MIB2 had sneaks here in Japan. I'm a big fan of the original, but this new one was awful. After leaving the theatre, I was suprised that less than 90 had passed, because it seemed like much longer (running time is 81 minutes without end credits). MIB2 is pretty much a flipped mirror image of the original: Will Smith is the hard-assed, fast-talking veteran and Tommy Lee Jones is the befuddled newcomer. But having them play against type like this isn't funny at all. The villain, a shape-shifting worm played by Lara Flynn Boyle, is very dull. She stands around in black leather, acts means, and has CGI tentacles come out of her fingers. The female protagonist (Rosario Dawson) is also boring and given nothing to do, except cowering in fear. The minimal plot was both boring and confusing, because what the bad guys were looking for isn't revealed until the very end and doesn't make much sense when it is. The movie ends with a lame "our-world-is-within another-world" coda, almost the same as in MIB1. The best thing about the movie is the return of Frank the pug from MIB1. He's now an agent.
So, don't waste your money on this one!!!
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
I'm saving my money-going money for this fall ... the new LoTR film, Star Trek: Nemesis, new James Bond, and Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets!
Posted by Thoughtchopper (Member # 480) on :
It's a little known fact that MIB was based on a comic book.
It wasn't very good, either. Maybe it's a good thing nobody knows about it.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
And, apparently, MIB2 is based off of (or at least have a lot of similarities) to an episode of the cartoon series.
Posted by Thoughtchopper (Member # 480) on :
That explains a lot.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Apparently the only really major change they did to the episode was to flip the roles of the agents. Namely, making Smith the tight-assed veteran and Jones the wet-behind-the-ears rookie.
Eh, I'm not disappointed by the news. MIB2 was never on my 2002 "Movies to See" list.
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
Do they explain what happened to Linda Florentino (sp)?
Posted by Thoughtchopper (Member # 480) on :
Having not seen the film yet, I'm guessing they don't. Chock it up to Bond's Girlfriend syndrom, where they're only there as long as there is an adventure to be had.
Somebody wrote a paper on that subject for Psychology Today, if you can believe that.
Posted by Nim Pim (Member # 205) on :
Also Indiana Jones' gerls.
Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :
Linda Fiorentino is mentioned as having been neuralyzed (as have several other of Smith's partners) and sent back to the morgue. She's not seen.
Posted by Tahna Los (Member # 33) on :
Bleah. I was hoping that she would be in the film in some way or another.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
MIB2 falls into the almost, but not quite category then? Pity, I expected it to be more than an average run-of-the-mill sequel...
Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :
It's far from "almost but not quite." It seemed a very tired rehash of the first movie. Nothing new at all. You'll have more fun watching the first movie again.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
I have to agree... it's not the greatest movie. I left disappointed. Oh well, the ST:X preview was at least interesting.
Posted by CaptainMike (Member # 709) on :
I'm imagining after this movie gains popularity, there will be some unsuspecting newbie that pops up in the board, loves the movie, and decides that MIB2 will be his publicly displayed name. hilarity will ensue as we lynch him (or her) for accidentally embodying (some of ours) worst fear.
were you guys expecting this one to be more elaborate than an expensive cartoon? the first one was a blast, but still not serious enough to make me really care if i ever saw another.
Posted by Thoughtchopper (Member # 480) on :
I don't think so. Something to talk about is all.
Posted by Proteus (Member # 212) on :
yet another example of people over-anyalizing a movie.
i went with two friends of mine and they laughed a lot and smiled and stuff.. you can tell they were having fun (as did i). but when I asked them what they thought of it when we got out of the theater, they were all uppity and "oh the plot was weak" or "how did they do this" and so on...
it was a FUN movie... something to do.. not a deep thinking one... whatever.
as long as I laugh a few times and have fun.. its a good flick.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Agreed, it was good fun - it wasn't like a piece of cinema BILLIANCE - but it was a fun movie. The First movie wasn't that FANTASTIC either - really. I'm suprised it was as popular as it was. I had fun in MIB2 - it wasn't a movie I HAD to see - I just decided to go to the movies and that was on - and I wanted to check it out and compare it with the first movie. I did want to have L still around - but oh well - at LEAST they mentioned her.
LOL! Moment Michael Jackson as an Alien and pleading to be an agent.
Another LOL! Moment the bit... "this will be the last suit you will ever wear... again... wha... just put on the suit". (Or however it went)
They didn't really need to do a sequal - but it was a bit of fun, and that's it.
Andrew
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I finally got a chance to see the movie this past weekend. (Two movies in two days... a rarity for me.)
I guess I was expecting something a lot worse when after reading this thread a few weeks ago... I didn't think it was that bad. Yeah, it wasn't nearly as interesting as the original, and some of the other characters were boring. Plus a bunch of the jokes were basically rehashed from the original -- like K blowing off Jeebs's head.
Plus, the villain was pretty week -- I didn't really buy into the strut-around-and-look-sexy routine. The "bug" from the original was creepy (plus I loved the gag about the "Edgar suit"), plus the makeup effects for that guy were outstanding. By comparison, the gross-out of a Medusa-like alien in pristine human form seemed pretty lame.
The big "climax" -- discovering that the woman herself was the Light of Zarthon (or whatever) -- received a big "so what?" for me. There wasn't nearly enough development for that lady for me to care, and the revelation was so far out there that I was left thinking "huh?" instead.
On the other hand, there were still some scenes that were really funny. The subway chase scenes were hilarious -- "Yeah, now y'all are runnin'! and "Thanks for participating in this test of New York's new, energy-efficient subway car." J's habit of neuralizing his partners was also amusing.
One of the reasons I really enjoyed the first "Men in Black" was because of the originality, and because it was an enjoyable sci-fi movie that was completely self-contained, rather than part of an epic multi-movie (or episode) saga. Though I certainly love the epic stories (like "Babylon 5," "Farscape," and "Star Wars") it was still nice to just sit back for a couple of hours and enjoy the fun. In a way, just making a sequel to the first kind of spoiled things. Chalk it all up to Hollywood's cash-cow tendencies.
Anyway, I certainly didn't dislike the movie at all -- I enjoyed it, and the jokes were funny (even the recycled ones). It certainly wasn't what I'd call "high quality" by any means. But it was worth a few bucks to spend an afternoon at the movies.
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