Film Review: MEN IN BLACK III
By Gabrielle Bondi, The Young Folks
One of my all-time favorite movies as a kid was Men in Black. My brother and I would watch it almost every day. We loved everything about it: the action, humor, aliens and story. A few years later, Men in Black 2 came out and well… that was a disappointment. So much so, that I honestly can’t recall any detail from it since I probably blocked it out of my memory. Therefore, when I heard that the MIB franchise was coming back with a third movie, I can’t say I was looking forward to it. And when the trailer came out, that didn’t do anything to pique my interests. So, it was a surprise when I left the theater last night and could honestly say I was happy that the Men in Black are back.
In Men in Black III, we’re hanging out again with Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones). After 15 years with the Men in Black, J is still trying to connect and get to know his ever unforthcoming partner, K. When Boris the Animal escapes his prison to get revenge, Agent K’s fate is hanging in the balance. And the only way K (and the world) can be saved is if Agent J goes back in time to 1969 to stop Boris from killing the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) and starting an alien invasion.
MIB3 is a hell of a time at the movies. The plot and dialogue are very entertaining. It was just a ton of fun watching the Men in Black in action again. The chemistry between Smith and Jones is as strong as ever. It made me wonder if the same could be said for Smith and Brolin, who plays the younger version of Jones’ characters. And the same could be said! Brolin gets all of Jones mannerisms down to a T; it’s a great performance.
At first, I thought the time travel plot would be a disaster but in fact, it ended up saving this movie. It’s a refreshing concept that also allows the audience to get to know the Agents better. What can we say that we know about J and K? Very few details, especially from K. The time travel plot gave us a chance to understand those characters better and possibly the real reasons why K recruited J. Since that was all executed pretty well, I was happy to discover all that.
My one major complaint about the movie is the villain. Boris the Animal wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t great either. He’s sort of forgettable. Literally, I forgot about him at times during the film. He never felt like a major threat. At least, not like the villain in the original Men in Blackdid. Although, I will say that the thing that grew out of his hand was gross. Ick!
If you love Men in Black, then MIB3 is a must-see, even if you’re skeptical! It’s such a great and fun summer film. It’s really great to see my two favorite agents back together, fighting aliens and saving the world.
Men in Black III hits theaters tomorrow, May 25th.
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