Quite fun as long as you know what to expect

Rating: Null/10 (19 April 2003)

When alien Serleena returns to earth looking for `the light' that alluded her over 20 years ago, she takes control of MIB headquarters in order to flush out those who know where the light would be hidden. Agent J heads out to recover Agent K, now living a normal live with no awareness of his past. K is the only person who knows where the light is and he and J follow clues he left years ago as he had removed the memory to protect himself.
When I watched the first film I thought to myself that it was a film that looked like it was designed to spawn a sequel rather than be a film in it's own right. A few years later and I was right. This sequel basically tries to repeat the chemistry of the first film and to a certain degree succeeds. The plot is basically a rerun of the first film except with everything bigger. Most of it works because it is short, punchy, funny and energetic  the jokes are mostly new and not straight lifts from the first film. The characters have changed a little and it manages to pull off the same blockbuster humour that it had before.
The effects are good but really it is the humour that drives it. While much of it is amusing rather than hilarious, there are plenty of laugh out loud moments to keep it going. Smith is slumming it here  he gives a sort of typical `urban attitude' play to things and says `your ass' a lot. Want to see what money will do to someone? Watch him in 6 degrees of separation and then watch this! Jones is the core of the film as he was before and is a great straightman. Smith carries 15 minutes and then wisely they bring back Jones. Boyle is so-so, she doesn't have much to do to be fair. Knoxville is alright I guess. Dawson is good but I'm biased as I've liked her since Kids and He Got Game. Torn and Shalhoub make good returns.
Overall this is not rocket science  it is the original formula done again with bells on. It won't win many awards for content but it is an entertaining, undemanding blockbuster that does what it says on the tin. Quite fun as long as you don't expect the world.