Men in Black III 3D Review

Rated PG-13 (Sci-Fi Action Violence, and Brief Suggestive Content)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 46 Minutes

Cast-

Will Smith-Agent J

Tommy Lee Jones-Agent K

Josh Brolin-Young Agent K

Jemaine Clement-Boris the Animal

Emma Thompson-Agent O

Alice Eve-Young Agent O

Michael Stuhlbarg-Griffin

Michael Chernus-Jeffrey Price

Bill Hader-Andy Warhol

Will Arnett-Agent AA

Nicole Scherzinger-Lily/Boris' Girlfriend

David Rasche-Agent X

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

Will Smith's Agent J tries to convince Josh Brolin's Agent K that he's from the future in "Men in Black III."

It never ceases to amaze me how fast time flies! Fifteen years ago in 1997, I was still in third grade elementary school when the original “Men in Black” was released into theaters to critical and commercial success, further cementing Will Smith’s status as an international box office superstar. Smith would go on to star in numerous blockbusters and would typically appear in one to two films per year. 2008 saw the release of “Hancock” and “Seven Pounds” but both films ended up receiving mixed to negative reviews despite being box office successes and Smith subsequently took a hiatus in order to focus on his children’s burgeoning careers but the actor kept himself busy as a producer. Published as a three-issue mini-series in 1990 from Aircel Comics, “Men in Black” the film was actually based upon The Men in Black comic book created by Lowell Cunningham and illustrated by Sandy Carruthers. Aircel Comics would later be brought out by Malibu Comics, which itself was acquired by Marvel Comics in late 1994. 2002 saw the release of “Men in Black II” but the sequel remains a flop with both fans and critics (39% on Rotten Tomatoes) despite grossing $442 million worldwide. Ten years later, Smith returns as Agent J in “Men in Black III” but was it worth the long wait given the film’s troubled production? Despite the script being a jumbled, plot-hole ridden mess and the lack of energy from Barry Sonnenfeld’s direction, “Men in Black III” remains an enjoyable film thanks to Smith’s appealing on-screen charisma, Josh Brolin’s brilliantly spot-on impersonation of Tommy Lee Jones, and Rick Baker’s fantastic makeup work. 

Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), a dangerous Boglodite assassin and the last of his species, breaks out of the Lunar Max prison facility located on the Moon with the help of his girlfriend Lily (Nicole Scherzinger). Forty years ago on July 16, 1969, a young Agent K apprehended Boris at Cape Canaveral in Florida before setting up the ArcNet shield that prevented Earth from an invasion by the Boglodites, rendering them extinct. Boris is intent on killing K in revenge for the destruction of his species and causing the loss of his left arm. While investigating a spaceship crash in New York City and a restaurant in Chinatown, K (Tommy Lee Jones) correctly deduces that Boris has escaped and reveals to his partner J (Will Smith) that he regrets not having killed him in 1969. The next day, Agent J finds K’s apartment now occupied by a family and learns from Agent O (Emma Thompson) that there is a fracture in the space-time continuum due to J’s strange new craving for chocolate milk. J concludes that Boris must’ve traveled back in time to kill K in 1969, changing the future and allowing his species to freely consume the Earth. Acquiring his own time-jump device from a black market dealer named Jeffrey Price (Michael Chernus), J travels back to July 15, 1969 in order to prevent Boris from killing K. He teams up with K’s younger self (Josh Brolin) and races against the clock to once again save the Earth from the scum of the universe. 

“Men in Black III” was officially announced by Columbia Pictures/Sony back in 2009 (even though the time travel premise was pitched back in 2002) but filming kept being delayed with Etan Cohen’s script facing constant rewrites from David Koepp, Jeff Nathanson, and Michael Soccio. Principal photography finally commenced in November 2010 with an unfinished script that lacked the entire second act, leading to production being halted for close to four months (originally two months) from December 2010 to April 2011 in order to allow the writers enough time to finish. The film’s troubled production clearly shows as numerous subplots are set up but are never fully resolved and the pacing feels rushed at times to keep the audience from dwelling on the plot-holes in the story. The reasoning behind J remembering K is poorly explained (he only remembers because he drinks chocolate milk?) and there’s no logic as to how O concludes that there is a fracture in the space-time continuum if the past was changed. The character of Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg), an alien who is able to see all timelines simultaneously, is introduced to patch the holes in the script but this only hides the problem and is not a fix. An obligatory romance is thrown in between a Young K and O (Alice Eve) but the latter has so little screen-time, making its inclusion ultimately pointless. The overall character arc feels forced because it reduces K to being a soulless curmudgeon so that it could make way for his livelier younger self. 

Fortunately, this is when “Men in Black III” hits its groove and begins to recapture at least some of the spark that made the original film such a fan favorite by introducing a few wrinkles to the formula with its time travel premise. The comedy is largely hit-and-miss and won’t leave much of an impression but there are certainly some humorous bits such as J and Young K’s encounter with Andy Warhol (Bill Hader), who is actually an undercover MIB agent who complains that he’s been reduced to ‘painting soup cans and bananas!’ The film pokes fun at the fact that a black man is running around in late 1960’s New York City and much of the technology that the MIB agents use is given a retro makeover such as a gigantic cell-phone and a Neuralyzer that uses a battery pack which has to be connected via dial-up. Smith also has a much better rapport with Brolin compared to Jones, making the second act enjoyable even while the story sputters near the end with an unearned twist thrown in for no discernible reason. Rick Baker’s excellent creature design makes up for Barry Sonnenfeld’s slack direction and Boris’ one-dimensional personality, with the effects guru filling every scene with a bizarre assortment of aliens. The CG isn’t all that impressive and at times looks horribly dated. Although “Men in Black III” was post-converted to 3D by choice, this is actually one of the best conversions I’ve seen. The film lends itself to the extra effect due to all the creatures and there are numerous scenes that pop out such as a laser show in an electronics store. It’s a pure gimmick moment but it adds to the fun and irreverent tone. Brightness is also not an issue, so if you feel like splurging for 3D, by all means do so. 

After taking a three-and-a-half year hiatus, Will Smith returns to the big screen and yes, his shtick may feel old but he still possesses that natural on-screen charisma that made him into a star in the first place. The highlight is Josh Brolin, who manages to adopt all of Tommy Lee Jones’ voice and mannerisms with pitch-perfect accuracy. He and Smith make the film better than it should’ve been because the two genuinely seem to be having fun. Tommy Lee Jones is only in the film for about thirty minutes and he seems to be there to only pick up a paycheck. He’s also given an unnecessary make-up job to give him an older appearance but it instead turns him into a walking wax figure. Jemaine Clement is underutilized as Boris the Animal but his unique alien design helps make his antics enjoyable to watch. Michael Stuhlbarg adds a whimsical charm as omnipotent alien Griffin and his character was described as ‘adorable’ by my friend. Emma Thompson and Alice Eve have very little screen-time while Will Arnett, Nicole Scherzinger, and Bill Hader pop up for welcome cameos. 

Released on May 25, 2012, “Men in Black III” has received mildly positive reviews with 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics felt that ‘it isn't exactly a persuasive argument for the continuation of the franchise—but [the film] is better than its predecessor and manages to exceed expectations, largely due to Josh Brolin's impressive performance.’ I managed to attend an advance screening even though it was only five hours from being officially released and the audience seemed to enjoy the film very much. Box office wise, “Men in Black III” may finally be the film to dethrone “The Avengers” but expecting a huge opening weekend will be a stretch considering the ten years that have passed since the second film and the whopping $215 million budget after tax rebates. “Men in Black III” suffers from a lot of problems stemming from its troubled production but I was genuinely surprised that I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to. If nothing else, the film flashy-thingy’s the bad taste its predecessor left in my mouth.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“I am getting too old for this. I can only imagine how you feel.”