Otherworldly villains are on the loose again, and it's up to Earth's interstellar police force to bring them to justice in this sequel to the sci-fi comedy blockbuster Men in Black. Agent Jay (Will Smith) has become a high-ranking member of the Men in Black, the secret government task force designed to deal with unruly visitors from other worlds, while his former cohort, Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones), had his memory wiped clean and now lives a simple but contented life as a mailman. However, an especially nasty alien threat has reared its not-so-ugly head; Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle) is a shape-shifting Kylothian alien who is in pursuit of another escaped visitor who holds the key to powers that would allow her to destroy the world. Making Serleena all the more dangerous is the fact she's taken on the appearance of a lingerie model, making her irresistible to most men. When the rampaging Serleena takes control of the MIB offices, Jay is forced to turn to the only man who can help him save the world -- the former Agent Kay. After restoring Kay's memory, the two remaining Men in Black set out to conquer Serleena with a motley band of friendly aliens, including a handful of worm creatures and a talking dog named Frank (voice of Tim Blaney). Jay, meanwhile, has his head turned by Laura (Rosario Dawson), an attractive waitress who was an unwitting witness to an alien attack. Men in Black 2 also features Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, David Cross, Patrick Warburton, and Johnny Knoxville. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Review
The original Men in Black had a sense of discovery about it. Tommy Lee Jones had not been known for his comic ability, and Will Smith was not yet the superstar that he would become. They and director Barry Sonnenfeld went all-out to create an audience pleasing eye-popping fast-paced comedy. Five years later, the sequel fails to capture the giddy fun of the original, but it is a competent and enjoyable piece of summer product. Where Men in Black was Tommy Lee Jones' film, the sequel relies more heavily on the ease and charm of Will Smith. His comfort in front of a camera helps make the implausible events and characters he is surrounded by all the more believable. It is easy to laugh when his canine partner starts singing disco standards, but mostly because Smith never winks at the audience. Except for the hilarious turns from Patrick Warburton and David Cross there is nothing here that seems anything other than familiar. Everyone involved seems to care enough that the film plays less like a cynical cashing in than like the work of smart salesmen who know that if customers like them, customers will come back again. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
Patrick Warburton - Agent Tee; Jack Kehler - Ben; David Cross - Newton; Colombe Jacobsen - Hailey; Martha Stewart - Herself; Michael Jackson - Agent M (Uncredited); Peter Graves - Himself; Tim Blaney - Frank the Pug; Marty Belafsky - MIB Customs Agent; Andre Blair - Central Park Agent; Carl Johnson - Gleeble; Doug Jones - Joey; Joel McKinnon Miller - Agent; Richard Pearson - Gordy; Peter Spellos - Motorman; Rick Baker - MIB Passport Control Agent; Michael Garvey - Corn Face; William Jackson - Eye Guy; John Richardson - Postman; Barry Sonnenfeld - Neuralyzed Father; Howard Spiegel - New York Guy; Ernie Grunwald - Young Postal Employee; Michael Rivkin - Man With Dog; Lenny Venito - New York Guy; John Alexander - Jarra/Family Dad Alien; Derek Mears - Mosh Tendrils; Denise Cheshire - Fmaily Mom/Locker Alien; Mary Stein - Bird Lady Alien; Linda Kim - Ambassador Lauranna; Gregory Ballora - Sleeble; John Andrew Berton, Jr. - Split Alien Guy; Kevin Cotteleer - MIB Customs Agent; James N. Toney; Stephanie Kemp - Neuralyzed Mother; Martin Klebba - Family Child Alien; Michael Bailey Smith - Creepy; Jay Johnston - Agent; Derek Cecil - Repairman Agent; Michael Dahlen - Flesh Balls; Philip Goodwin - Diner Guy; Brad Abrell - Mannix; Paige Brooks - "Mysteries In History" Lauranna; Nick Cannon - MIB Autopsy Agent; Thom Fountain - Neeble; Sid Garza-Hillman - Agent Gee; Kevin Grevioux - Pineal Eye; Jeremy Howard - Postal Sorting Alien; Victoria Jones - Neuralyzed Daughter; Alpheus Merchant - MIB Guard; Sean Rouse - MIB Agent; Chloe Sonnenfeld - Young Girl At Post Office; Peter Spruyt - MIB Customs Agent; Sonny Tipton - Dog Poop; Tom Whitenight - Agent C
Credit
Sean Haworth - Art Director, Tom Wilkins - Art Director, Alec Hammond - Art Director, Michael Wylie - Art Director, Industrial Light & Magic - Animator, Stephanie Kemp - Associate Producer, Marc Haimes - Associate Producer, Ronna Kress - Casting, Graham Place - Co-producer, Mary Vogt - Costume Designer, Artist W. Robinson - First Assistant Director, Barry Sonnenfeld - Director, Artie Malesci - Second Unit Director, Michael Owens - Second Unit Director, Steve Weisberg - Editor, Richard Pearson - Editor, Steven Spielberg - Executive Producer, Danny Elfman - Composer (Music Score), Rick Baker - Makeup Special Effects, M. Todd Henry - Camera Operator, Robert W. Welch III - Production Designer, Greg Gardiner - Cinematographer, Walter Parkes - Producer, Laurie MacDonald - Producer, Cheryl Carasik - Set Designer, John Chichester - Set Designer, Kevin Ishioka - Set Designer, Ellen Christiansen - Set Designer, William Hawkins - Set Designer, Peter Kurland - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert Gordon - Screen Story, Barry Fanaro - Screenwriter, Robert Gordon - Screenwriter, Kim Marks - Additional Cinematography, Florian Ballhaus - Additional Cinematography, Keith Peterman - Additional Cinematography, John Andrew Berton, Jr. - Visual Effects Supervisor, Animal Actors of Hollywood - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Chris Sjoholm - Digital Effects, Donal Steinberg - First Assistant Camera, Skip Lievsay - Supervising Sound Editor, Sarah Thiessen - First Assistant Editor, Jordan Dawes - First Assistant Editor, Maria Gonzales - First Assistant Editor, Randy Trader - First Assistant Editor, Industrial Light & Magic - Visual Effects, Sony Pictures Imageworks - Visual Effects, Rhythm & Hues Studios - Visual Effects, Pacific Title Digital - Visual Effects, Tippett Studio - Visual Effects, Lowell Cunningham - Book Author, Peter Alvarez - Construction Foreman, Richard Hoffenberg - Construction Foreman, Steven Thayer - Construction Foreman, George A. Lara - Foley Mixer, Mo Henry - Negative Cutter, Andrea Biklian - Negative Cutter, Julie Jean Naylon - Production Secretary, Bradford S. Ralston - Video Assist, Peter A. Mian - Video Assist, Barbara Harris - Voice Casting, Christian Alzmann - Conceptual Design, Aaron McBride - Conceptual Design, Brice Cox Jr. - Conceptual Design, Larry Chandler - Conceptual Design, Carlos Huante - Conceptual Design, Lee Wayne Lo - Conceptual Design, Brian Pohl - Conceptual Design, Evan Pontoriero - Conceptual Design, Sangjun - Conceptual Design, Daniel Slavin - Conceptual Design, Richard Bloom - Art Department Coordinator, Roy Seeger - Assistant ADR Editor, Denise Okimoto - Assistant Music Editor, Janice Alexander - Department Head Hair, Robert Freitas - Mold Department, Ken Banks - Mold Department, Dave Beneke - Mold Department, Carl Crandall Jr. - Mold Department, Gil Liberto - Mold Department, Mike Manzel - Mold Department, Frank Rydberg - Mold Department, James Spinner - Mold Department, Brian Van Dorn - Mold Department, Hiroshi Yada - Mold Department, Jennifer Howard - Compositor, David Fogg - Compositor, Jeff Johnson - Compositor, Jason Dowdeswell - Compositor, Andrew Schwartz - Compositor, Kenneth Sjogren - Compositor, Jeff Wozniak - Compositor, Heather Hoyland - Compositor, Shawn Hillier - Compositor, Tory Mercer - Compositor, Michael Kennedy - Compositor, Mimi Abers - Compositor, Catherine Burrow - Compositor, Colin Campbell - Compositor, Don Crawford - Compositor, Tim Gibbons - Compositor, Barry Safley - Compositor, Thomas Zils - Compositor, Chris Gibbons - Compositor, Joe Salazar - Compositor, Julie Adrianson - Compositor, Christina Drahos - Compositor, Page Frakes - Compositor, Jim Hagedorn - Compositor, Sandy Karpman - Compositor, Michael Pecchia - Compositor, Karim Sahai - Compositor, Susan Weeks - Compositor, Chris Morley - Compositor, Matthew Jacobs - Lead Compositor, Michelan Sisti - Puppeteer, Jurgen Heimann - Puppeteer, Mark Setrakian - Puppeteer, Alice Dinnean Vernon - Puppeteer, Mike Elizalde - Puppeteer, Todd Mattox - Puppeteer, Allan Trautman - Puppeteer, Christine Papalexis - Puppeteer, Peter Abrahamson - Puppeteer, Robert Capwell - Puppeteer, Steve Sherman - Puppeteer, Valek Sykes - Puppeteer, Gregory Williams - Puppeteer
Five years after the events of Men in Black, the neuralyzed Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) has assumed civilian life as Kevin Brown, postmaster of a small town in Massachusetts, and Agent J (Will Smith) is now the top operative for the MIB, the self-funded New York City-based agency that secretly monitors and regulates extraterrestrials' activity on Earth. J is largely without a partner, after Agent L (from the first film) decided to return to her former life and subsequent partners have not lived up to J's professional standards. While investigating a seemingly routine crime at a SoHo pizzeria, J uncovers a diabolical plot by Serleena, a shapeshifting Kylothian queen who disguises herself as a lingerie model (Lara Flynn Boyle), but resembles a plant-like hydra in her own form. To stop her, J must convince Kevin to rejoin MIB, because he is the only operative still alive who knows how to find Serleena wants, the "Light of Zartha".
While J tries to deneuralyze Kevin, Serleena breaks into MIB resulting in a lock down; J and Kevin escape after being flushed from the building. J then takes Kevin to Jack Jeebs (Tony Shalhoub), who built an unofficial deneuralyzer. Although K eventually regains some of his memory, he still has no recollection of the "Light of Zartha" (he neuralyzed himself) but left himself a series of clues in case he needed to remember. The clues eventually lead to a videostore where they watch a tape that jars K's memory: 25 years ago, the Zarthan Queen Laurana arrived on Earth to try to hide the Light of Zartha, but the MIB refused to help due to their neutrality. Serleena arrived to steal the Light, but K activated the Zarthan ship and sent it away. Serleena, believing the Light is on board the ship, chased the ship, but not before fatally shooting Laurana. K then reveals that the ship was a decoy, and that the Light is still hidden on Earth.
Meanwhile, Serleena frees all of the MIB's high-security prisoners and uses them as henchmen. Believing that the Light is in the bracelet worn by Laura Vasquez (Rosario Dawson), a waitress at the pizzeria, Serleena kidnaps Laura and prepares to send her back to her homeworld. J and K assault MIB headquarters, defeat Serleena's henchmen, and rescue Laura. However, K warns them that if the Light is not taken off Earth and returned to Zartha, it will explode and destroy the planet. As they make their way to the departure point, Serleena gives chase but is eaten by Jeff, a giant alien worm living in the New York subway system. When they reach the departure point, K reveals that Laura is Laurana's daughter and the actual Light of Zartha. To save Earth and Zartha, Laura reluctantly leaves Earth, much to J's dismay, as he had developed feelings for her. Serleena returns to try to capture Laura again, but J and K manage to destroy her for good. To cover up the chaos caused by Serleena's rampage, K activates a giant neuralyzer hidden in the Statue of Liberty's torch. Now that Laura is gone, K and Agent Zed (the head of MIB) try to console J for his loss, but he answers that he needs no consolation and had accepted her departure without much sorrow. To provide a measure of comfort, K puts the aliens found in a Grand Central Terminal locker, as one of the clues, in J's locker. After J suggests, showing them that their world is bigger than a locker, K shows him and Frank through a door, that they, are in fact an alien species themselves, kept in a locker in an alien station, suggesting to his rookie worldview.
Johnny Knoxville as Scrad & Charlie: Serleena's henchmen, a humanoid alien (Scrad), with a second small head (Charlie) on a stalk protruding from his neck.
Rosario Dawson as Laura Vasquez, a waitress who witnesses Serleena kill another alien
Tony Shalhoub as Jack Jeebs: An alien pawn shop owner who uses a home-made machine to "deneuralyze" K and restore his memory.
Despite some initial involvement from David Koepp (who left to work on Spider-Man),[1] the script was written by Robert Gordon and later revised by Barry Fanaro (who added pop culture references, something which Gordon had deliberately avoided).[2] Sonnenfeld took issue with the producers' focus on the love story between Will Smith's and Rosario Dawson's characters, saying that "I learned on Wild Wild West that audiences didn't want to see Will as the straight man. And until Tommy comes back into the movie, by definition Will's the straight man."[1] Fanaro condensed the first part of the film and brought Agent K in earlier.[1] The climax of the film was originally to have taken place at New York City's World Trade Center. However, this had to be changed following the destruction of the buildings in the September 11 attacks.[3] The day after the attacks of September 11, a spokesperson for the studio said that the ending would be refilmed.[4]
Supervising sound editor Skip Lievsay used a Synclavier to recreate and improve the original recording of the neuralyzer sound effect from the first film (which was the sound of a strobe flash as it recycles) by removing some distortion.[5] For some of the scenes with the Serleena creature, the sound crew "took tree branches, put them inside a rubber membrane and pushed that around and added some water."[5] For the special effects scene where the subway train is attacked by Jeff the Worm, a specially designed vise was used to crush a subway car and make it look as if it had been bitten in half.[2]
Release
Critical reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, gaining a 39% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 190 reviews and a Metacritic score of 50.[6][7]A. O. Scott of The New York Times said that, "Within the trivial, ingratiating scope of its ambition, though, the sequel is pleasant enough," and, noting the huge array of aliens designed by Rick Baker, said that the film "really belongs to Mr. Baker."[8] A review in The Hindu called the film "worth viewing once."[9] Another review from Digital Media FX magazine praised the spaceships as looking very realistic, but criticized many of the simpler visual effects such as the moving backgrounds composited behind the car windows using blue-screen (which it called a throwback to the special effects of earlier decades).[10] In August 2002, Entertainment Weekly placed the Worm Guys among their list of the best CG characters, and said that the enlarged roles of both Frank the Pug and the Worm Guys in Men in Black II was beneficial for the "tiring franchise".[11] The film earned a Razzie Award nomination for Lara Flynn Boyle as Worst Supporting Actress.[12]
Men In Black II was a commercial success, although not to the extent of the original. Released theatrically on July 3, 2002, Men In Black II charted at number one in its opening weekend at the box office with the revenue of $52,148,751.[citation needed] The film held onto the number one two the following week the revenue of $24,410,311, a 53.2% decrease from its opening weekend.[13] In the film's third week of release, it saw a 40.4% decrease with the revenue of $14,552,335, charting at number three.[13] After one month the film remained in the box office chart, at fourth place, with the revenue of $8,477,202.[13]Men In Black II fell out of the top-ten at the box office chart in its sixth week of release.[13] After sixty two days of release in North America, Men In Black II grossed $190,418,803.[14] 43.1% of the film's worldwide revenue of $441,818,803 came from North America.[14] Internationally, Men in Black was commercially successful; the film to date[when?] has grossed an estimated $251,400,000, with 56.9% of the film's overall revenue coming from foreign territories.[14]
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