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Will and Tommy let the dogs out!
MIB II is fun though not better than the first
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Arthur J Pais
It is rare that a sequel packs in more surprises and punch than the first movie. Men In Black II is not an exception.
The new movie, made with a bigger budget (reportedly $120 million), and unleashed on a record 6,000 screens in North America, is brisk-paced, quite engaging, has plenty of humour and many eye-popping gags, but it lacks the elements of wonder and cool, odd-couple bonding we saw in Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
The first movie grossed about $250 million in America and about $320 million abroad four years ago. One should not be surprised if the new movie exceeds that gross. At 87 minutes, it packs in furious action and some enjoyable gags that hold strong appeal for the under-25 year audiences.
As one reviewer confessed, the new movie --- which also brings together director Barry Sonnenfeld and make-up wizard Rick Baker --- could have the critics in fits, but most younger audiences will be in stitches.
Like in the first movie, Smith and Lee Jones are the Ray Ban-wearing federal agents who secretly monitor the activities of hundreds of smart and utterly devious, extraterrestrials, most of them in New York City.
Jay (Smith) is now top agent at the agency, whose head Zed (Rip Torn) sends him to bring back his old colleague to stop a new menace to the universe. Kay (Lee Jones), if you remember the first movie, was 'neutralised'; he has no memories of his recent past.
It is important that Jay and Kay get their act together. Their roles are a bit reversed this time. Jay is now the mentor and has to lead Kay to fight the scheming and sexy Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle), an alien posing as a Victoria's Secret model --- and her two-headed henchman who may not have even half a brain.
Through New York City's underground and skyscrapers, Jay and Kay fight hard to stay one step ahead of Serleena as she seeks to recover an energy source that can threaten life.
Though some of the malevolent ETs are amusing to a certain point, we miss the likes of the giant cockroach in a farmer's body that was played superbly by Vincent D'Onofrio in the first film.
Among the interesting aliens this time are a giant worm that devours part of a subway car, and the show-stopper Frank, the tough-talking, cigar-smoking dog accompanied by Who let the dogs out on the soundtrack.
Tony Shalhoub is back as Jeebs, the alien pawnbroker. When he loses his head, he grows another. While Smith and Lee Jones are fairly amusing, Flynn Boyle could have shown a comedic streak.
More appealing than the humans are Frank, the clever pug, and Worm Guys who are so interesting that you wish that Sonnenfeld had given us more of them. Yet the very silly derivative is quite fun, even though you might forget it in a few hours. Should we then be complaining at all?