---
title: "Men in Black II"
year: 2002
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/men-in-black-ii"
fi1m_id: "men-in-black-ii"
imdb_id: "tt0120912"
tmdb_id: 608
wikidata_id: "Q156597"
fi1m_score: 48
critics_score: 49
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-10-05T02:32:06.150768+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T02:32:07.067605+00:00"
region: "AZ"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Men in Black II (2002)

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld · 1h 28m · Action, Comedy, Science Fiction

## Identity

Men in Black II

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/men-in-black-ii
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** men-in-black-ii
- **IMDb ID:** tt0120912
- **TMDB ID:** 608
- **Wikidata ID:** Q156597
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120912/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/608, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q156597

**Fi1m score: 48** · Critics 49 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Eighty-eight minutes, and still time to wonder why Will Smith is doing quite so much of the work

> Will Smith supplies some welcome comic energy, but Barry Sonnenfeld’s sequel is too hurried and too short of ideas to justify the return. The occasional good joke cannot make its characters matter.

## Synopsis

Will Smith plays Jay and Tommy Lee Jones plays Kay in this science-fiction action comedy directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Rip Torn appears as Zed, with Lara Flynn Boyle as Serleena and Rosario Dawson as Laura Vasquez. The other characters include Jeebs (Tony Shalhoub), Agent Tee (Patrick Warburton) and Scrad / Charlie (Johnny Knoxville). Robert Gordon and Barry Fanaro write the screenplay, from a story by Robert Gordon. *Men in Black II* runs for 88 minutes and has a PG certificate.

## Review

Barry Sonnenfeld’s *Men in Black II* offers enough intermittent amusement to make its shortcomings irritating. This is a science-fiction comedy that ought to have considerable freedom: absurdity is welcome, action need not obey everyday rules, and the performers can treat both with a straight face. Yet the film feels constrained by the need to deliver something familiar. We can enjoy individual jokes without finding much reason to follow the story between them, and that is where this sequel falls short.

Will Smith does much of the work of keeping us interested. His Jay has the comic impatience the film needs, and we laughed at the exasperation in his delivery, which gives even slight material a little human friction. Tommy Lee Jones supplies the resistance as Kay, though their exchanges too often feel like an established routine being put through another rehearsal. The timing remains useful; the pleasure of wondering what either man might do next has largely disappeared.

The screenplay by Robert Gordon and Barry Fanaro does not give that partnership enough fresh business. It is busy, but busyness is a poor substitute for developing a joke or letting a relationship become awkward in an interesting way. Lara Flynn Boyle’s Serleena and Rosario Dawson’s Laura Vasquez receive too little room to become characters whose next decision matters to us. Neither performance is the fundamental problem, although neither can make the thin writing feel sufficient.

There is more to enjoy in the visual work. Greg Gardiner’s cinematography makes the action readable, though clarity alone cannot make us interested in its outcome. Bo Welch’s production design gives the science-fiction surroundings a welcome solidity, and the visual effects offer pleasures the writing does not consistently provide. These are worthwhile contributions, but the film moves through them with so little curiosity that looking closely can feel like more effort than it expects us to make.

Richard Pearson and Steven Weisberg’s editing keeps things moving, sometimes at the expense of allowing a comic exchange to settle. At 88 minutes, the film is hardly asking for a large commitment, yet the pace makes several jokes feel hurried rather than sharp. Danny Elfman’s music supplies some welcome lift without solving that problem. A comedy needs to trust the pause before a response, and this one too often seems anxious to get to the next piece of business.

Against the earlier film, the loss of surprise is difficult to overlook. A sequel cannot reasonably be expected to repeat the experience of discovering its characters, but it can find something else worth doing with them. Here the familiar comic habits are asked to carry material that needs more invention of its own. The result is watchable in patches, with effort visible in the performances and craft, but little sense that anyone has found a compelling reason for another story.

There is a particular audience for whom spending more time with Jay and Kay will be sufficient, and we would not begrudge them the occasional laugh. We would be less inclined to give this an evening simply because it is short. If these are new faces, this is a poor introduction.

*Fi1m score 48, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean towards disappointment: most critics find Men in Black II short of the original’s freshness, wit and surprise. Praise clusters around individual jokes and creatures rather than the story or central partnership. Frank the Pug earns particular affection, while the alien designs and visual effects give even some dissatisfied critics something to enjoy. The more receptive reviews find enough silly humour and brisk entertainment to make the repetition tolerable.

The main divide is over how far those scattered pleasures carry the film. Several critics describe the humour as dated or forced, and the harsher notices find the characters empty and the spectacle uninteresting. The Guardian goes further, finding that the leads’ chemistry has soured. Eye for Film supplies the clearest dissent, enjoying Will Smith and the offbeat jokes enough to accept a vague plot, leaving a broad spread between cheerful acceptance and marked dissatisfaction.

## Straight answers

**Is Men in Black II worth watching?**

*Men in Black II* offers occasional laughs for those already fond of Jay and Kay, but we score it 48 out of 100 and find little reason to recommend it otherwise. Will Smith’s comic impatience keeps patches lively, while hurried jokes and thin characters make even 88 minutes feel like more time than the material warrants.

**How long is Men in Black II, and what is it rated?**

*Men in Black II* runs 1h 28m. It is an action and comedy film.

**Where can I watch Men in Black II in Azerbaijan?**

*Men in Black II* is not on any streaming or rental service in Azerbaijan at the moment. It is available in 40 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does Men in Black II compare to Attack the Block?**

*Men in Black II* is the weaker choice beside [*Attack the Block*](https://film.one/film/attack-the-block), which gives its alien siege a young cast worth caring about as well as clear action. We recommend the frightening, funny British film despite its sometimes heavy-handed social lessons; the sequel chiefly suits viewers content to revisit Jay and Kay’s familiar comic routine.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Screen Daily**, John Hazelton (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as John Hazelton’s review of the 2002 film. The review’s verdict and specific praise or complaints are unavailable in the visible text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/men-in-black-ii/409767.article)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (2.5/4): The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. The available page text contains only a browser check. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/men-in-black-ii-2002)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (60/100, inferred): Errigo finds the sequel likable and amusing, but less funny or surprising than the original. She praises its wickedly silly jokes and especially the comic discovery in a train-station locker. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/men-black-2-review/)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (3/5): The review finds the sequel watchable but forced and lacking the original’s wit, invention, and sparkle. Frank the Pug stands out as a lively comic highlight who helps rescue the film. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/men-in-black-ii-review/)
- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel disposable and cynical, though its brisk pace and gags provide mixed pleasures. He praises the parade of Rick Baker creatures and highlights David Cross’s cameo as especially terrific. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/men-in-black-ii-1798197661)
- **Time Out**, TCh (40/100, inferred): The review suggests the sequel feels dated compared with the original. It singles out the sense that its once-fresh ideas now feel old. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/men-in-black-ii)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (1.5/4): Gonzalez finds the film soulless, dated, and reliant on stale vaudeville spectacle. He singles out its empty characters and outdated jokes as particular weaknesses. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/men-in-black-ii/)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (35/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the sequel sporadically amusing but lightweight, with its humor and attitude unable to sustain interest. He singles out Frank the pug as the film’s funniest presence, while praising the alien designs and visual effects. [Read](https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/men-in-black-ii-1200547639/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (20/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the sequel soulless and uninspired despite its frenetic action and occasional funny lines. He singles out the lack of interest in the spectacle and says the leads’ chemistry has curdled. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/jul/26/culture.reviews4)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film fun and entertaining, with Will Smith’s performance and the script’s offbeat jokes standing out. The plot surrounding The Light is vague, but the review considers style more important. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/men-in-black-ii-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Barry Sonnenfeld
- **Director:** Barry Sonnenfeld
- **Screenplay:** Robert Gordon, Barry Fanaro
- **Story:** Robert Gordon
- **Cinematography:** Greg Gardiner
- **Editor:** Richard Pearson, Steven Weisberg
- **Music:** Danny Elfman
- **Production design:** Bo Welch
- **Costume design:** Mary E. Vogt
- **Producer:** Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald
- **Cast:** Tommy Lee Jones as Kay; Will Smith as Jay; Rip Torn as Zed; Lara Flynn Boyle as Serleena; Johnny Knoxville as Scrad / Charlie; Rosario Dawson as Laura Vasquez; Tony Shalhoub as Jeebs; Patrick Warburton as Agent Tee
- **Runtime:** 1h 28m
- **First release (Australia):** 3 July 2002
- **Genres:** Action, Comedy, Science Fiction
- **Budget:** $140 million
- **Box office:** $445 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMHlNR6x2Sw

## Where to watch in Azerbaijan

Not streaming, renting or buying in Azerbaijan at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Galaxy Quest* (1999): More generous science-fiction comedy, with performers allowed to do more than react.
- *The Brother from Another Planet* (1984): An alien visitor gives the comedy a gentler pace and sharper social purpose.
- *Attack the Block* (2011), Fi1m 84: Hostile aliens meet a brisk British ensemble with something worth defending. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/attack-the-block.md)
- *Extra Ordinary* (2019): Deadpan supernatural comedy whose small scale gives its odd characters room.
- *The Hidden* (1987): Alien crime and mismatched partners, played with a nastier action-film edge.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/men-in-black-ii