Brian's Review - Men in Black 3

A summer flick that's out of this world.

Released: 2012
Genre(s): Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Aliens. Laser blasters. A weird buddy comedy reminiscent of "Lethal Weapon" dressed up in black suits and sunglasses. After ten years of absence, it's the mother-effin' Men in Black, and if you were a fan of the first two films, "Men in Black 3" will tickle your fancy so hard you'll damn near piss yourself with delight. This is good, silly, alien-vaporizing fun, and it's very apparent that Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and the entire supporting cast are having an absolute blast as they romp around time like a rugby team at an open bar. The most notable additions to the cast are Josh Brolin and Jemaine Clement, both of who show off their rather impressive acting chops, albeit from opposite ends of the personality spectrum. Brolin does a spot-on job portraying the younger version of Tommy Lee Jones' character, but transcends mere emulation - everything from Jones' voice inflection, mannerisms, and droll sense of humor comes across so convincingly that if you were blind, you might not be able to tell the two actors apart. Clement brings a wickedly-hilarious vibe to the sinister villain he plays (a skill he exemplified in "Rio" while playing a similar role); it's this same offbeat kookiness that made him such a hit on the show "The Flight of the Conchords." The adventure revels in wildly-entertaining action sequences, bolstered by special effects so unabashedly cartoony that audiences lucky enough to go see this movie in 3D will swear they're getting showered in gallons of exploding, CGI alien gore. The writing here is far from smart, but there are moments that the dialogue becomes so gut-bustingly funny that snacking during this film becomes a very real choking hazard. It's unfortunate that - like an untrained marathon runner, or an inexperienced college drinker - "Men in Black 3" starts off so strong that it cannot maintain its breakneck speed and stumbles into a weakened pace somewhere around the middle. It, however, does not waste this time completely, using these gaps in the action to do some surprisingly sincere and heartfelt character building. It's all a bit cheesy and a tad on the dramatic side, but it's a nice way to break up what is a normally vanilla formula comprised solely of over-the-top set pieces and effects-heavy silliness. But let's be honest, nobody is going to a "Men in Black" movie for the storyline: we're out for extraterrestrial blood and to see The Fresh Prince bickering with U.S Marshal Samuel Gerard, and "Men in Black 3" is more than glad and capable enough to serve up heaps and heaps of exactly what we want. It's not life-changing in any way, but it's such an enjoyable summer flick that I have no shame in admitting that I'll be first in line if there is ever a fourth installment - even if it takes another decade to make.

Rating (out of 5): 4