Filthy Review - 'Men in Black 3'

Men in Black 3 (2012)

Review by Jude Felton

A full 10 years after Men in Black 2, and the team of Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld are back for the third Men in Black movie, and I have to ask whether or not it was needed. Who really cares? There are many movies that are made that aren’t needed, but I am sure that many of them aren’t anywhere near as much fun as this one. Yes, I am looking at you Mr. Lucas.

Men in Black 3 picks up as though it was never away, with Agent’s J and K (Smith and Jones) still rubbing each up the wrong way, even after 14 years working together. J still knows nothing about K, but that could soon change. The reason for this is that an alien, Boris the Animal, has escaped from a lunar prison and is hell-bent on reeking revenge on K and humanity in general. The reason for this? K shot off Boris’s arm 40 years ago, and Boris has been stewing on it ever since.

What really throws a spanner in the works is that Boris has managed to travel back in time (suspend your disbelief now please) and has changed the course of history, which has erased Agent K’s existence passed 1969. So, Agent J has to travel back in time himself, and put a stop to Boris’s diabolical plans.

This results in J meeting up with the younger K, now played by Josh Brolin, and racing against time to restore equilibrium to history. Oh, and to stop Earth being annihilated. Easier said than done.

What we get here, with Men in Black 3, is pure entertainment, plain and simple. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are still great fun in their roles, but it is Josh Brolin who is the real gem here; he nails the role of a younger K, whilst still managing to make the role his own. It really is great fun to watch. The effects are, as you might expect, truly spectacular, with all manner of creepy aliens popping up, a head-spinning time travel story thanks to the character Griffin (who sees every possible outcome) and a mean as hell villain in Boris the Animal.

Also thrown into the mix is Emma Thompson, who is criminally underused, as new Men in Black chief, Agent O, and a storyline that ties in all of the Men in Black history in a quite touching finale.

Whether or not Men in Black 3 was needed or not is purely irrelevant, as this is a terrifically entertaining movie. Smith and Jones, and now Brolin, are characters that we have grown to love, and there is nothing here that is likely to change that. Obviously, due to the story arc, Tommy Lee Jones is not in the film as much as in parts 1 and 2, but he still delivers the grumpy goods.

Sure, there are some convenient plot devices used, such as the time travel element and its implementation, but this is pure escapism and nothing more. It isn’t the sort of film that you need to look too deeply into and expect to find some higher meaning. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, because it is a fun one. If you enjoyed the first two movies, there is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy this one. The effects are better, as you might expect, but the look and feel of the film is as if we have never been away. 

Men in Black is great fun for all the family and in my opinion is a triumphant return for Agents J and K.

Men in Black 3 is released on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on November 30th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.