At the time of the writing of this review, your battered and bruised webmaster hasn't seen the original Men Suddenly in Black. But it seemed to be a well-received film, a romantic comedy that appealed to both men and women for its' smart and sharp portrayal of the differences between the sexes. This release, on the other hand, seems to fall into the trap many sequels fall into, being more of a product that is produced quickly without any regard to quality in order to make a cheap cash-in on an unsuspecting audiences expecting something that at least resembles the original picture they liked so much.

From the get-go, viewers doing a bit of research will notice something very off. The credited director, Zhong Qing, doesn't seem to have any credits in his resume other than this movie. That's because it's actually a pseudonym for the actual director, Chung Shu-Kai. For a director to take his or her name off of a movie they helmed is a huge matter. Most directors view their films, no matter how low-budget or pandering to the lowest common denominator as they might be, as some form or another of art and will go to great lengths to defend their work. But not here: Chung was all too willing to wash his hands of this messterpiece, which should tell you something about its' overall level of quality, or lack thereof.

To be sure, Hong Kong comedies can be an acquired taste for foreign viewers. But this film is so vapid and annoying, it's hard to tell if it would appeal to anyone, regardless of their ethnic makeup or location. Like the worst Hong Kong comedic efforts, Men Suddenly in Black 2 overuses stereotypes to try and create the illusion of something amusing going on the screen. The women are shrill and bitchy, while the men are lecherous and idiotic, and everyone is downright unlikable. These are people you want to tell to shut up, not invest ninety minutes of your life watching.

There are a couple of chuckle-inducing moments present here, but that's all they are -- moments. For the most part, if you sit down to watch Men Suddenly in Black 2, you're going to be paying more attention to how much longer this dreck is going to go on while trying to keep your finger off of the fast-forward button. This is the sort of film that give Hong Kong comedies a bad name for those that haven't seen the better efforts in the genre. Even just taken as a dumb comedy -- and, believe me, this movie is mind-numbingly stupid -- it's loud and crass with no sort of real redeeming value, simultaneously boring the viewer while annoying them.

RATING: 3