After “Men In Black II” failed to recapture the first film’s lightning in a bottle, a third film was in development since 2002, which is the release of the second film due to legal conflicts between on set of Men In Black II with Barry Sonnenfeld who faced a lawsuit with his agents putting the third film’s development to a halt. At first, Sony wanted to replace Barry, but he convinced the studio his vision is faithful to the mythology of the series. Six Years Later, Sony officially announced that “Men In Black III” was in development. Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones signed on to reprise their roles as agents Jay & Kay. Newcomers such as Josh Brolin & Jemaine Clement (half of the duo from Flight Of The Conchords) also signed on to portray Young Kay & Boris.
Men In Black III was released in 2012. (same year The Dark Knight Rises came out) It received positive reviews from critics & movie goers alike. In addition to positive reception, the film made enough money at the box office.
Now that “Men In Black: International,” a spin-off film is out in theaters starring Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thompson, I want to share my thoughts on what’s good or bad about Men In Black III. I also wrote reviews for the first two films. By the way, Will Smith’s latest film “Aladdin” is currently out in theaters so don’t forget to see it as well!
Today’s review doesn’t contain any crucial SPOILERS whatsoever. Feel free to read my non-spoiler article. Is it as good as the first film or just a plain ol’ dud like the second film? Let’s find out shall we?
Good & Bad Qualities
Good: Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones reprise their roles as Jay & Kay. They both did a fantastic job for their respective performances.
Newcomers to the series such as Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Alice Eve & Emma Thompson all did a great job for their respective performances.
Barry Sonnenfeld returned to the director’s chair & he did a decent job directing the third movie.
Steven Spielberg served as an executive producer for the film with the help of his production company “Amblin Entertainment.”
Tony Shalhoub & Howard Stern have cameo appearances.
Action Sequences were pretty good as they managed to keep me invested.
Humor managed to make me laugh. Jokes weren’t cringeworthy.
Jemaine Clement’s character Boris, is based on Tim Curry.
Oscar winning make-up artist Rick Baker (An American Werewolf In London, The Nutty Professor, Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video) applied prosthetic make-up for extras, Jemaine Clement & minor characters to resemble aliens.
Mike Colter has a prominent role.
Fun Fact: Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Alice Eve & Mike Colter played Marvel characters. Tommy played Col. Chester Phillips, Josh played Thanos and Cable, Alice played Typhoid Mary & Mike played Luke Cage.
Speaking of Marvel, The Avengers & Men In Black III both have a plot involving alien invasion. Josh went on to portray Thanos.
Men In Black III isn’t the only film released in 2012 involving time travel. Does “Looper” ring any bells.
Time Period in 1969 recreates the atmosphere.
Practical Effects & Computer Animation were used effectively. C.G.I. is drastically improved.
The film did a jab at Barack Obama. At one point, Will Smith was rumored to portray the former president.
The scene with Jay jumping off The Chrysler Building in order to go back in time is a reference to Will’s other film, “Hancock” with the title character jumping off the exact same building.
Although Will Smith didn’t contribute a song for the film, Pitbull took over with a song titled, “Back In Time.” He also did a music video.
Will Arnett makes a cameo appearance as an MIB agent. Both Will Arnett & Will Smith played characters from DC Comics. Arnett played Batman in The Lego Movie series & Smith played Deadshot in Suicide Squad.
The film made a reference to Mr. Garrison’s invention from “South Park.” Thank god Garrison’s custom made steering wheel & seat wasn’t added. If you wanna know what it is, look up the episode, “The Entity.”
Two Easter Eggs Of Frank The Pug are shown. Make sure you pause your TV.
A Plot Twist is revealed. I can’t tell you the juicy details, you’re gonna have to see for yourselves.
The story wasn’t a retread of the first movie, the third entry felt original less formulaic. Boris’ evil plan was totally different than Edgar The Bug’s grandmaster plan.
Danny Elfman composed music for the film. He also conducted the first two films.
Zed’s whereabouts are addressed.
Barry Sonnenfeld himself makes a cameo appearance watching The Apollo Launch on TV.
Bad: A Plot Hole involving a chase scene with Jay & Kay driving their wheel shaped vehicles to get Boris. A bunch of witnesses in their cars are driving. It’s never been addressed. It would’ve been useful if they had a cloaking device.
The Final Verdict: A-
In my opinion, Men In Black III is major improvement of the second film. It’s a full glass of water worth a thirst for your brain. Not half full nor half empty. If you’re eager to see Men In Black: International, I highly recommend this movie. I hope Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thompson do a good job as onscreen partners. They were amazing in “Thor Ragnarok.”
Nickthemoviecritic.com 