Men in Black III Review

Let the fact be stated at the very onset - 'Men In Black 3' is a disappointment. Okay, so it can't be termed as a monumental disaster but then well, a film of this scale, hype, precedent and a star like Will Smith is expected to cover a much larger distance. Unfortunately though it doesn't quite happen and while one even feels that the film doesn't quite boast of the kind of mega production values that one hoped for, even the narrative doesn't have that single heart stopping or edge on your seat moment that could make it a favourite this weekend.

A decade after the last instalment, men in black are back, albeit with a twist in the tale. There is a time travel required, as is revealed pretty soon in the film and the mission is for Will Smith to go back and save his partner agent (Tommy Lee Jones) from an alien Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement). Back then in 1969, his partner - now much younger - is enacted by Josh Brolin who is much more fun than what he is in the current times. Nevertheless, the reason behind him turning sad from happy is told later in the tale but what holds much more significance is how to find Boris and kill him before he kills Tommy in the future.

Thankfully there isn't much mumbo-jumbo about time travel that is thrust upon the audience and the focus - as expected - is much more on the camaraderie between Will and Josh. However, and to one's disappointment, it is this very area where the film fails to hold your attention, especially during the second half where neither the drama works, nor the one liners. Oh yes, both Will as well as the ones behind the dialogues and screenplay try hard to inject some humour quotient but frankly, except for a stray four-five points where you do get a smile on your face, there is not even a single 'bring on the laughter' moment.

In such a scenario one would have expected the action to do the talking but even that never rises above the ordinary. Now that's a pity because the film is presented in 3D (seems like a conversion case and not really shot in 3D) but still there aren't any wow moments whatsoever. This means that whether it is the action sequence set in a Chinese restaurant or the one where both agents race on their innovative bike and follow a car, you don't really feel enthralled. Even the climactic sequence set around a rocket launcher station hardly arrests your attention.

Of course the revelation soon after the climax is good and one can join the dots here. Still, the excitement is rather too later in the day because by this time one has actually lost good level of interest in the proceedings. Moreover the culprrit is also some of the repulsive shots in the very first 30 minutes of the film with aliens and their body parts making you look in a different direction.

Yes, Will Smith does well but then he too is saddled with the kind of script that hardly allows him to bring on his characteristic histrionics. Tommy Lee Jones is hardly there, Jemaine Clement is always cartoon-ish and never quite threatening while Josh Brolin is decent, not exceptional.

All in all, a film that you won't regret skipping this season.

Rating: **