HOLLYWOOD - Here come the Men in Black ... again.The long-awaited sequel to the 1997 smash sci-fi spoof, Men in Black II finds Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith suiting up to save the world from more extraterrestrial scum. The threat comes from a malevolent alien in the elfin form of The Practice's Lara Flynn Boyle, who spends much of her time terrorizing New York City clad either in lingerie or leather.
As fun, funky and forgettable as its predecessor, MIBII should amuse those who enjoyed Smith and Jones' previous effects-packed tussle with those naughty visitors from outer space. The biggest laughs, though, come from gabbing dog Frank, a pug that inadvertently steals MIBII from its highly paid human co-stars.
MIBII should solidify Smith's reputation as the box office champ when it comes to the July Fourth holiday weekend. The fireworks started with 1996's Independence Day, which earned $50.2 during its debut weekend, for a five-day holiday total of $96.1 million. Men in Black enjoyed a $51 million debut weekend, for a five-day holiday total of $84.1 million. Wild Wild West, one of 1999's biggest frustrations, still managed a $27.6 million debut weekend and a $36.4 million five-day holiday total.
Anything less than a $70 million weekend, for a $100 million five-day holiday total, would be considered a disappointment for MIBII. It also needs to surpass MIB's $250.1 million total in order to justify Sony's lavish spending on reuniting Smith, Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld. It certainly helps that MIBII clocks in at a mere 82 minutes and opened Wednesday on 6,000 screens in 3,560 theaters.
Smith and Sonnenfeld have just as much at stake as Sony.
Wild Wild West, which Sonnenfeld also directed, rode off with a pitiful $113.8 million. He followed Wild Wild West with Big Trouble, which just about summed up that comedy misfire. Delayed following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Big Trouble lured few willing to laugh at the prospect of a stolen nuclear bomb blowing up a major U.S. city. Big Trouble fizzled with just $7.2 million.
Smith's fans didn't want to see him as a caddy or a boxer. The Legend of Bagger Vance was nothing more than a good walk spoiled by peaking at $30.6 million. Ali, which earned Smith an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the legendary pugilist, was knocked out after hitting just $58.2 million. Little wonder Smith gave up his sporting life and jumped into MIBII and next summer's Bad Boys 2.
Jones, however, is on a roll following 2000's Space Cowboys ($90.4 million) and Rules of Engagement ($61.3 million). Double Jeopardy earned $116.7 million in 1999.
Smith and Jones' hunt for illegal aliens should steer audiences away from the spooky adventures of a certain canine sleuth. Scooby-Doo may have $127.5 million through Tuesday, but the live-action version of the legendary animated TV show doesn't have much stamina. Scooby-Doo lost half its audience for the second consecutive weekend, from $24.4 million to $12.4 million, and will likely experience a similar erosion as it squares off against MIBII. All told, Scooby-Doo is heading to $150 million to $160 million.
The Men in Black also should cause alarms to ring at Washington D.C.'s Department of Precrime.
Minority Report will likely take a hit as audiences shy away from Steven Spielberg's portentous vision of the future in favor of Smith and Jones' law enforcement efforts. Then again, Spielberg can take solace in having executive produced MIBII.
Still, a possible third weekend haul of $14 million puts Minority Report well on the path to $130 million to $140 million total. Good, but not great, for the first-time pairing of Tom Cruise and Spielberg.
Minority Report also continues to lock horns with Lilo & Stitch.
Minority Report trumped Lilo & Stitch the past two weekends, but the Disney romp's stronger weekday performance gives it the edge over Cruise's sci-fi thriller. Lilo & Stitch has $84.1 million through Tuesday vs. Minority Report's $78.8 million.
Also on Tuesday, Minority Report exceeded the $78.6 million total generated by Spielberg's previous effort, the disappointing A.I.: Artificial Intelligence.