Men in Black II
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Crazy creatures, some scares, and loads of fun.
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Men in Black II
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What's the Story?
At the end of Men in Black, agent J (Will Smith) erased the memories of his partner, K (Tommy Lee Jones), so that he could 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?
This sequel may not be quite as good, but it's still loads of fun and pretty funny, with many imaginative creatures. Men in Black was wonderfully original and achieved near perfection with a tone that was just off-center and the essence of cool, a satisfying story and spectacular special effects; it's hard to live up to that.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Men in Black: II's violence. How did it make you feel? How much of it consists of special effects? Does the impact of movie violence change based on how realistic it is?
Why doesn't J want to erase Rita's memory in Men in Black II? Why is it important to find someone you can tell your real feelings to?
How do the characters demonstrate teamwork? Why is that an important character strength?
What do you think creatures from other planets might be like? Why does the way we think about them tell us more about us than it does about them?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 3, 2002
- On DVD or streaming: May 13, 2003
- Cast: Lara Flynn Boyle, Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith
- Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
- Inclusion Information: Black actors
- Studio: Columbia Tristar
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Space and Aliens
- Character Strengths: Teamwork
- Run time: 88 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: sci-fi action violence and some provocative humor
- Last updated: April 26, 2023
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