Pleasantly surprised at not being disappointed

Rating: 7/10 (1 October 2012)

No, Men in Black 3 won't make its way into my list of the best movies ever made, but walking into it with very low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. A decade was enough to make me miss the world and characters of MiB, and while this third installment can't quite match the feeling of freshness and originality of the first one, it's a huge improvement over the disappointing second movie, which felt like a weak attempt to milk a cash-cow while it's hot - MiB 3 doesn't have that 'sequel' feeling, feeding on nostalgia rather than tailing a fad.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones did a lot of growing over this decade - Smith became one of the most sought after blockbuster stars in Hollywood, and Jones made some of the finest, most introspective films of his long careers (No Country for Old Men, In the Valley of Elah, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada) and they both seem to have a lot of fun being back in their black suits, playing those beloved, silly, flat old characters. Smith in particular seems to take in his stride the fact that he has to step back into 'Fresh Prince' mode after years of playing more serious characters, he even seems to enjoy it quite a bit.
It's the supporting cast that makes the film, though - most notably Josh Brolin (Tommy Lee Jones' 'No Country for Old Men' co-star) who plays the younger version of Jones himself to truly terrific results. Jemaine Clement ('Flight of the Conchords') is a delicious villain (though the character is under-utilized), and smaller roles played by Michael Stuhlbarg, Emma Thompson and Bill Hader. It almost seems like memorable supporting characters is what missed most from MiB II - well, that, and a decent script. MiB 3's plot is a pretty senseless and illogical attempt at a time-travel story, with some elements of Terminator kicking in, but it doesn't matter much that it makes absolutely no sense - the script has heart and humor, and the movie is fast-paced and goes by quickly, not leaving that much of an impression but leaving a big smile.