Review: Men In Black III

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Writers: Lowell Cunningham (comic), David Koepp (screenplay)
Stars: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin
Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Comedy
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Synopsis: Agent J travels back in time to prevent Agent K from being assassinated and to stop an invasion of planet Earth.

Sequels are always difficult. Rarely are they better than the original because it is quite the challenge to compete with the original film. Men In Black III is essentially an expanded plot for the original film. There is still a new and fresh story but what makes this movie enjoyable is the development of the characters that we love from the original film.

 

The film quickly establishes the villain for the film and his need for revenge against Agent K. Agent J and Agent K continue to have their same conversational banter that we’ve seen in the previous films but this time there is a secret that K is keeping from J. That secret is brought to light after hearing of the main villain’s escape from prison. This secret is something that is obviously haunting K and becomes a piece of the plot that keeps the audience’s interest in the film. At the time the secret is introduced, the villain is using a device that will allow him to travel back in time to kill Agent K and also inevitably doom planet Earth. Agent J is sent to stop this villain and save the world while discovering the secrets of Agent K’s past along the way.

 

Josh Brolin's performance is spot on

Agent J is the same character that we’ve loved from the previous films. Will Smith always plays the role of comic relief well, mixing in the bits of drama where they are needed. Although Agent J is the primary character throughout the films, the more interesting role is Agent K because of the secrets surrounding him and the fact that he is played by two great actors. Tommy Lee Jones has the role of the introduction and the closing for Agent K while Josh Brolin gets the role of defining Agent K. This gives Agent K’s character a sense of duality with characteristics that tie both versions of K together and subtle intended differences that separate them apart. Brolin’s performance is spot on. While the audience may get a laugh from seeing and hearing Tommy Lee Jones’ mannerisms and vocal diction acted out through Brolin, the dramatic moments are there as well making it easy to see Brolin as a younger Jones.

 

The relationship between J and K is strengthened by J getting to know K’s past self and learn more about why he turned out the way that he did. Both characters develop a deeper understanding for one another as the mysteries of K begin to unravel and J becomes more accepting. As they team up in the past to hunt the main villain, there are many reminiscent moments of how they worked together in the first film. The initial taking of J’s gun from K, the calm and collected manner of K versus J’s take action now attitude, and K’s subtle agitation with J are all moments from the first film that are renewed in this one.

Agent J once again in pursuit while Agent K hangs back

The setting of the film is a very dynamic one dealing with time travel. The special effects are very smooth and work well with the 3D effect. The time travel sequence shows New York City rapidly changing between past and present which makes a very unique backdrop for time traveling versus the usual “portal effect” or white light backdrop that is common in other time travel films. The 1960s setting is also done very well. The cars, the people, the clothing, and even some of the camera shots themselves have that 60s feel to them. A recurring joke throughout the film is the lack of technology when it comes to commonly used gadgets such as their vehicles and the standard issue neuralizer. You will often hear a wisecrack from Agent J when it comes to using this technology. I thought the 1960s setting provided a welcomed variation from the first film unlike Men In Black II. Getting to see the agents work in a different environment while still applying elements of the first film made this film a much more worthy sequel than the previous film.

 

Overall:

 

I would not say that this film was better than the first film but it was definitely better than the second. This film was a proper sequel because it focused on character development, properly continuing the franchise. We discovered more about Agent J and Agent K which brought some added humor but more importantly brought some deeper dramatic moments. You have the usual theme of preventing planetary destruction but the true purpose of this film was character development. It brought a solid closure to the franchise by completing the circle of the main characters’ relationship. The film had a great mix of comedy sprinkled with the right amount of drama and was a welcomed addition to the first film.

 

8/10

A welcomed addition to the Men In Black franchise.

 

 

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About Ryan

First and foremost, Ryan Brown is a fan. He has been an avid fan of both the theater and cinema since an early age and his passion for both has been continually growing ever since. When dissecting a film, he focuses on all elements of film-making including some fan/cult factors. He believes that character development is the foundation of a good film and usually starts his analysis of a film from there moving forward. His writing style may be influenced by his background of narrative and argumentative studies in the subject, but he tends to enjoy a more conversational style to better interact with the readers, unlike some other pretentious and pompous writers.

4 thoughts on “Review: Men In Black III

  1. Ryan, I wasn’t satisfied with the film like you were, and surprisingly, like many critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It was great to see Will Smith back to form. No one should complain about him. He’s great! My only gut-busting laugh was when Will Smith took the child’s milk to drink it and the child said to the mom, “Why did the President drink my chocolate milk?” It was one of the few unexpected moments of the film. Not a good sign!
     
    Everything else was an improvement from the second film. However, keep in mind, MIB2 might be one of the worst sequels in cinematic history! A bad second movie doesn’t automatically improve a third one. MIB3 had a weak, flimsy screenplay with an uninteresting villain (though Jemaine Clement is a decent actor). Josh Brolin didn’t wow me and was one-note. And how could MIB3 be a $300 million budget film? Where did the money go besides to Will Smith’s salary? Or is it expensive to blow up aliens? I did enjoy the revelatory emotional climax, but not enough to recommend the movie. The stale pairing of Smith and Jones seemed to outstay their welcome reminding us they are ‘too old for this shit.’

    1.  @Kenny Miles I’m sorry to hear that you disagree but I had my reasons for my positive review on the film.  First off I’m not going to refer to Rotten Tomatoes for the consensus every time, the review was personalized and independent of what others think.  The readers come here for our opinion, not for us to fall in line with what everyone else thinks but the majority of critics did recommend the film.  Secondly,  the second film was a point of reference, not a means of judgment.  It was a way of telling our readers to expect a film better than the second but not better than the first.  In no way did I say that it was good because the second film was bad.  The one thing I did mention is that it was a more proper sequel.Thirdly,  the villain was totally insignificant in this film.  The film was character development based, expanding on the relationship between J and K.  The villain acted as nothing more than a catalyst to force interaction between J and K and fill in the gaps to transition to the next scene.  Notice how little we see the villain, there is a reason for that.
       
      As far as a budget goes, that has no place in a film review, it adds nothing to the content of the film.  I agree that Smith and Jones have “outstayed their welcome” but that is also the reason why Jones had little to no screen time.  Jones was just there for closure.  I stand by my statement that this was the sequel that the franchise should have had and I recommend that people see it.

  2. This is surprising good news. Time Travel was a red flag for me, but I am glad to know that it worked out. I might be inclined to give this movie a shot now. It seems like this film did what the second film failed at doing, that is try to explore K’s past. The second film was just completely clumsy and stupid. I am glad to see actual character development.
     
    http://www.videodetective.com/movies/men-in-black-2/647228#.T8EvM9WWclc
     
    Hopefully the enemy is not a Victoria Secrets Model this time.

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