Men In Black 2 Review

Five years on from the blockbusting original comes "Men In Black 2," the eagerly awaited sequel that broke box office records when it opened in the US last month. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return as MIB agents K and J, still determined to save the world from the scum of the universe. This time round the arch villain is Lara Flynn Boyle as an evil alien monster (disguised as a sultry lingerie model) who was last on earth twenty five years ago, when K (Tommy Lee Jones) played a crucial role in her defeat. Consequently J (Will Smith) has no choice but to track down his former partner, who has been living for years as an officious post office clerk since his retirement, blissfully unaware of his former life.

As we've come to expect from our summer blockbusters the film features some impeccable special effects and moves along at a snappy pace. Many familiar faces return for this second outing including Rip Torn as the head of MIB, and Frank the Pug, the little dog with a big voice who this time round gets to wear the familiar black suit and has some of the best lines in the movie. In fact the film has some great one-liners throughout, and a few equally memorable set pieces (including the strangest railway station locker you'll ever see and a cameo from fading pop superstar Michael Jackson). However it almost inevitably lacks the sparkling originality of the original, and the fact that it also lacks any moments of real suspense further add to a slight sense of disappointment. Still, at just over eighty minutes long (excluding the inevitably long credits) the film doesn't have time to outstay its welcome, and you can always sit back and just enjoy the sheer spectacle of it.