Men in Black II (2002)

On the plus side, there's way less focus on the Men in Black being a border patrol agency. On the minus side, it's so transparent they wanted a more-marketable re-run of the first film. Hell, it's the same plot: big alien nasty seeks royal gemstone superweapon, all life on earth at stake. The difference is the complete lack of an emotional core. Instead of the fun escalation where we follow neophyte J get exposed to aliens by deadpan veteran K, we get a short reversal as hotshot J brings retired K back on board and up to speed. Not only do they undo the point of the first film, they don't replace it with anything better—just empty action and animal sidekick wisecracks. Men in Black is legit good kids' entertainment if you look past the politics. This sequel is just mid at best.