Men In Black III

I remember the original Men in Black fondly, but whenever sequels come out to movies like that, I am pretty skeptical.  Often, this works to the movies advantage.  When I go in with low expectations, it's easier to impress me.  Perhaps that is why I thoroughly enjoyed Men In Black 3.

The third installment of the Men In Black series is nothing spectacular.  It's more of what they've been giving us.  Since that seems to be what people want, that's just fine.  I enjoyed some of the jokes.  I enjoyed some of the little nods.  I enjoyed the character design.  While the movie doesn't amaze, it does entertain.

The highlight of the film, for me, was Josh Brolin.  It was fun to watch him act like a younger Tommy Lee Jones.  His impression is spot on, and the similarity in appearance is enough to sell it.  When the movie started, that was what I was looking forward to seeing.

I have a good eye for actors.  It is rare that I don't recognize an actor or their voice.  Some people find it annoying; others use me as a resource.  Either way, I'm proud of the fact that I can recognize actors.*  There were two actors that I knew I should know but couldn't place.  That's pretty impressive.  One of the actors was playing a character completely opposite of what I knew him from.**  The other actor was one that I had not seen in much, but he did a great job as Boris the Animal.  Considering he was covered in make-up, I am almost okay with not recognizing him.  Regardless, I have to give mad props to a film that can do an actor so much differently that I don't recognize them.  It just gave me more respect for the casting, the actors, and the make-up effects.

While the make-up is great, some of the special effects were pretty rough looking.  The CGI is very obvious, with no real improvement since the original film.  They could be keeping it similar to further link the two movies, but that reasoning is definitely stretching reality.

For me, there is another factor that can influence how I feel about a movie: the audience.  The right audience can enhance a movie, while the wrong one can ruin it.  When I watched Men in Black 3, my parents were visiting.  We sat and watched the movie together, which is something I miss.***  I missed seeing their reactions and having a good laugh with them.  Men In Black 3 is the first movie I've watched with them in a while, so I'm sure that had a positive effect on my experience.

Would it have been worth paying to see Men In Black 3 in the theater?  Probably not.  Is it well worth a night's rental fee?  Of course.  I'm glad we saw it, and if you enjoyed the first installment, this one will do well by you.

*It's a useless talent, but it's the only one I have.  Don't judge.

**Hint: he is in Boardwalk Empire.

***Somehow, I miss my mom talking through the movie.  Go figure.  :)