Men in Black II (2002)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Barry Sonnenfeld

Writers (WGA):

Lowell Cunningham (comic book "Malibu Comics")
Robert Gordon (story)

Release Date:

3 July 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Same Planet. New Scum.

Plot:

Agent J needs help so he is sent to find Agent K and restore his memory.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Lingerie | Lingerie Model | Planet | Disguise

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 5	6:15 PM	TNT
Mon. July 6	1:45 AM	TNT

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Kevin Brown, Agent Kay
Will Smith	...	Agent Jay
Rip Torn	...	Zed
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Serleena
Johnny Knoxville	...	Scrad / Charlie
Rosario Dawson	...	Laura Vasquez
Tony Shalhoub	...	Jack Jeebs
Patrick Warburton	...	Agent T
Jack Kehler	...	Ben
David Cross	...	Newton
Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine	...	Hailey (as Colombe Jacobsen)
Peter Spellos	...	Captain Larry Bridgewater, The Motorman
Michael Rivkin	...	Man with Harvey, the Dog
Michael Bailey Smith	...	Creepy
Lenny Venito	...	New York Guy

Also Known As:

MIB 2 (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
MIIB (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
Men in Black 2 (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and some provocative humor.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:10 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Malaysia:U | Denmark:11 | Canada:G (Quebec) | South Africa:PG | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Austria:10 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:MG6 | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38095)

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

The original ending of the film included a scene in which the World Trade Center towers opened up, releasing a swarm of UFOs into the air. Following the towers' destruction, the film's ending was changed.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Serleena wrong answers " Yes, they're very sensitive about the Green house Effect" to a character taking the Earth's Ozone layer, even though the Green house effect is due to too much Green house gases, not Ozone depletion.

Quotes:

Agent J: [points to Frank] No!, No advice...
Agent J: [points to Kevin Brown, Agent K] No talking...
Agent J: [points to Zed] ... Hell no!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "American Dad!: Pilot (#1.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

I Will Survive

A Very Weak Sequel

As funny as the original MIB was, the sequel proves that the same old thing can get very old and very tired very quickly. I mean, how often can you really find it funny to watch an alien grow its head back after having it shot off? This was a cute gag in the original (and I think we only saw it happen once if I remember correctly.) In this one, it happens over and over again. HEY! AFTER THE FIRST TIME IT'S NOT THAT FUNNY! That's the basic problem with this movie. It doesn't seem to have a lot to differentiate it from the first one, with the result that it's just not that interesting.

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones reprise their roles as Agents "Jay" and "Kay" respectively, and here was one element of the story that might have made this a fun adventure if it had been developed. "Kay" is retired as this movie opens, and he's been "neuralized" - his memory of having been an MIB agent has been wiped clean. If the story had focussed more on "Kay" and his attempts at re-integrating into the MIB agency, I think this might have been a very funny movie. But "Kay's" re-integration just seems to happen far too easily, and for the most part the focus of the movie is on Smith's "Jay." The problem with that is that I just feel Jones is better suited to the whole MIB persona, and I felt Smith quickly became tiresome without Jones balancing him more fully. (And Frank the dog - another of Jay's "partners" - just didn't cut it. I really wanted that dog to get eaten by the big worm or something. A very irritating character, in my opinion.)

My advice: stick with the original.

3/10