Men In Black II (2002)
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The emergence of an alien threat reunites two agents of the Men in Black organization.
The story
In 2002, five years after joining the MIB, Agent J has become one of its top agents, but has developed a reputation for neuralyzing partners he feels are emotionally unfit to cope with the work. When a shapeshifting alien named Serleena returns to Earth to find a powerful item called the Light of Zartha, she forces others to help her find it. While investigating a murder related to the search, Agent J develops an attraction to a witness named Laura. J breaks MIB protocol by choosing not to neuralyze her, leading him to discover that his former partner, Agent K, has hidden the Light on Earth.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1978, the MIB refused to help the Zarthans guard the Light of Zartha, leading to the pursuit of the Light by the shapeshifter Serleena. In 2002, Agent J, who has a reputation for neuralyzing partners, encounters a witness named Laura and refuses to neuralyze her. He discovers that his former partner, Agent K, who was neuralyzed five years prior, is hiding the Light. J finds K in Massachusetts and brings him to MIB headquarters. After a failed attempt to use a standard machine, they seek out an illegal one from Jack Jeebs. They eventually find the Light, which is revealed to be Laura's bracelet. They learn that Laura is the lost princess of Zartha. After a series of battles and a chase through Manhattan, J tricks Serleena into being eaten by a giant worm, Jeff. The agents eventually reach a Zarthan transport ship where K reveals Laura is the Light. They ensure she is sent to her home world to save both Earth and Zartha. K uses a large neuralyzer at the Statue of Liberty to erase the public's memory of the events.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 88
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Barry Sonnenfeld
- Writers
- Robert Gordon · screenplay; Barry Fanaro · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tommy Lee Jones · Kevin Brown / Agent K; Will Smith · James Darrel Edwards III / Agent J; Lara Flynn Boyle · Serleena; Johnny Knoxville · Scrad and Charlie; Rosario Dawson · Laura Vasquez; Tony Shalhoub · Jack Jeebs; Rip Torn · Chief Zed
- Genres
- science fiction; action; comedy
- Themes
- Partnership; Sacrifice; Identity
- Tone and mood
- Action; Comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- Sequel; Alien Invasion; Buddy Cop
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics series
- Franchise connections
- Men in Black
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who deemed it inferior to its predecessor but praised the lead performances and action sequences. It was a financial success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 38% · scale: percentage · review count: 196; Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: score · review count: 37
- Awards and nominations
- Best Science Fiction Film · Saturn Awards · Nomination; Best Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture · Visual Effects Society Award · Nomination; Best Performance by an Actor in an Effects Film · Visual Effects Society Award · Nomination; Worst Supporting Actress · Razzie Award · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film featured Michael Jackson's last feature film appearance before he died in 2009.; The climax was originally filmed at the World Trade Center but was moved to the Statue of Liberty after the September 11 attacks.; The film's soundtrack included the theme song "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)" performed by Will Smith.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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