Men in Black II (MIIB): Music from the Motion Picture
Given the massive box-office success of the originalMen in Black, the only real surprise was that it took Hollywood five years to crank out the loopy, CGI-laden sequel. Composer Danny Elfman keeps the originalMIBcreative team intact, weighing in with a typically energetic orchestral score that dutifully ratchets up the suspense and punctuates the action. But it's a largely connect-the-dots exercise; aside from the deliciously loungy pair ofAustin Powers-savvy bossa novas that bookend his work here ("Worm Lounge #1 (Worms in Black)," "Worm Lounge #2"), there's a sometimes uncomfortable lack of originality (let alone melodicism) in much of what remains. The tense, workmanlike efficiency works fine with the film, but longtime fans may find this a decidedly McElfman listening experience. Still, the soundtrack ends on an a pair of appropriately goofy/cheesy notes: Tim Blaney's gravel-voiced Frank the Pug crooning "I Will Survive" with grating canine fervor and the duet of Will Smith and Tra-Knox gettin' jiggy with the hip-hop/Bond music hybrid "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)."--Jerry McCulley