The Men In Black franchise has been very famous for fifteen years. Granted, the last movie was ten years ago, but if you were to walk up to any person on the street at any given day and ask them if they know what Men In Black is they would tell you in a split second 'yes'. Since 1997, the MIB's have left their mark on the general public.
So came time for the third film, ten years after the second one's release. Anticipation ran high for this latest installment, for fans of both films were hoping for something more entertaining than MIB 2. Don't get me wrong, i enjoyed MIB 2...I just didn't think it was on par with the first film. So now MIB 3 is out and this is my review.
MIB 3 is summer firecracker, one that explodes with entertainment. It isn't too long, it isn't too short...its where it needs to be. With MIB 2, I felt the filmmakers tried to hard to be over the top and goofy. While yes it did have its good humor and excellent action sequences, but it didn't have the spark or freshness that the first movie had. Men In Black 3 improves on what it predecessor did, and I believe that its on par with the first film.
The one thing I was worried about while going into this movie was that its plot was going to have too many plot holes. Generally with time traveling movies, the story has many plot holes, and with some films, there's just too many to the point where the audience stops caring, and they get bored with what they're watching. Men In Black 3 does have some plot holes, but a lot less than what I had expected. This is one of the few time traveling movies out there where everything seems to make sense; it ties together. People say that the first 20 minutes are lame. Well let me say this, if you enjoy Men In Black movies, or even Will Smith movies in general, the first 20 minutes for you will be very enjoyable as they were for me. When the whole time traveling part kicks in, the movie really rockets off. When Agent K is completely erased from history, his young witty partner, J, is forced to go back into time to find out what happened to him. He is told that he cannot meet face to face with younger K otherwise that would mess everything up. However, wild things ensue and J's original plan is slightly set off course. He meets up with Agent K, portrayed by Josh Brolin.
This has to be one of the better performances this year. Seriously; Josh Brolin slam dunks it as the role of Tommy Lee Jones. While watching him on screen, I legitimately thought he was a younger Tommy Lee Jones. He does it so well that it really makes your experience at the movie more enjoyable. Now, this isn't one of those movies where it has only one actor that steels the show and the rest of the movie comes off mediocre. No, Brolin may have done an excellent job, but there's so much more to this movie than him. The main villain has some beef with K, and wishes to go back in time to not only kill him, but preserve his race from becoming extinct and go on consuming planets from left to right. While going back and trying to change the past, Boris the Animal, played by Jemaine Clement (Despicable Me, Dinner for Schmucks), tries to capture a psychic, one that plays a huge role in the film's plot. The psychic's name is Griffin, one who sees everything before they happen. When our heroes first meet him, you wouldn't be frowned upon by initially thinking he's Jar Jar Binks of the film. But luckily he's not. He provides some comedic relief while becoming a huge impact to the overall ending. And why is Boris after this psychic? Because Griffin holds some awesome power; one that if unchecked by Boris, would destroy his monstrous race. The chemistry between him, Jay and Kay is very strong and it doesn't feel like a shoe-horned subplot.
It has tension. It has a lot of well placed humor. It has flashy special effects. It has some excellent and memorable special effects from its lead roles. MIB 3, in my humble opinion ties The Avengers for best movie of the year...so far that is. Why? I have a nostalgic feeling attached to the franchise; I really wanted to see this third film succeed. I am huge fan of the first movie and enjoyed its sequel despite the mixed reviews. MIB 3 has a strong plot, devoid of too many plot holes that could have punctured it. MIB 3 is a must see, enjoyment for many ages. The throwback to the 60's is pretty fun and the film even pokes fun a few racial stereotype that the era had. In the end MIB 3 is an excellent ride.
My Grade:
A