Men in Black 3

"Good"

Men in Black 3 Review


A decade after Men in Black II, the cast and crew attempt to rekindle that blend of dry humour and outrageous silliness. But instead of ramping up the hilarity, as in part 2, this movie is weighed down with a messy plot and jokes that are amusing if not actually funny.

One day Agent J (Smith) wakes up to find that his partner Agent K (Jones) has been dead for more than 40 years. It turns out that evil alien Boris (Clement) has travelled back to 1969 to stop K from capturing him so he can conquer Earth. So J has little choice but to follow him. First, he must convince new boss O (Thompson) to let him go, and then he has to explain everything to the younger K (Brolin) and work with another alien (Stuhlbarg) who can see multiple futures.

Sonnenfeld recaptures the atmosphere with striking sets, witty camerawork and Danny Elfman's iconic score. But Smith and Jones' chemistry in the early scenes feels oddly strained, as if they can't quite remember that snappy rhythm but are carrying on out of loyalty. Everything about the film feels similarly softer around the edges. There are some hilarious moments and sublimely silly asides, but the film never shifts into full-speed.

This is partly because the plot is deeply convoluted: there's a lot happening, but none of it gains traction. To keep us intrigued, screenwriter Cohen withholds key details far too long while setting up each plot point in painfully obvious ways. With each scene in the first act, there's something presented that we know will pay off later. So there aren't really any surprises, besides a couple of startlingly emotional sequences at the end.

As a result, the rushed climax isn't terribly suspenseful. Still, the cast keeps us smiling. While there isn't enough of Thompson (or Eve as the younger O), Brolin is wonderful as the young K, channelling Jones' mannerisms with a smart twist. And Stuhlbarg's nutty role is a lot of fun as well. In the end, the actors, the visual design and effects keep our eyes happy (even with the utterly pointless 3D). We get our money's worth. But nothing more.



Men in Black 3

Facts and Figures

Run time: 106 mins

In Theaters: Friday 25th May 2012

Box Office USA: $179.0M

Box Office Worldwide: $624M

Budget: $215M

Distributed by: Sony Pictures

Production compaines: Amblin Entertainment, Hemisphere Media Capital, Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ, Media Magik Entertainment, Parkes/MacDonald Productions

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 3 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Fresh: 158 Rotten: 69

IMDB: 6.9 / 10

Cast & Crew

Producer: , Walter F. Parkes

Starring: as Agent J, as Agent K, as Young Agent K, as Griffin, as Agent O, as Boris The Animal, as Boris's Girlfriend, as Young Agent O, as Andy Warhol, as Jeffrey Price, as Agent X, as Mr. Wu, Cayen Martin as Colonel's Son, Mike Colter as Colonel

Also starring:

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