Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Men in Black II’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

One thing that I’ve always found fascinating when it comes to motion pictures, is the sheer fact that every studio out there is obsessed with replicating the success of an unexpectedly popular film. You know exactly what I’m talking about, something new or unique hits theaters one summer and it does gangbusters business and garners all kinds of magnificent reviews and the next thing you know, it’s suddenly turned into a franchise, or other studios are trying to make some kind of variant of that story and while sometimes lightning does indeed strike twice in the real world, it’s a rare occurrence in Hollywood.
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Because when a particular motion picture truly resonates with an audience, there’s just no way to replicate that kind of magic. But despite seeing sequels bomb and franchises die because fans tell studios that what they’re trying to do isn’t working, Hollywood keeps at it anyways. But, once in a while, the formula of the original is tweaked just enough for a particular sequel so that it seems brand new, and the original cast returns, enticing the audience to give part two another try and while these films do great business at the box office, they simply don’t hold up as well as expected as time marches on and one such sequel that meets this fascinating criteria is Men in Black II.

Because…let’s be honest, this is a movie that in many ways, follows the first one’s plot to a tee. After all, it involves an alien coming down to Earth to get their hands on something supremely precious and important for nefarious purposes, and there’s a love interest for Jay that knows nothing about the world of aliens that surround her and of course, it’s up to Jay and Kay to save the day by way of a massive and epic showdown where the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance. Yet, while that should seem like a plot where you roll your eyes and shout at the screen for giving you the same stuff over again, you don’t, thanks to the perfect tweaks that I made mention of a moment ago, that make the movie seem like brand new.

After all, we come to learn that Laura Vasquez is the actual precious artifact in question and if she decides to stay on Earth, disaster will follow, adding a touch of emotional depth to her and Jay’s journey. Plus, the new characters present here, help to mix things up as well comedically, since Scrad/Charlie keep things light by way of Johnny Knoxville’s performance and let’s be honest, Frank the Pug steals the show in every single scene he’s in. And by having Jay rescue Kay and try to remind him of what he was a part of not that long ago, is what’s designed to recreate the sense of wonder that was present in the original film since Kay gets to see the world of aliens all over again.

However, while all of these elements do work on screen, and while they definitely entertain, they don’t work as seamlessly as time goes on, and subsequent re-watches of this movie, help the magic we all enjoyed when we first watched it, fade away. But despite the fact that its issues are on full display now, this movie was a critical and commercial darling back in the day, but sadly, this would be the end of the road when it comes to the creative tweaks that could recreate the magic and wonder for the fans. Because big changes were waiting on the horizon, the kind that would divide the fanbase and irrevocably change the course of this storied franchise…  

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