Men in Black II Review

Men in Black II


Release Date: 3rd July 2002 - Australia


Production Companies
Amblin Entertainment
Columbia Pictures (presents)
MacDonald/Parkes Productions (in
association with)

Distribution
Sony Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 88 minutes


Budget: $140,000,000

Box Office Gross: $441,818,803 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
It is another day at the
office for Agent J as he is

surveying, licensing and
policing all alien activity
on Earth. One day, he
receives a report of an
unauthorised landing of
an alien spacecraft near
New York. It is a Klyothian
named Serleena, an old
enemy of MIB searching
for a powerful artifact
called The Light of Zartha.
J does some research and
quickly realises he will
need help. Unfortunately,
the other MIB agents are
not so quite effective. So
J decides to take K back.
J has to restore K's
memory as an MIB agent
and stop Serleena before
she succeeds.


Cast
Tommy Lee Jones - Kevin
Brown/Agent K
Will Smith - James Darrell
Edwards III/Agent J
Rip Torn - Chief Zed
Lara Flynn Boyle - Serleena
Johnny Knoxville - Scrad/

Charlie
Rosario Dawson - Laura Vasquez
Tony Shalhoub - Jack Jeebs
Patrick Warburton - Agent T
Jack Kehler - Ben
David Cross - Newton

Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine - Hailey

Peter Spellos - Motorman

Michael Rivkin - Man with Dog

Michael Bailey Smith - Creepy

Lenny Venito - New York Guy

Howard Spiegel - New York Guy

Alpheus Merchant - MIB Guard

Jay Johnston - Agent

Joel McKinnon Miller - Agent

Derek Cecil - Repairman Agent

Rick Baker - MIB Passport Control Agent (Cameo)

Martha Stewart - Herself (Cameo)

Michael Jackson - Agent M (Cameo)

Sid Hillman - Agent Gee

Tom Whitenight - Agent C

Nick Cannon - MIB Autopsy Agent

Jeremy Howard - Bird Guy

Alien/Postal Sorting Alien

Mary Stein - Bird Lady Alien

Martin Klebba - Family Child Alien
Peter Graves - Himself
Tim Blaney - Frank the Pug (Voice)

John Alexander - Jarra/Family Dad Alien

Ernie Grunwald - Young Postal Employee

Chloe Sonnenfeld - Young Girl at Post Office

Doug Jones - Joey

Biz Markie - Rapping Alien

Linda Kim - Ambassador Lauranna

Paige Brooks - 'Mysteries in History' Lauranna

Michael Dahlen - Fresh Balls

Michael Garvey - Corn Face

Kevin Grevioux - Pineal Eye

John Andrew Berton Jr. - Split Alien Guy (Cameo)

Derek Mears - Mosh Tendrils

Sonny Tipton - Dog Poop

Greg Ballora - Sleeble (Voice)

Carl J. Johnson - Gleeble (Voice)

Thom Fountain - Neeble (Voice)

Brad Abrell - Mannix (Voice)

Richard Pearson - Gordy (Voice)

Barry Sonnenfeld - Neuralyzed Father (Cameo)

Crew

Director - Barry Sonnenfeld

Based on the Malibu Comic - Lovell Cunningham

Story/Screenplay - Robert Gordon

Screenplay - Barry Fanaro

Executive Producer - Steven Spielberg

Producers - Laurie MacDonald

and Walter F. Parkes

Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager - Graham Place

Production Designer - Bo Welch

Illustrators - James Carson and

Tim Flattery

Art Directors - Alec Hammond,

Sean Haworth and Thomas P. Wilkins

Art Director: New York - Michael Wylie

Assistant Art Directors - François Audouy

and Maya Shimoguchi

Set Decorator - Cheryl Carasik

Property Master - Doug Harlocker

Costume Designer - Mary E. Vogt

Alien Makeup Effects - Rick Baker

Designers/Sculptors: Cinovation - Matt Rose,

Mitch DeVane, Jeff Buccacio, Steve Koch

and Chris Ayers

Director of Photography - Greg Gardiner

Directors of Photography: New York

Second Unit - Kim Marks and Florian Ballhaus

Second Second Assistant Director - Marie Battle-Campbell

Second Unit Director - Artie Malseci

Second Unit Director: New York Second Unit -

Michael Owens

Puppet Master - Tony Urbano

Stunt Coordinator - Charles Croughwell

Animal Trainers - Cristie Miele and

Janine Aines

Special Effects Coordinator - Thomas L. Fisher

Production Supervisor/Shop Foreman (Uncredited):

Cinovation - Bill Sturgeon

Project Supervisors: Cinovation - Kazuhiro Tsuji,

Bart Mixon, Eddie Yang, Chad Waters,

Jim Beinke, Chet Zar, Moto Hata and

Glen Griffin

Animatronics: Cinovation - Kyle Martin,

Bud McGrew, George Bernota, Dave Kindlon

and Nicholas J. Esposito

Visual Effects Supervisor - John Andrew Berton Jr.

Visual Effects Co-Supervisor - Edward Hirsh

Visual Effects Supervisor: Tippett Studio -

Scott Souter

Visual Effects Co-Supervisor: Tippett Studio -

Jim McVay

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Ken Ralston

Visual Effects Supervisors: SPI - Jim Berney

and Sheena Duggal

Visual Effects Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -

Bill Westenhofer

Visual Effects Supervisor: Pacific Title Digital -

David Sosalla

Visual Effects Associate Supervisor - Erik Mattson

Visual Effects Producers - Ned Gorman

and Lori J. Nelson

Visual Effects Producer: Air Chase and Post Office

Sequences, ILM - Ginger Theisen

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - David Nakabayashi

Animation Supervisor - Tom Bertino

Computer Graphics Supervisor: ILM - Michael Bauer

CG Supervisors: SPI - Daniel Eaton

and Mark Lambert

Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Thomas Rosseter

Sequence Supervisors: ILM - Will Anielewicz,

Amelia Chenoweth, Russell Earl, John Helms

and Kevin Reuter

Sequence Supervisor: Air Chase and Post Office

Sequences, ILM - Joel Aron

Digital Model Supervisor: ILM - Ken Bryan

Viewpaint Supervisor: ILM - Catherine Craig

Conceptual Designers: ILM - Christian Alzmann,

Larry Chandler, Brice Cox, Carlos Huante,

Sangjun Lee, Wayne Lo, Aaron McBride,

Brian Pohl, Evan Pontoriero and Daniel Slavin

Digital Matte Artists: ILM - Jonathan Harb,

William Mather, Kent Matheson,

Brett Northcutt and Simon Wicker

Matte Artist: SPI - Robert Stromberg
Editors - Richard Pearson and Steven Weisberg

Associate Editor - JC Bond

Main Title Designer - Pablo Ferro

Supervising Sound Editor - Skip Lievsay

Sound Effects Editors - Eugene Gearty,

Sean Garnhart, Craig Berkey, John P. Fasal

and Paul Hsu

Supervising ADR Editor - Juno J. Ellis

Production Mixer - Peter F. Kurland

Re-Recording Mixers - Kevin O'Connell

and Greg P. Russell

Supervising Foley Editor - Steven Visscher

Foley Artists - Marko A. Costanzo

and Jay Peck

Foley Mixer - George A. Lara
Music - Danny Elfman

Review

MEN IN BLACK II has consistent humour but feels like a rehash of the first instalment (click here). The story was far-fetched and boring in some parts, lacking the originality the first one has. The only things that could save the second movie were the character expansion, like Frank the Pug and the Worm Guys and a cameo by Michael Jackson (MJ).

If MEN IN BLACK II had an engaging plot, it would have brought back the basics and not gotten too carried away with the visual effects, and it could have been more acclaimed than its predecessor. What makes this movie disappointing is it didn't meet or surpass the impact of the original MIB movie. Unfortunately, this is a common weakness of some sequels.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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