Men In Black 3

Men in Black 3
Directed by: Barry Sonnefeld
Cast: Will Smith as Jay
          Tommy Lee Jones as Kay
          Josh Brolin as Young Kay
Rated PG13
Seen May 27th, 2012

After ten years, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are back in black and blasting some alien scum for all to enjoy. But after the disappointing Men in Black 2 and the third installment’s under-achieving opening weekend, is this threequel worth your time?

What I Liked:

Contrary to the sequel, MIB3 was able to distance itself from the previous installments, and have a stronger storyline because of this. Couple the originality of plot with the originality of concept and it’s a double win.

Steering away from aliens trying to destroy the world, this third film focuses on time travel. This results in a new setting, new(ish) characters and a whole lot of MIB inside jokes. The setting also allows for some historical tie-ins and provides a background for the entire series.

The special effects aren’t something to be overlooked either. Obviously the ten year jump has helped, but MIB3 hit the right balance between CGI and make up, particularly where the aliens were involved. The lack of alien threat also helped Will Smith, Tommy Lee jones and newcomer (and amazing star) Josh Brolin dive a little deeper into their characters and put some more emotion into it all.

I’d also like to point out that the new character of alien Griffin brought a quality to the movie I didn’t think was possible. Combining humor, wit, heart and a type of superpower into a single character brought the entire movie to a whole new level.

What I Didn’t Like

There wasn’t really a whole lot I didn’t like. If I had to really pick it apart, I’d probably go with wanting Boris to do a little better acting. Other than that, this thing was pretty great through and through.

Final Thoughts

While I really liked Men in Black 3, this was a triumphant return and a fitting end to a franchise. It’s incredibly rare for a series’ third entry to be its best (though this is happening more often lately) and I think it would do well for Men in Black to be remembered for it’s best entry and not a drawn out, money grab that would be a fourth installment. 

When Should You See It?
If you're a fan of the series, I'd recommend it in theaters if you're in the mood for an outing to the movies. Otherwise, waiting for DVD is a cheaper and just as enjoyable experience.

Personal Rating: 7 of 10
Plot: 8 of 10
Sexuality/Sensuality: 0 of 10
Spiritual Aspects: 0 of 10
Drugs/Alcohol: 1 of 10