"Men In Black 2" knows to quit while it is ahead.

Rating: 7/10 (11 July 2007)

Sequels, or the cinematic spawn of Hollywood blockbusters, constitute an entire film genre of their own. The best reunite the entire original cast and crew. Think of the "Lethal Weapon" epics. All the chief characters return in the best sequels. Remember "The Adams Family," "Beverly Hills Cop 2," or "Smokey and the Bandit 2?" Not only do the best sequels raise the emotional stakes, but also they feature an antagonist twice as savvy as the original foe. Look at the James Bond movies, the "Indiana Jones," "Evil Dead," and "Rambo" trilogies. The best sequels take you beyond the original. Consider the "Star Trek" series or the "Back To The Future" trilogy.
The worst sequels recycle the original material without imagination. Remember "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure," or "Crocodile Dundee 2?" The worse sequels jettison main characters for lame excuses. Chris Tucker's absence in "Next Friday" is intolerable! The "Rocky" movies killed off secondary characters in each sequel. The worst sequels cannot recapture the spontaneity of the original. Recall "Weekend at Bernie's 2?" The worst sequels usually contain only half of sure-fire elements that sparked the original. Remember "Ghostbusters 2," "Smokey and the Bandit 3," "Beverly Hills Cop 3," "Crocodile Dundee 3," and "Exorcist 2?"
The new sequel to "Men In Black" (1997), the numerically specific "Men In Black 2," brings back Will Smith as Agent J, Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K, and their "MiB" boss Zed (Rip Torn of "Freddy Got Fingered") as well as several Dr. Seuss-style extraterrestrial wiseacre worms. The 'Elle' character that Linda Fiorentino played, the morgue attendant who teamed up with Agent J at fadeout, has gone back to the morgue. Agent J has become a "Dirty Harry" of sorts and has a hard time keeping a partner. The predictable follow-the-numbers, up-against-a- deadline, end-of-the-planet screenplay by Robert Gordon of "Galaxy Quest" and Barry Fanaro of "Kingpin" lacks the wit, whimsy, and the wonder of the original "Men In Black." The "X-Files" meets "Dragnet" quality of "Men In Black" doesn't seem as funny as it did five years ago.
When the alien villainous Serleena crashes her UFO in Central Park, she takes the shape of a sexy Victoria Secret's model (Laura Flynn Boyle) and threatens the planet with destruction unless she acquires the legendary 'Light of Zartha.' Think of the Medusa with snakes for hair and you've got a good idea what Serleena resembles. Desperately, Zed dispatches J to reactivate K. As Kevin Brown, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) has been stacking mail for the U.S. Post Office, since Agent J "neuralized" him in the original. The superb comic chemistry between silly-minded Agent J and sour-pussed Agent K qualifies as the best reason to watch this okay but anemic opus.
Director Barry Sonnefeld, who helmed the original "Men In Black," lets nothing --especially storyline--interfere with either the wacky action or his outlandish computer-generated bugs and worms. At 88 trim minutes, "Men In Black 2" knows to quit while it is ahead.