MEN
IN BLACK 2
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Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, released in August 2002
Starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Lara Flynn Boyle
Running time : about 90 minutes
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Here come the Men In Black nana na na, yeah ! Okay, if you wondered this
was an Ascii try to render the first episode soundtrack by Will Smith :) Yes
it's summertime and it means - beside hot chicks on the beach :) - that we will
be faced with another wave of sequels ! This time our summer blockbuster is
Men In Black 2, also spelled MIIB and it's time to have a look at this sequel,
as most sequels often turn to be boring and tasteless.
The story so far : as the first MIB ended Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) grew
tired and volunteered for retirment, meaning a little brainwash and a new start
in "normal" life...
We take it back with Agent J (Will Smith) still running after aliens, with
the help of a new sidekick. Soon enough the latter turns out to be unskilled
and too sensitive so that Jay decides to flash him and erase all his memories.
Back to the MIB HQ, Mister Big Boss isn't too happy about that and finds him a
new partner in the person of the alien talking dog you may remember from the
first episode. Not quite like Batman and Robin hey :)
In the meantime, in a galaxy far, far away... (any resemblance to another
worldwide series may just be a coincidence :) a frantic spaceship flies from
a planet to another and only leaves when this planet is reduced to ashes, uh
scary ! Finally our nasty reaches earth and that's when the storyplot gets into
shape. Indeed this nasty alien (not so bad looking as it materializes as a hot
top model in underwears !) is looking for a precious treasure, namely the Sun
of Zaltan (or Zaltran ?? Whatever). The MIB archives reveal that this treasure
landed on earth back in the fifties but left it afterwards. The only witness
who's still alive is no one but... Kay !
Emergency calls for fast decisions and for the -very- first time in the MIB
history it is decided to find Kay and make him remember his flashed past ! Of
course it doesn't go easily and our "postman" (understand Kay in his new life)
doesn't get convinced at all even though Jay shows him aliens :)
While the two of them are visiting Kay's locker, Serleena - our nasty now
hiding under the shape of a hot chick - goes on a errand in town, searching for
hints and clues that will lead her to the sun of Zaltan. She ends up invading
the MIB HQ, taking them all by surprise and neutralizing the whole quarters
until Agent K shows up...
Then, of course, the movie goes bang, whiz, bing ! We're not naive and know
that good guys always win (at least in movies) but how, when and why are still
questions to be answered. Enough for the storyplot, surely the movie is still
showing so let's not spoil the surprise :)
One thing is sure tho : this movie is entertaining ! I'm not fond of movies
that make great use of computer graphics but MIIB manages to use them here and
there putting aliens where needed to make the atmosphere consistent. I really
liked the sticklike creatures (already seen in MIB having some coffee) being a
bunch of gross characters drinking, smoking and making sex offers to every
female they may meet. And that is actually what makes MIIB such a nice movie :
no one is taking this very seriously !
I especially enjoyed the moment when Kay (Tommy Lee Jones if you're lost)
gets back into action and is given a weapon by his former apprentice. Jay
intentionnally tricks him giving him the grass hopper weapon (remember the tiny
but so powerful gun from the first episode ?). There are so many funny details
like that and they take the movie lightyears away from boring new Star Wars ! I
only wish Linda Fiorentino was still here, damn she's so gorgeous I'm in love !
Erm, back to the movie : it goes fast and furious but always tinted with
humour. There are so many examples that I'm too lazy to name another one. I was
a bit lost in the end as the movie rushes to a conclusion. Maybe I got lost
somewhere but I found that the puzzle got solved a bit too easily...
Anyway if you feel like going to the movies, here's for sure a nice movie
you should enjoy alone or with friends. The atmosphere mixes late fifties
secret stories (you know, Rosewell and friends) with modern stuff (flying cars
and crazy weapons) in a perfect combination. Will Smith is pretty good at
acting the way he was in Wild Wild West (from the same director btw) and Tommy
Lee Jones (though looking quite old now) does it very well too ! I missed the
presence of a third strong character tho. Okay there is that nice looking black
girl but she's not up to Linda's part in the first episode in my humble
opinion. Also I was a bit surprised to miss some nice sounding soundtrack. Sure
this is definitely NOT my style of music but it enhances and even reinforces
the movie ambiance a lot.
Last words : to speak the truth I seldom go to the movies because the
theaters here kinda suck and I have a DVD player at home but when my brothers
suggested going I said yes and I don't regret it. This is no masterpiece for
sure but a really nice entertainment that won't require too much brain :) If
you liked the first Men In Black movie, you'll surely like this one too ! If
gets all that's needed : nice story plot, attractive characters, funny aliens
and situations, what's more ? Not much but that's what movies are about these
days, aren't they ?
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