Men In Black II Review

Five years ago the world was introduced to Kay, Tommy Lee Jones and Jay, Will Smith, alien fighters in black suits and dark glasses who saved the world from a weird assortment of beasts and creatures. At the end of that film, Kay retired and was `neuralised`, so, at the start of the new film, Jay is working with new partners, one of them a fast talking pug dog. Having saved the passengers of a subway train from being devoured by a giant snake with teeth, Jay has to face a new threat from Seerleena, an arch-villainess from another planet who, for reasons that remain rather murky, is now terrorising the inhabitants of Manhattan, along with her two-headed sidekick. Kay`s knowledge is sorely needed, so he`s tracked down in the small town where he works as post master and brought back into the fray. Jay, meanwhile, has fallen for Laura, Rosario Dawson, who has witnessed Serleena at work, so he`s a bit distracted from the main game. Fans of the first film will doubtless have just as much fun with the second, which isn`t really much of an advance. The special effects and the alien make-up designs, by Rick Baker, are as impressive as ever, and the film`s knowing sense of humour is its biggest asset. When we see a clip from a particularly cheesy sci-fi film on video, in which the wires on the spacecraft are clearly visible, Jay, suggests it`s the work of Spielberg, this film`s executive producer. And there`s a wonderfully inconsequential guest appearance from Michael Jackson, who wants to be accepted into the agency. Men In Black II has all the ingredients of a carefully tailored sequel and it delivers all that it promises. It`s the ultimate popcorn experience.