Men In Black 3 (2012)

After escaping the LunarMax prison on Earth’s moon, Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement) targets Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). Boris is a feared and dangerous intergalactic criminal, and he plans on using time travel for revenge against K. In 1969, Boris plans to hunt down and kill the young and unsuspecting version of Agent K (Josh Brolin), but Agent J (Will Smith) also travels to the year 1969. Agent J must save his partner, but stopping Boris proves to be a difficult task. J must convince the younger and more suspicious version of his partner, because if he succeeds in his mission, Boris’ sinister plans will have deadly ramifications for Earth’s future.

Honestly, I didn’t expect anything great from this, and unfortunately, Men In Black 3 lived up to my low expectation levels. As usual, Barry Sonnenfeld proved to be a solid choice for the director of another Men In Black film. And I did laugh a few times, but for the most part, Men In Black 3 couldn’t entertain me. The humor did become stale pretty fast, and most of the corny jokes didn’t do anything for me. Etan Cohen, David Koepp, Jeff Nathanson, and Michael Soccio (the writers for this film) delivered your usual quirky and eccentric Men In Black script, but the screenplay falls flat after a while. The unfunny jokes and dull humor couldn’t produce consistent laughs for me, and the lame attempts at providing some entertaining comedy just bored me.

Although, MIB 3 does deserve some credit for the acting. Will Smith delivered a solid performance, Tommy Lee Jones doesn’t receive too much screen time, but he was enjoyable during his limited role here, and Josh Brolin was excellent. Brolin was the perfect clone for a younger Agent K, and he did a great job of capturing Jones’ mannerisms. Brolin nailed Agent K’s serious and emotionless persona, and as far as acting goes, Brolin was the true star of this film.

As far as Men In Black villains go, Boris The Animal reminded me of Edgar The Bug (the main villian from the first film). Boris was a strange, oddball villain, but Jemaine Clement could showcase the evil and dangerous side of Boris’ personality. Still, Boris really annoyed me. Clement was a decent enough villain, but he tried wayyyy too hard most of the time, and I couldn’t escape this feeling throughout the film.

I wanted to give Men In Black 3 a lower score, but Josh Brolin and the touching, sentimental moment towards the end (you’ll know what I’m talking about, if you decide to take a chance on this) changed my mind. Men In Black 3 is an improvement over MIB 2, but still, the third installment of this franchise just feels like a mediocre film. A ten year wait is a long time for any film, and Men In Black 3 couldn’t provide a satisfying payoff for me. I didn't experience any memorable moments, and this one will earn a spot on my list of disappointing films for 2012, because MIB 3 could‘ve been a lot better.

So Will Smith returns to acting after a four year hiatus, and this was supposed to be his big comeback film? Really??? I’m sorry, but MIB 3 isn’t going to erase Seven Pounds from my memory (Smith’s last film before his four year hiatus), and Smith’s upcoming sci-fi/thriller doesn’t sound too promising. After Earth co-stars his son, Jaden (gee, I wonder how he landed that role), and M. Night fucking Shyamalan is the director for this film, and he’s also one of the writers for the screenplay. Shyamalan is a terrible writer, and he’s produced so many stinkers over the years. I guess Smith finally gave up on his quest for an Oscar, but teaming up with M. Night Shyamalan could provide the direct cause of career suicide for Hollywood’s biggest box office draw. Smith is a talented actor, but the quality of his films continues to decline, and I’m starting to lose hope for one of my favorites.

Final Rating: 5/10