Men In Black 3 - Underwhelmingly Entertaining

So, stop the presses, it turns out that Men in Black 3 is actually pretty good. Believe you me, I'm as shocked to be typing it as you are to be reading it, but it's true. Sure, it never reaches the heights of the original Men in Black, which still stands tall as one of the most entertaining pieces of modern cinema out there, but it's easily better than its vastly disappointing predecessor. That may not be much of a compliment when you really think about it, but let's not think about it too much, shall we? MIB3 has had its fair share of difficulties getting to the big screen, including the fact that it began production without a completed script. It seemed like every which way you turned, some silly movie blog was posting some form of unflattering news regarding its ill-fated production. So, the fact that it's actually not bad is a rather pleasant surprise!

The plot at this point doesn't really matter - It's chock full of holes and feels ever so slight next to the larger-than-life personality of Will Smith and Josh Brolin's insanely spot-on performance as a young Agent K. Brolin's resemblance to Tommy Lee Jones' appearance and personality may be uncanny, but credit must be given where credit is due and it is Smith who deserves the glory here. He pretty much single handedly carries this movie on his shoulders with his charming personality and impeccable knack for comic timing. Jones is, sadly, absent for most of the film's running time, but thankfully so. I love the guy, but he is clearly not very interested in playing a part in these proceedings, which leaves Smith to pick up the slack whenever they're on screen together. The supporting cast is mostly anonymous - Emma Thompson shows up for a few minutes to say a few things and then disappears from the proceedings; Flight of the Conchords' Jermaine Clement is effectively threatening as a villain, but isn't given much to play with, so he never quite graduates from dull one-noteness; even Bill Hader has a fun little cameo as Andy Warhol. But, it's A Serious Man's Michael Stuhlbarg who ends up giving the most enjoyable supporting performance. (With the exception of Brolin, of course) He's immensely charming and always a joy to watch.

The special effects also make their expected appearance and they look great - As does the creature design. The production design and effects teams should be commended. There are also some fun little action sequences here and there but they, like most of MIB3, feel underwhelming and slight. Still, the movie provides a solid two-hours of lighthearted, escapist entertainment and even wraps itself up rather nicely in a surprisingly touching way. Though you might not be kicking down the doors of Columbia/Sony demanding a MIB4, chances are if you go in with an open mind and low expectations, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised by what's on display here.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 

(If Will Smith had performed a song for the film, I might have kicked it up to an even 4, but I guess we'll have to just make do with 'NOD YA HEAD' from MIB2...)