Monday, May 28, 2012

Men in Black II Review








Men in Black II


Release Date: 3rd July 2002 - Australia


Production Companies
Amblin Entertainment
Columbia Pictures (presents)
MacDonald/Parkes Productions (in
association with)

Distribution
Sony Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 88 minutes


Budget: $140,000,000

Box Office Gross: $441,818,803 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
It is another day at the
office for Agent J as he is
surveying, licensing and
policing all alien activity
on Earth. One day, he
receives a report of an
unauthorised landing of
an alien spacecraft near
New York. It is a Klyothian
named Serleena, an old
enemy of MIB searching
for a powerful artifact
called The Light of Zartha.
J does some research and
quickly realises he will
need help. Unfortunately,
the other MIB agents are
not so quite effective. So
J decides to take K back.
J has to restore K's
memory as an MIB agent
and stop Serleena before
she succeeds.


Cast
Tommy Lee Jones - Kevin
Brown/Agent K
Will Smith - James Darrell
Edwards III/Agent J
Rip Torn - Chief Zed
Lara Flynn Boyle - Serleena
Johnny Knoxville - Scrad/
Charlie
Rosario Dawson - Laura Vasquez
Tony Shalhoub - Jack Jeebs
Patrick Warburton - Agent T
Jack Kehler - Ben
David Cross - Newton
Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine - Hailey
Peter Spellos - Motorman
Michael Rivkin - Man with Dog
Michael Bailey Smith - Creepy
Lenny Venito - New York Guy
Howard Spiegel - New York Guy
Alpheus Merchant - MIB Guard
Jay Johnston - Agent
Joel McKinnon Miller - Agent
Derek Cecil - Repairman Agent
Rick Baker - MIB Passport Control Agent (Cameo)
Martha Stewart - Herself (Cameo)
Michael Jackson - Agent M (Cameo)
Sid Hillman - Agent Gee
Tom Whitenight - Agent C
Nick Cannon - MIB Autopsy Agent
Jeremy Howard - Bird Guy
Alien/Postal Sorting Alien
Mary Stein - Bird Lady Alien
Martin Klebba - Family Child Alien
Peter Graves - Himself
Tim Blaney - Frank the Pug (Voice)
John Alexander - Jarra/Family Dad Alien
Ernie Grunwald - Young Postal Employee
Chloe Sonnenfeld - Young Girl at Post Office
Doug Jones - Joey
Biz Markie - Rapping Alien
Linda Kim - Ambassador Lauranna
Paige Brooks - 'Mysteries in History' Lauranna
Michael Dahlen - Fresh Balls
Michael Garvey - Corn Face
Kevin Grevioux - Pineal Eye
John Andrew Berton Jr. - Split Alien Guy (Cameo)
Derek Mears - Mosh Tendrils
Sonny Tipton - Dog Poop
Greg Ballora - Sleeble (Voice)
Carl J. Johnson - Gleeble (Voice)
Thom Fountain - Neeble (Voice)
Brad Abrell - Mannix (Voice)
Richard Pearson - Gordy (Voice)
Barry Sonnenfeld - Neuralyzed Father (Cameo)

Crew
Director - Barry Sonnenfeld
Based on the Malibu Comic - Lovell Cunningham
Story/Screenplay - Robert Gordon
Screenplay - Barry Fanaro
Executive Producer - Steven Spielberg
Producers - Laurie MacDonald
and Walter F. Parkes
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager - Graham Place
Production Designer - Bo Welch
Illustrators - James Carson and
Tim Flattery
Art Directors - Alec Hammond,
Sean Haworth and Thomas P. Wilkins
Art Director: New York - Michael Wylie
Assistant Art Directors - François Audouy
and Maya Shimoguchi
Set Decorator - Cheryl Carasik
Property Master - Doug Harlocker
Costume Designer - Mary E. Vogt
Alien Makeup Effects - Rick Baker
Designers/Sculptors: Cinovation - Matt Rose,
Mitch DeVane, Jeff Buccacio, Steve Koch
and Chris Ayers
Director of Photography - Greg Gardiner
Directors of Photography: New York
Second Unit - Kim Marks and Florian Ballhaus
Second Second Assistant Director - Marie Battle-Campbell
Second Unit Director - Artie Malseci
Second Unit Director: New York Second Unit -
Michael Owens
Puppet Master - Tony Urbano
Stunt Coordinator - Charles Croughwell
Animal Trainers - Cristie Miele and
Janine Aines
Special Effects Coordinator - Thomas L. Fisher
Production Supervisor/Shop Foreman (Uncredited):
Cinovation - Bill Sturgeon
Project Supervisors: Cinovation - Kazuhiro Tsuji,
Bart Mixon, Eddie Yang, Chad Waters,
Jim Beinke, Chet Zar, Moto Hata and
Glen Griffin
Animatronics: Cinovation - Kyle Martin,
Bud McGrew, George Bernota, Dave Kindlon
and Nicholas J. Esposito
Visual Effects Supervisor - John Andrew Berton Jr.
Visual Effects Co-Supervisor - Edward Hirsh
Visual Effects Supervisor: Tippett Studio -
Scott Souter
Visual Effects Co-Supervisor: Tippett Studio -
Jim McVay
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Ken Ralston
Visual Effects Supervisors: SPI - Jim Berney
and Sheena Duggal
Visual Effects Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -
Bill Westenhofer
Visual Effects Supervisor: Pacific Title Digital -
David Sosalla
Visual Effects Associate Supervisor - Erik Mattson
Visual Effects Producers - Ned Gorman
and Lori J. Nelson
Visual Effects Producer: Air Chase and Post Office
Sequences, ILM - Ginger Theisen
Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - David Nakabayashi
Animation Supervisor - Tom Bertino
Computer Graphics Supervisor: ILM - Michael Bauer
CG Supervisors: SPI - Daniel Eaton
and Mark Lambert
Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Thomas Rosseter
Sequence Supervisors: ILM - Will Anielewicz,
Amelia Chenoweth, Russell Earl, John Helms
and Kevin Reuter
Sequence Supervisor: Air Chase and Post Office
Sequences, ILM - Joel Aron
Digital Model Supervisor: ILM - Ken Bryan
Viewpaint Supervisor: ILM - Catherine Craig
Conceptual Designers: ILM - Christian Alzmann,
Larry Chandler, Brice Cox, Carlos Huante,
Sangjun Lee, Wayne Lo, Aaron McBride,
Brian Pohl, Evan Pontoriero and Daniel Slavin
Digital Matte Artists: ILM - Jonathan Harb,
William Mather, Kent Matheson,
Brett Northcutt and Simon Wicker
Matte Artist: SPI - Robert Stromberg
Editors - Richard Pearson and Steven Weisberg
Associate Editor - JC Bond
Main Title Designer - Pablo Ferro
Supervising Sound Editor - Skip Lievsay
Sound Effects Editors - Eugene Gearty,
Sean Garnhart, Craig Berkey, John P. Fasal
and Paul Hsu
Supervising ADR Editor - Juno J. Ellis
Production Mixer - Peter F. Kurland
Re-Recording Mixers - Kevin O'Connell
and Greg P. Russell
Supervising Foley Editor - Steven Visscher
Foley Artists - Marko A. Costanzo
and Jay Peck
Foley Mixer - George A. Lara
Music - Danny Elfman


Review
MEN IN BLACK II has consistent humour but feels like a rehash of the first instalment (click here). The story was far-fetched and boring in some parts, lacking the originality the first one has. The only things that could save the second movie were the character expansion, like Frank the Pug and the Worm Guys and a cameo by Michael Jackson (MJ).

If MEN IN BLACK II had an engaging plot, it would have brought back the basics and not gotten too carried away with the visual effects, and it could have been more acclaimed than its predecessor. What makes this movie disappointing is it didn't meet or surpass the impact of the original MIB movie. Unfortunately, this is a common weakness of some sequels.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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