Men in Black III

So I'd be sitting there, watching Men in Black III, not really involved in what was going on up on the screen. But then, something would happen (usually an action sequence) that would spark my attention, and make me notice it. The whole movie is kind of like that. The plot, the characters, and the dialogue feel curiously flat for most of its running time. But every now and then, the script would hit upon a scene or an idea that hinted at something more.

If you liked any of the earlier Men in Black films, you'll probably find something to like here. As for me, I found the original 1997 movie to be clever and fun, the sequel less so, and this one somewhere in the middle. Yes, it's a desperate attempt to revive a franchise whose heyday was 15 years ago, but even as that, it's not that bad. Heck, considering the well-documented behind the scenes stories that apparently went on during the making of the film, it's amazing it even manages to stay afloat. Reports of clashing egos, an unfinished script, and a runaway budget to the point that the studio considered pulling the plug on the project halfway through all seemed to hint at a bloated disaster. What we get is a movie that is watchable, but feels kind of dated. In this age of intelligent superhero movies, does anyone still care about sassy Will Smith blasting aliens into goo?

At least Smith and co-star Tommy Lee Jones step easily back into their roles as Agents J and K, respectively. As the film opens, they are hot on the trail of Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), an alien criminal who escapes from a high security prison on the moon in the opening scene. Boris has a score to settle with Agent K, as it seems that he was responsible for him getting captured some 40 years ago. Rather than take on his foe in the present, Boris decides to get his hands on a time traveling device, and go back in time to 1969, when their fateful encounter happened, and change history. Sure enough, in the present, Agent K suddenly disappears from existence, and all of a sudden, nobody is aware of who K even is. Somehow, J is not affected by the time shift. There is an explanation as to why he's not affected, but I didn't really understand it. (It has something to do with him drinking chocolate milk.) Regardless, what's important is that J realizes he must go back in time himself, and try to prevent Boris from altering the present.

J travels back to 1969, where most of the action takes place. There, he tracks down a young Agent K, and must try to convince him he's from the future, and has come to save him. Rather than trying to make Tommy Lee Jones look younger through CG or make up, the filmmakers have cast Josh Brolin as the young Agent K, and it was a brilliant decision. The transformation and Brolin's performance is downright uncanny. It gets to the point that we forget we're watching another actor taking on the role, and just eventually feel like we're watching a younger version of the character. It also helps that Brolin is able to capture the same kind of easy chemistry that Jones has with Smith. The scenes between J and the young Agent K are amongst the best in the film. If there's any reason to see Men in Black III, it's to see how Brolin just completely disappears into his role.

So, the scenes with the Agents work. Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't hit those same heights. There are some impressive action and special effects sequences here, but the dialogue and plot often come across as wooden and clunky. J travels back in time, he meets the young K, he has a run-in with Andy Warhol, they uncover Boris' plan, and that's about it. There's not a lot to get excited or involved with here. Strangely enough, there is a revelation in the last five minutes or so that is oddly bittersweet, effective, and adds a whole new level to the relationship between J and K. It's a shame the movie keeps it until almost the end, as it could have added some much needed dramatic weight to the earlier scenes. Isn't one of the points of a sequel to expand the characters? This one at least does, but it waits far too long to do it.

And for a movie based around aliens, this one comes up surprisingly short in this department. Many of them (once again designed by Rick Baker) are restricted mainly to cameos or background actors. As for lead villain Boris, he has an interesting look, and the opening sequence makes him out to be a menacing and worthy threat to our heroes. But then, the movie just kind of forgets about him until the end. He kind of shows up now and then to remind us he's in the movie too, but it's almost as if the screenplay (credited solely to Etan Cohen, but apparently worked on by many more writers) had a hard time thinking of how to fit him into the plot. The main emphasis this time seems to be the large-scale action sequences, which include J's dizzying jump from a skyscraper in order to travel back in time, and a shootout at a Chinese restaurant.

I guess I would describe Men in Black III as a mixed bag. It's never dull, and there are some very good moments, but there are also a lot of long periods where the movie just seems to be spinning its wheels. It at least has enough action to satisfy summer movie audiences for a weekend or so, but not much beyond that. It's the kind of film you might remember with a smile, but you won't be able to remember much about it.

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