When a renegade Kylothian monster
disguised as a lingerie model threatens the survival of the
human race, the boys of the MIB get the call to step up… and get
busy! But first, Jay needs to drag Kay out of an early
retirement with the U.S. Post Office -- and there's not much
time to get him up to speed. With their headquarters under siege
and time running out, the boys in black enlist the help of Frank
the Pug and a posse of hard-living worms to help them kick some
seriously sexy alien butt!
MEN IN BLACK
II
is an over-hyped plunder. This franchise has noticeably run out
of steam. The film is an unremarkable and uninteresting sequel.
The special effects are nothing new and neither is its story. I
was expecting something a little more exciting and new, but
instead we get another “paycheck movie”, one that attracted all
involved for one reason and one reason only - to earn some cash.
It offered nothing ingenious or charming.
The
Video
MEN IN
BLACK II
appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this single-sided,
dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9
televisions. Overall, the movie looked quite good. However, the
picture demonstrated a few minute weaknesses. Sharpness
consistently appeared positive.
The movie
seemed crisp and well defined most of the time with occasional
speckles and grit. A few wide shots came across somewhat soft.
There were no major issues with jagged edges, but a little
shimmering popped up at times. I also noticed some light edge
enhancement. I wasn’t too impressed considering this is such a
recent film. The film highlighted a rather bright and vibrant
sense of color in its pallet. Black levels were deep and rich,
while shadow detail looked deep but didn’t become exceptionally
thick.
The
Audio
MEN IN
BLACK II
contains a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The film displayed a energetic
mix through out the film. Sound separated perfectly, and effects
fit together adequately well. Audio quality was clear-cut and I
thought speech came across natural and clear. The films music
score also came across lively and particularly dynamic. In the
end, the audio seemed to prevail over the video quality,
nevertheless it all seemed to come together.
The
Extras
Disc
One:
- Director's Commentary with Optional Telestrator Diagrams - Alien Broadcast - Special Animated Short Film
Disc Two: - Alternate Ending - Blooper Reel - Exclusive Featurettes: Take 2:
Looping MIB II, Alien Esoterica, Serleena
Animatica, Rick Baker (Special Make Up Effects), Danny
Elfman (Original Score), Bo Welch (Art/Production Design), Foley
Artists, Frank the Pug, Jarra, Jeebs, Jeff the Worm, Scrad/Charlie,
Serleena, The Worms, Barry Sonnenfeld's Intergalactic Guide
to Comedy - Will Smith Music Video - Multi-Angle Scene Deconstructions - Theatrical One Sheets - Filmographies
DVD-ROM Features:
-
Crossfire: MIIB Crossfire Game
-
Screen Saver
-
Concept Designs
-
Men in Black 2 Script
Overall
Overall,
MEN IN BLACK II offered nothing new and inspiring. The film
is watch-able and moderately pleasing at times, but it just
doesn’t match up to the original. The video presentation was a
little disappointing, but the sound and disc supplements bring
this DVD package together.
Fans of MEN
IN BLACK will find the sequel somewhat enjoyable but nothing
spectacular. I can’t say that I hated the film; I just felt that
not an adequate amount of the material stood out for me to
highly recommend it.
