Men in Black II

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Not as good as the original.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie's PG-13 rating is for intense peril, graphic violence (comic-book-style), some gross-out special effects, and some vulgar humor, including a sight gag about kneeing an alien's most vulnerable spot. Some viewers will find the resolution of the story unsettling.

  • Comic book-style peril, sometimes intense, scary creatures.
  • Some vulgar humor.
  • Some strong language.

What's the story?

At the end of Men in Black, agent J (Will Smith) erases the memories of his partner, K (Tommy Lee Jones), so that he can return to a normal life. As MEN IN BLACK II begins, a scary-looking alien (disguised as a Victoria's Secret model and played by Lara Flynn Boyle) returns to earth and only K knows how to deal with her. J has to track K down, restore his memory, and work with him to save the planet from the scum of the universe.


Is it any good?

 

The original Men in Black is one of my all-time favorite movies, just for originality and sheer attitude. Director Barry Sonnenfeld, production designer Bo Welch, and stars Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, and Vincent D'Onofrio achieved near perfection with a tone that was just off-center and the essence of cool. The story and special effects were perfectly satisfying, but the movie was all about throwaway lines like "Now I'm going to have to buy the white album again" and "We're not hosting an intergalactic kegger down here."

The sequel has flickers of the original spirit, but it is like a fifth generation photocopy, a blurry reproduction rather than a re-imagined original. Sonnenfeld, Welch, Jones, and Smith return, along with MiB1's Rip Torn and Tony Shaloub, but the movie squanders our pleasure at seeing favorite characters return and then makes things worse when the additions and new characters are not up to their level. Worst of all, the underlying story line is lackluster, with plot holes and a brief running time that suggest that we may get a lot of deleted scenes on the DVD.


What families can talk about

Families can talk about what they think creatures from other planets might be like, and why the way we think about them tells us more about us than it does about them. Why doesn't J want to erase Rita's memory? Why is it important to find someone you can tell your real feelings to?


This review was written by Nell Minow
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Great sequel-better than the first!!
There were a few startling parts- like things jumping out, but it was not scary like the first one ( I thought) was. It was very funny, and even the violence was comical. One word description: HILLARIOUS!!

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Teen, 14 years old
June 13, 2010
 
MIB The Second
This wasn't as good as the last one, but it was still a winner on my part. It had an interesting plot that gives you a lot of backstory to Agent K. This was a great movie and I feel bad for anyone who hasn't seen it.

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Kid, 13 years old
November 15, 2010
 
*spit takes kool aid* Not as good as the last... What?
This one was great! At least it's better than several other sequels! This keeps up the basic idea for the first one while advancing the story! Like I said for the first one, great for kids. Still, this one does have some sexy scenes involving a creature called a vore and agent K.

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Kid, 12 years old
May 5, 2010
 
years from 1997-2002
i didn't seen it on movies, but i was 9 in home i don't like it, mom do not brought that, so now anyone under 11 may NOT see this movie.

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
boring...
This movie is not as good as the first one. There some violence but it is mostly just shooting of alien weapons.

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
good but not great
this movie is ok but not as good as the original

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Teen, 16 years old
March 23, 2011
 
way better than the first......
this men in black is better than the first so if you don't like the first don't stop there keep on watching the series and wait till happens next. i hope it comes out with a third. well tghis is alot of sex and not as much violence as the first so don't trust nell minow who reviewed this movie. he should give more detail to the review. there is as not as much language as the first so if that is what you are worring about don't be afraid about that.

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Teen, 15 years old
June 12, 2009
 
men in black is back
i love this movie it is one of my favorite movies.It's a awesome movie even better then the first

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Adult
November 3, 2009
 
Good for tweens!
Even better than the first, not much though! But overall a great teen comedy!

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This review was written by Nell Minow
Topics:space and aliens
Studio:Columbia Tristar
Director:Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast:Lara Flynn Boyle, Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith
Genre:Action/Adventure
Run time:88 minutes
Theatrical release date:July 3, 2002
DVD release date:May 13, 2003
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:sci-fi action violence and some provocative humor

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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