Rating: **
Release Date: 7/3/02
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Music: Danny Elfman
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Rip Torn, Lara Flynn Boyle, Rosario Dawson,
Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine, cameo by Peter Graves
A serious letdown. A nasty Bettie Page wanna-be space alien (Lara Flynn Boyle) comes to Earth to reclaim a relic that is set to destroy the planet in a matter of hours. The Men In Black thought that they had already taken care of the relic twenty-five years ago, and retired Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) is the only one who might know the whole story. Agent Jay (Will Smith) is assigned to find Kay and deneuralyze him, but Ms. Boyle crashes their party and much craziness ensues.
The film is disappointing on nearly every level. The three funny bits that are in the film are also in the trailer, which spoils any impact they might have had. The only other part in the film that made me smile was an obscure reference to Keel's 1985 metal classic, "Speed Demon." That was awesome, but I can't help but wonder how and why they dug that up. Other than that, the story is weak, the acting is flat, the characters are uninteresting, the action is uninspired, the effects are bland, and Danny Elfman's score seems non-existant. The film is musically sparse, and often times long segments pass by in awkward silence as characters talk. It's also disappointing that Linda Fiorentino did not return for the sequel, but Rosario Dawson is pretty and the clerk at the video store (Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine) is utterly adorable. She alone manages to steal the show.