Okay, I doubt anyone went into "Men In Black II" expecting it to be funnier than the original. It's a sequel. If you thought otherwise, you should know better. What I know is that not a single person expected to walk out angry at the fact they just wasted $22.50 to see a bomb of a movie.
Agent Jay (Will Smith) has become the leading agent for the MIB organization, but is unable to find a partner. Now stuck trying to find "The Light of Zartha," Jay must find the only person who knows anything about it: Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones). The problem here is that Kay's memory has been completely erased and he's now working at a small town post office. Now it's a race to the save the planet from destruction at the hands of all-around bad alien Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle).
Every single laugh this movie goes for is a struggle. It's a struggle because of the script, it's a struggle because of the pitiful special effects, and it's a struggle because Tommy Lee Jones plays a character nothing like that of the first film. Here roles are reversed for a good portion of the movie, as Will Smith is the more experienced of the two, taking away what made the original so funny. Jones still plays his role straight, he just has nothing to work with. Many of the jokes are repeats too.
There are so many gags here that just fall flat; you almost begin to think they didn't care. There is an excessive use of wires here and they never work especially as Rip Torn is suspended for a 10-second jump kick. Jones gets almost the same spot as well as he kicks a "ballchinian" in the chin (think about it). The sudden disappearance of Linda Fiorentino is explained in one sentence and the excuse is, well, weak.
Taking over her role is a dog. Frank the talking pug, merely a one shot joke in the first film, takes over the movie at a few points and then seemingly disappears for the second half. The worms, a group of one-shot characters, also get extended screen time and they provide two of the movies three entertaining jokes. Even ILM blew it here. The opening moments have Will Smith careening through the subway system on the back of a giant toothy worm. Even a five-year old can figure out it's not real.
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