Men in Black 3 is Agent k and J’s third outing of monitoring extra-terrestrial activity as this time Agent J goes back in time to the 1960s to save K from being assassinated by new foe and alien, “Boris the Animal” who hopes to start an invasion and change the course of history.
This is the third installment of the much loved “Men in Black” franchise and again Barry Sonnenfeld [“Get Shorty”, “Men in Black”], returns to his directing duties and features a great installment to the franchise that is fun but doesn’t take itself seriously and there is a certain Josh Brolin added to the mix as well.
The good:
Men in Black 3’s main success is all down to Josh Brolin’s performance which could make or break the film, fortunately for director Barry Sonnenfeld, who had reservations for casting Josh Brolin for the Tommy lee Jones role of K which he perfected so well should sleep easy. Josh Brolin is a spitting image of Tommy Lee Jones in his younger days and captures the movements and posture of the actor in the impersonation of his K. He is a talented actor but you never feel he dominated the film and you get the impression he was glad just to be on the set and be brought along for the ride.
Will Smith dons the black suit and glasses once again as agent J and brings his signature combination of comedy and star charisma as well as that Hollywood million dollar smile. It a role that fits him so well as he is entirely in his comfort zone and hasn’t features in a blockbuster since 2008’s “Hancock” and so it is a welcome return to see him in action hero mode.
Tommy lee Jones is older, wiser and grouchier as the aging K as the two of the bicker and banter like an old married couple whilst on the road together and fighting alien thugs [the Chinese restaurant shoot-out in particular is superb].
The other main highlight of Men in Black 3 is the special effects which is the best in the series and is another reason to go and see the film just for that. Also for once, and for a change it actually made an impact being in 3D as usually the films I have see make little difference being in 3D, but in this case it’s a winner.
There is also the action as the film contains a great chase sequence where J and K use futuristic bikes [that could only exist in your wildest dreams], to engage with Boris the Animal [whose own bike is a beast and a half!] there are also more aliens in this one than the first two put together [from what I can remember unless I have been neutralized].
The bad:
The weakest surprisingly of the cast is Emma Thompson as Agent O, who has little screen time and is underused. She replaces Rip Thorn’s role of Zed [who is missed in this movie] as J and K’s boss. Also Bill Hader does his usual thing weird facial expressions and pops up briefly as Andy Warhol. Also the film takes a while to get going and J and K’s chemistry is widely stretched and sometimes feels forced as it is 10 years since MIB 2.
Conclusion,
Overall, Men in Black 3 is an enjoyable addition to the franchise and is great to see Will Smith in summer blockbuster mode. The star of the show without a doubt is Josh Brolin who nails every one of Tommy Lee Jone’s mannerisms and is the best thing about the film.