3 out of 5 stars

Men in Black 3 had a fair amount of hype to live up to. Not only has it been a full decade since the last sequel was released, but the film also features Will Smith’s return to the big screen after a four year absence. As a result, it’s a nice surprise that MIB3 has as much quality as it does.

This isn’t to say that MIB3 is a great film, but strong performances from the main cast help make this a fun addition to the summer’s lineup of popcorn blockbusters.

The film picks up with Agents J and K (Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones respectively) ten years after the events of the previous film. While the agents have remained partners fighting against alien crime, J feels he still doesn’t know K very well.

Before the two can work out their issues, Boris the Animal ( Jemaine Clement), an old enemy of K’s, breaks out of prison and travels back in time to kill K as a young man and allow his race to destroy Earth. Agent J must also travel back to 1969 to save not only his partner, but the whole world.

The plot of MIB3 is relatively straightforward, but it provides a strong backbone for a lot of fun scenes. Some of the best parts of the Men in Black films involve the idea of aliens secretly living among us, and that continues here. Shots of Lady Gaga in the present and the idea that Andy Warhol was actually an agent of the Men in Black provide great moments.

Beyond the smaller moments, though, the cast really sells the film. Smith slides back into the role of Agent J with ease, reminding viewers how charming his unique style of sarcasm is and providing a likable protagonist.

Equally impressive is Josh Brolin, who plays the young Agent K. Brolin was given the heavy task of emulating the mannerisms and style of Tommy Lee Jones, and he knocks it out of the park. From the deadpan delivery of lines to the stern, judgmental stare, Brolin manages to nail every facet of Jones’ performance, while also bringing a unique spin to the role.

Another strong performance is delivered by Clement as the vengeful alien Boris the Animal. Though the character is mostly seen snarling and riding on a motorcycle, Boris is a delight in scenes where he gets to interact directly with the other characters. Clement really lets loose and has fun with what could’ve been a flat, uninteresting villain.

With such strong personalities filling the movie, it’s just a shame that the plot itself isn’t more exciting. This is the third movie where it’s come down to J and K to save the world from an alien assault. While it makes sense given the nature of the series, it would still be nice to see a bit more variety.

This is made worse by a truly awful ending that betrays a lot of the characterization between J and K we’ve seen so far. The big reveal about why K has always been so distant to J is highly unsatisfying and needlessly sentimental.

Not even the time travel element does much to spice up the plot. A few jokes are made about the sixties, but overall the period feels wasted. Further, the time travel mechanics themselves are poorly defined and seem to break their own rules at a few points in the movie.

For its flaws, though, MIB3 is still a lot of fun. The interactions between Smith and Brolin are strong, and the film’s humor hits more times than not. It’s just a shame that the plot couldn’t be a more fleshed out and involving experience.