The lighthearted, silly alien antics that transition the Men In Black films from one gooey action sequence to the next were sorely missed as the Men In Black franchise returned to the big screen with a surprisingly serious follow up to the blockbuster sequel.
Dancing extra-terrestrials and talking animals took a backseat to unraveling the emotional torment that comes with the territory for Agent J and Agent K.
Director Barry Sonnenfield made it apparent from early on that it wouldn’t be business as usual for the Men In Black. Heavy subject matter haunts Agent K and J decides to get to the heart of what has kept his partner detached and distant over the past 14 years – a partnership that was thought to be random and spontaneous. That is, until the latest film provides an unexpected back story that was never so much as alluded to in the first two films.
There are a few humorous sequences – and the bare minimum with respect to the slime requirements, but the core of the Men in Black formula was replaced with a penchant for their motivation to serve by way of the secret agency.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones resume their usual chemistry – even though writer Etan Cohen leaves little room for their impeccable tag team comedic timing. Josh Brolin is an extremely welcomed addition to the team as a young Agent K. Brolin illustrated his incredible talent for character study and role immersion as he flexed an obviously fresher face, but completely mastered the entire essence of Jones’ K. From the simplest nuances to the obvious cadence of Jones’ Texas southern drawl, Brolin’s K is a dead-on reflection of the K audiences have come to know and love.
While Brolin was an asset to the story, the new direction of the film was somewhat of a liability.
The action sequences, lovable alien characters and comedy were whittled away. But the character exploration wasn’t compelling enough to compensate the loss of Men In Black’s traditional formula. Segments of the film seemed labored and the audience will feel the lag time between the jumbled subplots and when the Cohen’s story actually picks up.
The film’s dramatic element only gets interesting when major developments that shed light on a special connection to J and K when their history collides – long before J is recruited by K to join the Men In Black. But by movie’s end, audiences will be given all the answers through an emotion-filled finale… even ones they never thought they had to ask.
Men In Black 3 is now open in theatres nationwide. The film is rated PG 13 with a running time of 95 minutes.
