Triwik Kurniasari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Entertainment | Sun, May 27 2012, 11:39 AM
The trailer has been playing at the cineplex the last couple of months, featuring those three elements and providing some of the lighter moments of MIB 3.
Yes, Will Smith and senior actor Tommy Lee Jones put their black suits and black shades back on, while using their flash neutralizers to erase people’s memories for the third time, to play Agent J and K, respectively.
In 1997, the odd-couple pairing of Smith and Jones rose to fame as partners in protecting the world from rogue aliens with a series of action sequences, special effects and lots of comedy. The sequel arrived five years later, but it was a let-down.
For the third film, the creators have tried their luck and decided to take the audience to a time and place they have not seen in the previous films.
At the very beginning of the story, J and K are partners, but J reaches a point where he realizes that they have not learned much about each other during their 15-year partnership.
Before he can find out more about K, they once again must stick together to complete a mission to protect the Earth from the scum of the universe by bringing down another villain alien, Boris the Animal (played by Jermaine Clement of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords).
Boris breaks out of his high security cell in an attempt to seek revenge on Agent K, who outclassed him 40 years ago, and attempts to transport himself way back to the past to change the future.
In the meantime, J is confused as he discovers that his partner has suddenly disappeared, forcing him to go back in time to put things right. Since the movie trailer has been screened over and over again, the scenes on how J travels back in time will be no surprise to anyone.
The time travel allows him to meet the young Agent K (Josh Brolin, nominated for a 2008 Academy Award for his role in the critically acclaimed film Milk) giving him a chance to learn more about K, including why his partner has become a grumpy man.
The third film provides details of the unique relationship between Agent J and K which is well represented through the chemistry built by Smith and Jones. The Smith-Brolin duo share solid chemistry, resulting in enjoyable scenes.
In his first role after being absent from the big screen for about four years (Seven Pounds was his last flick in 2008), Smith shows that he still gets his grip playing the charming yet witty Agent J.
This time around, Jones comes off as more of a supporting character as Brolin takes his place as the younger K for most parts of the flick. In the meantime, senior actress Emma Thompson gets a role as Agent O, who replaces Chief Zed (Rip Torn) at MIB headquarters.
Like any other time-travel movie, Barry Sonnenfeld makes fun of the cultural differences between the modern and past-time eras, while special effects makeup artist Rick Baker shows his expertise in creating a number of queer yet fascinating aliens.
Aiming to follow the latest 3D phe-nomenon, the technology is really unnecessary in this film since the power of MIB is more on the buddy comedy of its leading actors.
Some jokes may fall flat and a number of scenes may cause drowsiness for some, but the films saves its best parts until the end, leaving moviegoers with a twist that highlights the relationship between J and K.
Verdict: Fifteen years after its first appearance, the dynamic duo is still providing amusing moments, but after watching the series’ third flick, moviegoers might prefer there to be no more MIB.
— Photos courtesy of Amblin Entertainment
