Phoning in Performances from Outer Space...or Beverly Hills

Rating: Null/10 (3 July 2002)

"Men in Black II" is technically superb with many new and wonderful creatures not seen in the original. An Oscar nomination for Best Technical Whatever is probably assured.
The story barely hangs together but the bottom line is that my kid and apparently every kid in the theater enjoyed themselves immensely. And that's not a bad thing. Especially when you've got a day where it's 95 outside.
Will Smith has some good lines but can't shake a bemused countenance. Tommy Lee Jones starts off semi-sleepwalking as part of his character, a former top Men in Black special agent whose memory of his glorious (and box-office busting) career as an alien-controller with Smith as his partner has been "Neuralyzed" (as in electronically erased). The problem is that even when his memory and authority are restored he still seems to be sleepwalking.

Lara Flynn Boyle turns in a credible performance as an alien woman of many parts, all extensions of her petite but lovely figure. But Linda Fiorentino in the original had a bite that was special. Ms. Boyle lacks that quality here.
The New York City-joshing one-liners are good. One, which I won't reveal, set me off rolling with laughter. How it will play elsewhere is another matter.
My overall impression is that the producer, director and stars knew they had a film that couldn't lose money and not all that much effort was expended in script writing, directing or acting. It was, of course, a field day for the technical wonks. I suspect when the final "It's a wrap" call came everyone went home and started thinking about real future acting.
Please, no "Men in Black III."
5/10.