By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Sequels are tricky to get right, change too much and you lose the fans of the first film, but don’t change enough, and it feels like the same movie all over again. Men in Black 2 falls into the second category and was slammed by critics for not breaking away from the formula of the first film. What the critics failed to see, and what the public recognized, is that when the original is an instant classic, there’s nothing wrong with replaying the hits.
Here Come The Men In Black
Men in Black 2 picks up years after the original, with Agent J (Will Smith) cycling through partners, unable to find anyone as good as Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). The film brings the two together again to stop Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle) a shapeshifting alien from finding the latest McGuffin hiding on Earth. If it sounds similar to the first film’s Bug alien pursuing another MacGuffin hiding in a cat’s collar, that’s because it is, but the sequel does twist the formula a little bit.
The second time around, Agents J and K have to protect Laura (Rosario Dawson), who saw Serleena kill a Zarthan in cold blood, which is exactly the plot of the first movie, but this time, Serleena manages to infiltrate MiB HQ, which, in one of the most blatant product placement scenes of all time, includes a Burger King inside. Men in Black 2 lets fans see more of the headquarters and gives more screentime to the breakout stars of the original: the worms and Frank the Pug. The scene-stealing side characters and effortless chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones help elevate the wafer-thin plot from a made for SyFy movie to a record-breaking Summer blockbuster.
From Record-Setting Blockbuster To Underappreciated Comedy
Men in Black 2 made history during its opening weekend by becoming the most successful Fourth of July release in history upon its release in 2002, knocking off Will Smith’s other big sci-fi film, Independence Day, by earning $87 million. The record soon fell in 2004 when Spider-Man 2 earned an extra million and brought in $88 million over the holiday weekend. Critics thought the film was only okay and gave it middle of the road reviews, but to the general public, the sci-fi spectacular was more evidence that Will Smith was the king of the Summer blockbuster.
Time has been kind to Men in Black 2 and it’s now fondly remembered as the popcorn film it was always meant to be, but especially after the franchise-killing performance of Men in Black International, the breezy charm of the first two films keeps finding fans. Men in Black III, with Josh Brolin as a young Agent K, is the even rarer threequel that continues the hot streak of the franchise, but it sidelines Tommy Lee Jones in the process, leaving only the first two films as what fans think of as the definitive MiB experience. Though the tone and humor have since been co-opted by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no one can touch the raw star power of Will Smith from the early-00’s.
Men in Black 2, 21 years after its original release, became Peacock’s top streaming movie, which is impressive for any film old enough to drink, but especially one from a franchise that has been considered dead and buried for the last six years. The enduring appeal of Will Smith among the general public, even post-slap, can not be denied, and this is one more example of why he was the King of the Summer Blockbuster for an entire generation.
Men in Black II is now streaming on Peacock.
