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'Men in Black II': More is less
[Photos: Columbia Pictures]
Why did it take five years to make a sequel to Men in Black? |
By STEVE PERSALL, Times Film Critic
© St. Petersburg Times
published July 4, 2002
Frank is an alien agent posing as a talking pug.
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Men in Black II contains more of everything that made the original 1997 film a blockbuster, crammed into a shorter running time and therefore less effective. Barry Sonnenfeld's film is a colorful blur, the cinematic equivalent of those Neuralizers used by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to erase innocent bystanders' memories of alien attacks. Moviegoers watch, laugh a little, then forget why they were so amused.
Agents J (Smith) and K (Jones) reverse roles in the sequel, after K was Neuralized five years ago. An invasion by a space slug disguised as a lingerie model (Lara Flynn Boyle) requires K's expertise, so J pulls him back into service by reintroducing the first film's premise. But the element of surprise is missing, and the plot gets evaporated again by special effects. Sonnenfeld stages some wild rides (a subway chase with a nasty plant and the obligatory final fireworks) through familiar territory.
Smith's confidence as a now-seasoned agent isn't quite as fun as his flabbergasted rookie fear. Jones' deadpan humor works better when K takes charge, not as the yokel postmaster he became after the first film. Boyle gets one good sight gag in her skimpy costume, then mostly poses while animated tentacles extend from her fingers. The best performer by far is Frank, an alien agent posing as a talking pug on earth. Sonnenfeld's only new trick is an old dog. B-
(The full review of 'Men in Black II' appeared on Wednesday, its opening day, and is available here. Rating: PG-13; sci-fi violence, crude humor. Running time: 88 mins.)
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