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Men in Black II: (Danny Elfman) Following the
mandatory formula that has come to be expected in Hollywood's last
thirty years,
Men in Black II hauled back most of the same
elements from the first film in 1997 for this somewhat tardy 2002
sequel. The second adventures of the suit-clad, alien-busting 'K' and
'J' didn't do as well as the first, perhaps due to the formula of the
second film being too similar to that of the first. They're lovable
films, but aside from changing the alien menace threatening the Earth
and following the auxiliary plotlines involving the two leads, there
really wasn't much room for Steven Spielberg's Amblin and Columbia
Pictures to wiggle with the same idea. Corny flicks often sell
themselves no matter how unoriginal, and at least
Men in Black II
was working with a snazzy base concept. Part of the nagging feeling of
deja vu with the sequel was perpetuated by the result of Danny Elfman's
involvement with the project. Elfman was familiar with sequel scoring;
his best known such project was
Batman Returns a decade earlier,
a controversial twist on the
Batman equation that remains a fan
favorite because of its stark differences from its predecessor. In the
case of
Men in Black II, Elfman does exactly the opposite,
composing and recording a score that is remarkably similar to that of
the original
Men in Black film, with no distinct new avenues
explored for this rather pedestrian regurgitation. The popularity of the
goofy music for
Men in Black II was destined to hinge on the
talents of the songs written for Frank the Pug (performing a cover of "I
Will Survive") and the lounging group of disgusting worm-like creatures
that inspire their own blend of lazy jazz. If not for these specialty
cues, which, along with the obligatory rap song, bookend the album,
Elfman's score would be an entirely uninteresting extension of his first
score. The Sony album provides a generous amount of this material, thus
exaggerating the problem. Conversely, Elfman purists will argue that
there is new life to be heard in
Men in Black II, if only in the
cranked up, lengthy and hip variations on the title theme. But while
there are indeed elaborate extensions on that one idea, the remainder of
the score is surprisingly mundane.
In fact, this score is so dependent on Elfman's first
Academy Award-nominated
Men in Black work that you literally hear
either a full or partial statement of its theme in nearly every track.
If you're a strong believer that sequel scores should recognize their
predecessors, then
Men in Black II will be one big treat for you.
In fact, for Elfman collectors, this score is the equivalent of what
The Legend of Zorro was for
The Mask of Zorro, though
obviously not as overwhelmingly dynamic in scope. A moderately sized
orchestra, jazz band elements, and a light choir are once again on call,
and they perform a consistently campy, urban, and silly score that is
true to Elfman's heart. The electric bass reprises its role the heart
and soul of the score, stepping up a half note in its typical campy
progression whether accompanied by the brassy theme on top or not. The
chopping string motif is treated with the same independence. Like the
first score, this one has a few beautiful orchestral and choral moments
of alien wonders, punctuated by "The Light" and those during K's return
to the black suit (which revisits his tender theme briefly in "K's
Back"). A variety of zipping sound effects, tapping cymbals, and other
clunking percussion often set irregular rhythms. As a listening
experience, the score is a high energy, functional, and cheesy
distraction from normality. In its favor is perhaps a stronger sense of
continuity than the first score; this one does seem to flow better from
track to track despite (or perhaps because of) its derivative nature.
The only true originality is inspired by the worms, for which Elfman
adapts the title theme in glorious, loungey swing for the first track on
the album (and creates an entirely new jazz piece for them late in his
score). The song performed by Frank the Pug is funny for about half a
minute, at which point you want to terminate the animal altogether and
seek out Gloria Gaynor's original as therapy. The rap song at the end is
par for the course, and it's advisable for film music or traditional
Elfman fans to avoid it. To the producers' credit, all of the included
songs are relevant to the events of the film. Overall, Elfman fans and
everyone else in the known universe have heard this score once before,
making it an unnecessary addition to any collection.
**
| Bias Check: | For Danny Elfman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating
is 3.14 (in 42 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.28
(in 93,536 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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The insert includes extensive credits but no extra information about the score or film.
