The 2002 Men in Black sequel starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones is a far cry from its 1997 predecessor. Currently standing at a critic score of 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, Men in Black II undoes a lot of the world-building from the first film. Instead of allowing the story to evolve, it tries to recreate the original, significantly undermining plot and character development. Beloved roles are played up as caricatures of their former selves, retroactively ruining the near-perfect original release.
Instead of the solemn and formidable organization first conceived, MIB appears to have relaxed numerous standards over the years. Fast food and duty-free stores line the corridors to greet arriving aliens. This addition reframes the context of the building as an airport rather than a command post. Not quite the image of an intergalactic force working beyond 'the system' to protect the Earth.
Agent recruitment also leaves much to be desired. In the opening scene of Men in Black II, Agent T (Patrick Warburton) physically assaults a defenseless alien. This behavior is in stark contrast to the recruitment standards five years ago. Agent J's (Will Smith) indoctrination was designed to weed out anyone unable to see beyond their own bias. Little Tiffany and her quantum physics reading would not have raised any alarms for Agent T. He should never have been made an agent, let alone partnered with J.
Being an agent also previously meant an irreversible erasure of all the recruit's identifying records. Birth certificate, driver's license, social security card, library card, fingerprints -- all obliterated. However, Men in Black II has numerous offscreen agents return to their old lives, including Dr. Laurel Weaver (Linda Fiorentino). If an agent could just quit and rejoin society, then being in MIB is a much less complicated decision to make. This reversal directly contrasts the emphasis on relinquishing glory and serving a greater purpose that the original established. The agent that audiences see five years into the job is craving recognition to feed his ego and has lost sight of the principles he gave his life for. Adding insult to injury, Dr. Weaver's absence is completely ignored except for the throwaway line: "She wanted to go back. I just helped her." Instead of trying to explain what happened or following the rules of the world it established, the film repeatedly ignores any contradictions in plot and character motivation.
The lack of ethical consideration displayed by the main characters makes them very unlikable. Using alien technology as some sort of power trip, Agent J inserts himself into the major life decisions of everyone within neuralyzer range. After wiping their partnership from Agent T's mind, J instructs his ex-partner to "Get married. Have babies." This is a major life decision to make for someone who he's only known for five months. T should be allowed to make family planning decisions without J's subconscious suggestions. He similarly tells a family to allow their child to eat as much candy as he wants. This may seem like a harmless treat, but the parents would be compelled to do it even if their child was diabetic or allergic. For J to assume he knows better is a level of arrogance that goes beyond conceit.
J even uses the memory-eraser to simply scream at a group of victims for not immediately taking him seriously. The indiscriminate use of the device contradicts the concerns he originally had about using the gadget. J had warned K about the potential side effects of the "flashy thing" on Dr. Weaver. Similarly, J is disciplining coworkers for rule-breaking but is more than happy to break them himself for a crush. This double standard shows that instead of believing in the purpose of those rules, J applies them when convenient, using it as another opportunity to exercise control.
But the most outlandish decision Men in Black II makes is to completely rob K of his fairy tale ending. Rather than living out his retirement with his wife, they break up and he rejoins MIB. Little explanation is given for the breakup, making his decades' worth of longing for his spouse that much more tragic. Agent J implies the marriage fell apart due to the same feelings of detachment that plagued K as an agent. If true, it may mean that he will never find any true peace since he returned to his old life without a resolution or fresh perspective.
Instead of treating characters as fully realized people with logical motivations and consistent morality, Men in Black II transforms them into two-dimensional tropes for cheap laughs. Although few sequels live up to the reputation of their predecessors, some are so terrible they make viewers afraid to watch future installments that could ruin the classic forever.
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How Men in Black 2 Ruined the Original Film | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources
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