusa-esque alien villain made of snakes who, along with a two-headed, very-low-IQ man (Johnny Knoxville), is searching the Earth for a special light that will give her control of a planet she wants to rule. The only person who knows how to stop her is Agent Kay, but there’s a problem. Agent Kay was deneuralized (all memories of his previous experience as an agent was erased from his brain), and is now working in a Massachusetts post office. His memory must be restored so that the Earth will once again be saved.
Many of Men in Black II’s are forgiven because of the performances in the movie. Everyone seems like they’re having a lot of fun. Smith’s instructions to people he deneuralizes and Jones’s memory recovery (a la Memento and Bourne Identity) are their comic high points. There’s also a love interest subplot involving Smith and a pizza diner worker (the gorgeous Rosario Dawson), who Smith is so infatuated with, he forgets to deneuralize her. It falls a little flat, but the two are cute together, and make a nice couple. This film will hopefully raise the talented Dawson’s star profile (after appearing in Sidewalks of New York and the underrated Josie and the Pussycats) and make her a big star. While Jones and Smith have the conflicting buddy thing down pat, Rip Torn and Patrick Warburton are less convincing (and less funny) as other members of the agency.
Luckily, the filmmakers keep to what we came to see. New and exciting aliens. They’re in abundance here. My favorites were a group of twig-like creatures that love to play Twister (they appeared in the first film), a brightly colored bird that walks on two legs, and the always hilarious Tony Shalhoub, again appearing as pawnbroker Jeebs. The title of best alien, however, goes to another creature. A talking pug named Frank steals the show. Everything he says is funny, and he alone is worth the price of admission. Depending on your definition of alien, the award could also go to a certain internationally known pop star who many associate with an alien race. He makes a cameo in this film.
While there are many scary monsters, this film is appropriate for most families with children over 11 or 12. The film has such broad comedic appeal that everyone in the family is bound to enjoy it. The film is preceded by a delightful computer-animated short that sets the tone for the feature perfectly. For the 4th of July weekend, or any weekend at all, Men in Black II is great entertainment and shouldn’t be held accountable for anything more than that. Its short running time (88 minutes), plentiful humor, and exciting visuals make it the perfect summer treat. Enjoy.
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