A young couple has just ordered some drinks at a coffee shop. As they discuss their plans for the day, I overhear the following. Guy: “Do you want to go see Men In Black 3?” Girl: “Nah, that looks really weird. There’s other stuff out that I’d rather see.” Suddenly I realize that it’s entirely possible that neither of them have even seen the first two installments of the series and the ridiculous advertisements they’ve been seeing in this coffee shop do look rather strange. Odd shaped donuts with weird colors as well as strange alien arms wrapping around plastic cups do little to describe the story of a movie.
The third in a series of films that started in 1997, Men in Black 3 had serious potential for disaster as the second film relied less on story and more on effects. Fifteen years after the first film, director Barry Sonnenfeld‘s latest installment is enjoyable as it focused mostly on characters and visuals rather than fancy CGI effects. Oh yes, and what about the 3D? It’s not needed whatsoever and just another Hollywood gimmick for more money.
If you enjoyed the first (just forget the second, it’s ok, but inferior to the first), then you’ll most likely enjoy seeing a new adventure as Agent J (Will Smith) travels back in time to save Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones with Josh Brolin playing his younger version) from a semi-scary new alien villian, Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement, 1/2 of Flight of the Conchords).
Will Smith was able to easily carry the film along side the younger Agent K, Josh Brolin. Rather then just do an imitation of the Agent K of the present (Tommy Lee Jones), Josh Brolin dug deep and really was able to portray a younger, more carefree Agent K of the past. Tommy Lee Jones actually had very few scenes, but thanks to Josh Brolin, it felt as if Jones was in the entire film. The highlight for me, however, was Jemaine Clement as Boris The Animal. Although the character was probably a little too silly, I loved every minute of seeing him on screen. Another bright spot was Michael Stohlbarg as Griffin. He brought a sweetness and instant likeability to the role.
Oddly enough, the aliens are not center stage and seem to be merely background for the characters. This would be fine if the story was solid, but the attempt at combining story lines gets really muddled and takes away from the time travel aspect which was quite fun. I’m such a sucker for time travel.
Jemaine Clement as Boris The Animal
Interesting tidbits: On the IMDB page for the movie, Tim Burton and Lady Gaga are listed as uncredited extras. Also, director Barry Sonnenfeld is an extra and the phenomenal Rick Baker (the creator of the alien effects) is listed as an actor, playing an alien.
So should you see it this weekend? For me, there’s no question that if you’re out at the movies over the holiday, Men In Black 3 is the movie to see, just for the fact that it’s mindless entertainment. The best part about the first film was learning all the secret ins and outs of the Men in Black through the eyes of a new recruit, Agent J (Will Smith). However, if you’ve never seen the previous two films, this latest one does very little to explain the world in which it’s set.
Rating: Mindless fun for those who enjoyed the first Men In Black. 6/10
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