I love the opening credits.

Rating: Null/10 (21 January 2003)

Where did they find that font? I want it. In white, sprawling generously over shots of stuff happening in outer space, it's more than attractive; it's positively intriguing. I'll go so far as to say that the opening credits sequence could well be the handsomest of any released in the year 2002.
It ought to be. It's clearly where all the effort went. The film itself has us glancing at our watches and saying, "Yeah, whatever," almost before the first line of dialogue is spoken.
Tommy Lee Jones's character has been pulled out of retirement on some phoney pretext, and he too looks bored (certainly he goes well beyond deadpan). He virtually yawns as he delivers the final "revalation". It's as though he's simply making it up with the camera rolling, not caring much what he says, but knowing that whatever he says, everyone else will be forced to play along, and then it will be over, and we can all go home.
I must admit I've never fully understood the appeal of the first film, but it's clear that Barry Sonnenfeld understands it even less. It has something to do, you can hear him thinking to himself, with Tommy Lee Jones looking deadpan, Will Smith wearing sunglasses, and aliens. Very well then: three times as much of each for the sequel. Cram them gimmicks in. Never mind that whatever appealed to us about Jones and Smith's characters has been lost  EVERYTHING about their characters has, in fact, been lost  and that the aliens, underneath their brash, zany schtick, are all crushing bores.
Rosario Dawson is as lovely as she was in the vastly superior "Josie and the Pussycats". She's easily the best thing to happen to the film. She tries to make us feel that it's more than a big goof-off, and while the attempt comes across as just one more cynical ploy, SHE does not. I'm in love.