Men in Black II

Variety reports that at 88 minutes and with a budget of $140 million, this is the most expensive (if you’re talking dollars per minute) live-action film yet. The near-constant product placement and corporate tie-ins should probably help defray the costs, though. Anyway, agents Jay and Kay—I never could figure out who’s who, but that probably proves I’m not a devoted MIB aficionado—return with their really big guns to save the universe from aliens. That doesn’t stop them from palling around with a few, such as those suave tuber-looking creatures. The evil alien here is a slinky-looking Lara Flynn Boyle, who has a penchant for dominatrix-style lingerie; her two-headed sidekick is creepily played by MTV’s Johnny Knoxville. Even if this effects-laden sequel seems like a bald retread, the natural chemistry between bantering heroes Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones is enough to carry the film. Oh yeah, Martha Stewart and Michael Jackson make cameo appearances—as if either of them needed more attention.