J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) don the black suits again for the third instalment of the extra-terrestrial FBI comedy franchise. Meanwhile Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men) makes first appearance alongside Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement.
When K suddenly disappears, J is informed his partner has been dead for over 20 years. This perplexing paradox isn't just a threat to the missing MiB veteran, but also to humankind. Agent J jumps back in time (literally) and partners up with the younger Agent K (Brolin) to set matters straight.
The first Men in Black hit the ‘90s like Hanson hit the hearts of pre-teen girls of the same era, blending edge-cutting CGI with some comedic chemistry created between its two polar-opposite leads. With its expansive universe, it seemed as if the franchise could have stretch out for many films, though the abysmal sequel screwed the pooch on that possibility.
After a decade of absence, we’re confusingly presented with this three-quel to a series many of us stopped caring about. The trailers also showed little promise with standard-issue FX and overloaded Will Smith-isms (though, to the film’s credit, not once did I hear an “Aw hell naw!”).
However, MiB 3 isn’t a bad movie at all; it’s simply a vapid one. Isolated throughout the movie are some truly neat ideas that they fail to capitalise on. Jemaine Clement is superb as the lead baddie Boris the Animal, but is given only 15 minutes onscreen. The time-jumping mechanic is a totally badass visual fiesta, but is only used twice. Josh Brolin is freakishly convincing as a younger Agent K but isn’t given anything interesting to do, spending most of his time droning out one-word reactions.
Without the CGI wow factor or the punchy script that carried the original, there just isn’t enough left to recommend in MiB 3. There are spots of visual ingenuity and a great understanding of 3D that’s rarely seen, but it’s a timid wasteland of potential.
By Liam Maguren, Flicks.co.nz
After the horror of MIB 2, I really wasn't expecting much, but they have redeemed themselves and I would say that if you loved the first one you will love this one.
MIB3 is exactly what you'd expect: action, comedy and a couple of charismatic leads. I really enjoyed it.
Get me some chocolate milk. Just as its predecessor MIB flicks, this has action, bit of love, but mostly Tommy Lee, Will Smith & the villian (Boris aka NZ's Jemaine Clement).Yes the catch phrase maybe tired but everything else is pretty much MIB as usual. I found it a little fast paced, for the storyline & maybe tryin to cram too much in rather than focus on action, animation and a great story like the first film. Much like 'Back to the Future' it holds your gaze and you'l enjoy it, even happy to watch it again to see things match up at the start (now you know the ending). I find myself wanting to watch the MIB1 & 2 now as well. Totally enjoyable and everything seems to get wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end. Nothing after the credits, so dont bother waiting :-( Genre : action, fantasy, Sci-Fi, comedy (its got Jemaine in it) 4/5 : I found Jemaine's performance perfect for his character, not a great character thats all. MIB3, you complete me.
Between Smith, Brolin and Stuhlbarg, the film manages to get past its ramshackle story and sometimes surprisingly-shoddy CGI
Despite some good moments, Agents J, O and K are missing an E.
Easily erases the second installment's vague but unpleasant memory and -- though we might hope producers will quit while they're ahead -- paves the way for future installments.
You do sense, though, that the people behind MIB3 (mainly veteran producer Walter F. Parkes and script doctor David Koepp) were smart enough to let the audience grow up a bit, enough to get the Andy Warhol jokes and one brilliantly weird creation, a delicate alien who can see every outcome at once.
In a summer hardly starved of comic-book properties, this redundant extension of a series that ran out of gas a decade ago doesn't need a neuralyzer to be forgettable.
