Men in Black III (2012) Review

"Negative possibilities are multiplying as we speak."
-Griffin



An old enemy of Agent K's (Tommy Lee Jones), Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), escapes from prison and travels back in time and kills K which causes causes the whole universe to change.  Now facing the destruction of Earth, Agent J (Will Smith) has to travel back in time to stop Boris.  J has to find a way to survive 1969 and the younger version of K (Josh Brolin).


What Works:

Men in Black III is a return to form to series after the awful second film.  III was actually a lot of fun and really exciting.  Time travel can be difficult to pull off, but the filmmakers do a good for the most part.  It's an engaging story and I was very much along for the ride.

Josh Brolin is probably my favorite part of the film.  He absolutely nails playing a young version of K.  I wouldn't have surprised to find out if he and Tommy Lee Jones were actually related.  He's got the dry humor of old K with the energy of a young man.  It feels like the same character and works better than I expected.

Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg) is another excellent addition to the series.  He can see all of the infinite possibilities of the universe, which makes him an interesting and unique character.  Hie line delivery is very odd, but it works.  He doesn't overshadow the main characters, but enhances them, as all good supporting characters should.

Speaking of supporting characters, Jeebs (Tony Shalhoub), Frank the Pug (Tim Blaney), and the worm guys are all reduced to one scene cameos to my great pleasure.  I'm glad the filmmakers had the foresight to not bring any of these obnoxious characters back for anything substantial.

Finally, I love the use of color in this film and the style of the 1960's.  All of MiB's tech is futuristic, but looks like something from the 60's.  It's a really cool combination and the vibrant use of color makes the movie pop visually.


What Sucks:

When J has his first conversation with K in headquarters, I was very irritated with J's inability to convey information.  He made things needlessly difficult, which nearly resulted in his memories being erased.  If was slopping writing to get us to the denueralyzer scene.  Either give us a good reason why J can't spill the beans from the get-go or just do it.  This awkward middle-ground didn't work.

There were a few other minor moments where the writing didn't quite make sense.  The best example is the jetpack scenes.  J makes a big deal about not wanting to use the jetpacks and would even rather drive from New York to Florida instead.  We never get a good reason for why he doesn't want to use the jetpacks.  They arrive in Florida uneventfully.  Why have J be so hesitant without giving us a reason?


Verdict:

Men in Black III is a return to form for the series.  It's a fun and exciting film with great performances, awesome visuals, and an interesting story.  The writing could have definitely been improved, but it has still got it going on.

 8/10: Really Good 




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