Men in Black 3

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, Amblin Entertainment & Sony Pictures, 2012

Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Emma Thompson, Jemaine Clement, Michael Stuhlbarg and Josh Brolin.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Question: Did you like the first Men in Black? I did. It was clever; something slightly original and I enjoyed the balance created by the two main characters played by Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. And along with all the special effects and cohesive story, I found MIB very entertaining.

Next question: Did you like the sequel to Men in Black, Men in Black II? I am afraid I did not and since it’s been a decade since I saw it I honestly can’t tell you why. However, my guess is the sequel probably just tried too hard and went over the top like so many sequels have a tendency to do.

So with all that said, I went into Men in Black 3 with sort of low expectations but since 10 years had passed since the last installment I hoped for the best. And I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this installment. In fact, I think they could end the series nicely and call it a job well done.

The main characters are back, Agent J, Will Smith, and Agent K, Tommy Lee Jones, but there are a few new characters, of course. Emma Thompson plays Agent O and I will keep who she is quiet but I did kind of liked why her character was put into the story. The other character that deserves a mention is Boris The Animal played by Jemaine Clement. I can’t talk about his character long because it freaks me out. He plays the villain and how he was evil and who he was still gives me the creepies. In fact, I’ve got goose bumps right now and just had a shiver. Part of his character annoyed me a bit but I will let it go because that is probably just a personal preference feeling.

Now there was one part of the film that I really enjoyed – the addition of Josh Brolin. He plays Agent K….yes, you read that right. He plays the younger version of the Tommy Lee Jones' character. I won’t say why this happened but Josh Brolin played the role brilliantly. In fact, it was because of him and the addition of his story-line is why I liked this movie. Even though this is a Sci-Fi film, adding in the younger version of Agent K allowed the story to go into further character development, which is what really makes a movie of good quality and interest.

Will Smith plays Agent J with his normal sarcastic wit and charm. Really, how can anyone not like Will Smith? Anyway, the writers of this trilogy did a fine job creating a likable character that you care about; and with how the story plays out this time you care about him even more. I can't say why but I will say that it brought a tear or two to my eyes. And I was not expecting that at all in Men in Black 3. Well done!

Of course I enjoyed Agent K's part in Men in Black 3. Both actors, Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones, performed the quiet, reflective agent with enough finesse that you feel like you really want to know more about the man behind the badge. There is just something about the pensive, secret government agent that draws you in.

Okay, that's all I am going to say about this movie. Enjoy the third installment of Men in Black. It was entertaining. Oh wait, I forgot to mention the character, Griffin, played by Michael Stuhlbarg. He has some fantastic dialogue in this film that really made you think. Well done, again.

My favorite thing: Josh Brolin. He played the young Agent K so well it brought a smile to my face.

My least favorite thing: The villain, Boris The Animal. He just freaked me out which I think was his purpose.

Rating: PG-13

Length: 106 minutes

Review: 7 out of 10


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