GRADE: B

While most people will make the argument that another sequel to Men in Black isn’t necessary, I’d reserve that judgment until you see it. I for one was also in the camp of those who didn’t want Men in Black 3, but after seeing this third and most likely final chapter, my mind was changed — I’d argue this was the best of the three films. Seriously.

This chapter picks up some years later when K (Tommy Lee Jones) and J (Will Smith) have been partners for years. The whole world gets flipped upside down (again) when J discovers that an escaped psychotic alien killer named Boris the Animal (it’s just Boris!) escapes his lunar prison to get revenge on the man who put him there, K. The plot to kill the seasoned government agent takes place in the past as Boris travels back in time to kill K.

In order to prevent the death of his partner, J also has to travel back to foil Boris’ plan. This leads to some comical antics as the hip J has to save the world in the past where black people were not treated fairly. Watching Will Smith in these situations made for many of the better moments in the film. Essentially, this movie was made by the star power of Will Smith. Since he last donned the black secret agent suit, Smith has come a long way as an actor — it showed as his innate sense for comedy mixed perfectly with everything else he’s picked up along the way making this movie worth the price of admission.

Another huge credit needs to be given to Josh Brolin for perfectly pulling off a younger version of Tommy Lee Jones’ K. Brolin had the look, the southern drawl, the witty comments and nicknames, the movements, and everything else of Jones’ K down pat. Watching Smith interact with another version of the character we grew up knowing in the original Men in Black was awesome. I will also throw some love out to Michael Stuhlbarg as the endearing alien who can see all the possible futures aiding the agents and Jemaine Clement as the disgusting bad guy Boris.

The biggest downfall for this film came from the often times stupid and cliché action. When I say this, I am referring to the action falling into typical pitfalls where the audience can easily predict how everything is going to play out. When something could possibly wrong, it always did until the final moment of triumph. When an important object could go flying down 40 stories to the ground, it catches on the ledge, just within reach. This movie of course doesn’t need to redefine action movies, but this type of procession is tired and simply put, boring.

Overall, despite Men in Black 3 falling in with all the droves of sequels audiences have to endure, this is actually one worth theater dollars. The film had many many laughs, had plenty of thrills for the action-seekers, and had some good tender moments to finish it off. Will Smith is a superstar and Men in Black 3 simply adds another film to his resume to prove it.

What Should You Do? If you’ve already seen The Avengers, this is your next best bet at the theater.

 

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery