• Plot
• Acting
• Makeup/Costumes
• Sctipt
• 3-D Effects

The Men in Black are back! A decade after their last adventure and 15 years since they made their big screen debut, Agent J (Will Smith) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones, or Josh Brolin, depending on what timeline you are in) are back to save the universe once again. Under the direction of Barry Sonnefeld (Men in Black I and II, Wild Wild West), the duo are reunited. Fans of the franchise will enjoy seeing the mix of veteran characters and new ones, and be delighted by cameos from past alien cast members. From the over-pronunciated antics of Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement of Dinner for Schmucks) to the all-seeing, all-knowing, lovable Griffin (Boardwalk Empire‘s Michael Stuhlbarg), the new aliens are a real treat. I have to admit that the beginning was a little slow for me, but once Agent J travels back to the 1960s, the film starts to pick up speed and my interest was once again piqued. Josh Brolin’s Agent K was also a winning addition to the film. Unless this is the timeline where The Goonies doesn’t exist, causing Josh Brolin to never become an actor.

 The Synopsis:

Boris the Animal (actually, it’s just Boris) has escaped Lunar Max prison and vows to have his revenge on Agent K, who took his arm and incarcerated him in 1969. When the cliché spouting alien (of the Boglodite species) travels back to 1969 and kills the younger Agent K, Agent J finds himself without a partner. Not only does Agent J have to go back in time to save his partner, he also has to prevent the Earth from being invaded by Boglodites.

The Good:

Josh Brolin’s Amazing Performance

It’s always a big risk when you cast an actor to play a younger version of another actor. Cast the wrong guy and the whole movie can be ruined. Not so with Josh Brolin. He was an absolutely perfect choice to fill the shoes of Tommy Lee Jones. Brolin’s spot on impression of Jones is… words can’t describe how perfect it was. Throughout the movie, not only are you watching a younger version of Agent K, but you are watching a guy who could actually be a younger Tommy Lee Jones. Brolin nails everything from Jones’ southern droll, to his facial expressions and mannerisms. I can only hope that if the franchise continues, Brolin has a part in it.

Makeup and Costumes – Giving E.T. a Face

Make up designer Rick Baker (previous Men in Black films, Hellboy) once again does a magnificent job creating alien creatures that are… pardon the pun… out of this world. Pair that with the costumes of Mary Vogt (who also worked on the previous Man in Black films) and you have winning combination. Not only are the aliens in 2012 very believable, but once we have traveled to the 60s, we are introduced to a whole new extra terrestrial look. Baker and Vogt very fittingly pulled inspiration from 1960s sci-fi classics to design the aliens of the past.

Not Your Father’s Time Travel Movie

The concept of time travel is always tricky to master. I am a huge fan of time travel movies and have seen my fair share .There are tons of time travel movies out there with crap scripts, but fortunately, Men in Black 3 was not one of them. Script-writer Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) wrote a very well thought out script with a twist at the end you won’t see coming (unless you’re Griffin). And I have to say that the actual moment where Agent J travels back in time is one of the most visually pleasing ones that I’ve seen.

The Bad:

The Reoccurring One-Liners

Even though the script was well written, I didn’t care for Cohen’s need for the majority of the characters to try to outdo one another’s one-liners in every scene. I knew right from the start, when Boris the Animal quoted Jerry Maguire‘s “You complete me,” that it was going to be a cheese fest. Between that, characters telling each other “agree to disagree” back and forth to each other more times than needed, and Will Smith finding odd places to add his trademark, “Dayum!” the only character to have any decent dialogue was the tight-lipped Agent K.

Disappointing 3-D

With the recent surge in popularity of 3-D movies (some films even being pushed back nine months to convert to the format), it’s a little disappointing to me that there weren’t many 3-D worthy effects in Men in Black III. There were only a couple times where something would ‘pop out’ at you, and even then the effect was weak. A lot of the scenes took place at night or indoors, so there wasn’t really any added depth to those scenes. If given the choice between Men in Black III 3-D, IMAX, or just regular good ol’ fashioned 2-D, I would stick with the latter. The 3-D doesn’t really add anything to the film, and it saves you the extra few bucks.

The Ugly:

This Guy

Just look at him. Boris the Animal has the kind of face only a mother could love.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

I would have to say that Men in Black III is the middle child of the franchise. While it is definitely better that the second film, it’s not quite up to par with Men in Black. Don’t get me wrong, Men in Black III was a great movie and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the first two. I will probably be seeing it again (in 2-D), but it just doesn’t have that “I’ve never seen this before” feel that the first Men in Black had.

Agree to disagree.

‘Men in Black 3′ Official Movie Trailer