iF Rating: 7/13

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Runtime: 84 min

Certification: PG

Sub-Genre: Action | Comedy

Title: Men in Black II

Release Date: July 3, 2002

Writer: Robert Gordon

Awards: 2 wins & 8 noms

Production: Columbia Pictures

Info: Reuniting director Barry Sonnenfeld with most of the original film’s cast, MEN IN BLACK II picks up with alien-monitoring secret agent Jay (Will Smith) in a rut. Weary of the isolated life of an MIB operative, Jay continually fires new partners until MIB director Zed (Rip Torn) teams him up with the talkative pug Frank (voiced by Tim Blaney). Together they investigate an “alien-on-alien” murder witnessed by the lovely Rita (Rosario Dawson), who Jay immediately falls for. The case eventually leads Jay and Frank to track down agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones), who now works at a rural post office, completely unaware of his former life. Unfortunately, it’s what Kay can’t remember that may save the world from destruction at the hands of the shape-shifting alien Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle). As Jay attempts to jog the memory of the reluctant Kay, Serleena takes over MIB headquarters, building up to a big New York City showdown.
A fast-paced follow-up to the 1997 sci-fi comedy, MEN IN BLACK II sticks to its guns, offering up more action, aliens, and intergalactic weirdness. This time around Smith and characters such as Frank and the wisecracking worms are the focus, although Jones makes the most out of his screen time with his deadpan persona thoroughly intact. And, as with the first movie, MIB II features plenty of enjoyable scenes, including an underground romp involving a subway-sized alien and Frank the Dog’s head-out-of-the-car-window rendition of “I Will Survive.”