"Men in Black II" review

Men in Black II (2002)

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld
Writing credits Lowell Cunningham Robert Gordon

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

One of the simplest movies I've seen. The definition of "Streamlined". No excess movie fat here. "MIIB" was on The Sequel Slimfast diet. The characters were developed in the first "Men in Black". You want to know who these guys in the black suits are? What makes them tick? Rent the first one. This sequel plopped off the Hollywood Conveyor belt and landed faster than a Burger King cheeseburger, (plugged in the movie and in this review. Yummy!). They wrote the script over a long weekend and had the movie in the can by the following Friday.

So an Intergalactic underwear model arrives from outer space to take on the MIB. She wants something they have. The MIB protest and run afoul of many different aliens. Big aliens. Small aliens. Worm aliens. Lots of aliens.

This movie has "rush job" painted all over it. There was no tension. There was no drama. There was barely any comedy. Tommy Lee Jones elevated his stoic routine to walking dead level. Will Smith wasn't acting much livelier.

However, "MIIB" moves so fast you'll barely have time to register how simpleminded it is. It was not made to offend, aggravate or stimulate. It's just a simple sequel. Take it for what it is.

SCORE: 2 out of 4 intergalactic underwear models