# Men in Black III - Blu-ray review



## Peter Rygiel (Jan 21, 2010)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=10124[/img]*Title:Men in Black III
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfield
Written by: Etan Cohen, Lowell Cunningham
Studio: Amblin Entertainment
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 106 min
Blu-ray Release Date: November 30 2012* 
*
Movie :3stars:
Video :5stars:
Audio :4.5stars:
Extras :3stars:
HTS Overall Score: *86.5


*Movie:*

After ten years in hiatus a third installment in the _Men in Black_ franchise in available to watch on Blu-ray in the comfort of your own home. Smith and Lee Jones don the signature attire and reprise the roles of Agent J and Agent K and once again are tasked with saving the Earth from alien destruction. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=10125[/img]_Men in Black III_ opens with Boris The Animal (Clement) being visited at his highly secure holding chamber located ON THE MOON! by a buxom black haired beauty. She delivers an innocent looking enough cake, but similar to most prison cakes it contains a weapon and in this case it’s not a razorblade or shiv, but a spider-like really grotesque alien that helps to free Boris The Animal from his shackles (pretty weak ones at that). After regaining his freedom he steals a weapon called The Big One and escapes. Now to Earth where Agent J is using his memory erasing gizmo on a crowd of witnesses who saw an alien craft land, later revealed to be the craft Boris The Animal used to get to Earth. The agents head back to HQ to attend the memorial of Zed (Rip Torn) where Agent K is supposed to give a eulogy. After a few “kind” words the duo are back at work, but Agent K seems to be mourning the death of his friend in a suppressive and stoic manner, even more so than usual, and becomes irritated by too many questions; it seems to be regret that has put him in this abrasive mood. 

With Agent K in a troubled state, Boris The Animal is loose and has one intention, to travel back in time forty years to younger Agent K’s (Brolin) days and kill the man who shot off his arm, forever ruining his life. Time travel is nearly never interpreted the same way in Science-Fiction movies, but it is usually agreed upon that altering the past will affect the present or future and rewrite history and this is exactly what Boris The Animal seeks to do.

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=10128[/img]The next day Agent J finds things a bit loopy; when he goes to pick up Agent K at his home he is greeted by a lady and her child and he is suddenly really craving chocolate milk. The reason for this is an altered timeline, and it is not the same for everyone. When Agent J enters MIB HQ he sees his coworkers are different with no one knowing who he is or Agent K is, but his supervisor Agent O (Thompson) knows who he is and the whereabouts of Agent K. Along with the absence of Agent K, the Boglodite’s, Boris The Animal being one of them, are no longer extinct and about to invade Earth. With the special shield used for the sole reason of protecting Earth against such an attack not yet invented Agent J is forced to travel back in time to try and nab the younger Boris The Animal so all this potential mayhem can be avoided. This all may sound super silly and convoluted, but visually and accompanied by pretty good dialogue, it works and is easily understandable. 


[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=10127[/img]_Men in Black II_ (2002) felt forced, honestly it was a total dud. The jokes, gags, and dialogue, nothing seemed to mesh resulting in a movie truly hard to watch, personally that is. This successor is leaps and bounds better in every manner. Well written dialogue in the sense that it feels authentic and genuine coming from the characters, like they would actually talk like that is so integral to a movie, so I am glad to say the screenwriters for this movie did a superb job right from the get go. Agent J’s wit and attitude is believable, funny and his correspondences flow perfectly with other characters. Lee Jones steps into the role of older Agent K with familiarity and Brolin was a perfect choice as younger Agent K. He has just the right amount of surliness.

What makes _Men in Black III_ a success is simple; it is a fun and entertaining movie to watch. There isn’t anything unique about the film, but all the familiar elements of a _Men in Black_ movie are back; the visuals which are a trademark in the series are top-notch, sometimes even being so gross I started to squirm in my seat. The gadgets and gizmos the agents brandish, just like before look like plastic toys, but pack a wallop and the agents like slick and finely groomed. The action sequences are dispersed pretty evenly, well choreographed, and consist mostly of chase scenes. _Men in Black III_ doesn’t really bring anything new to the franchise or genre, but fixes and elevates the things that went awry in the predecessor and polishes all the good and great bits that made the original such a smash hit. 


*Rated:*

PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, and brief suggestive content.

*Audio :4.5stars:*

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=10126[/img]The soundtrack in _Men in Back III_ doesn’t waste anytime setting your eardrum hairs a tingle with the opening portion of the score filling the entire room and never relenting every time it plays; it’s aggressive and immersive, but incorporated into every scene in a natural manner. The action scenes are a great balance of loud directional effects both subtle and more prominent with amble use of deep thuds as the sub-woofer springs to life. When Agent J and Agent K fire their laser guns and other alien weapons they make that familiar electric-like and zappy Sci-fi sonic sound. Daily ambient noises aren’t ignored sounding crisp and evident. The highlight in _Men in Black III_ is its ability to place the viewer in the middle of the action with a complex and diverse soundtrack and really brings things to life. Your hearing is never given a rest, which is a compliment in this case. 

*Video :5stars:*

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=10123[/img]From the opening in the Lunar Max prison where Boris The Animal is getting a visitor the picture looks absolutely stunning. Boris’s prison garb and shiny restraints pop against the steel and concrete enclosure. Colors in the Chinese restaurant where the first alien fight sequence takes place are vibrant and diverse. The CGI aliens look awesome with louds of slime and disgusting attributes. I was glad to see some of the creatures were animatronic or puppets designed by visual effects supervisor Ken Ralston who worked on _Men in Black II_, the _Star Trek_ films and _Star Wars: Episode IV_, _V_, and _VI_; this guy knows what he doing. The beams emitted from the alien weapons look beautiful against every background. Outdoor sets are elaborate and full of detail and color. There isn’t a soft edge to be found, there’s no graininess and details are sharp. Black variances are nicely handled and the agent’s suits look pressed and brand new, always. Facial tones look natural and textures in clothing are clear. I was truly impressed with the video quality in the movie and it rightly deserves its perfect score. 

*Extras :3stars:*

-Spot the Alien Game
-Partners in Time: The Making of _MIB 3_
-The Evolution of Cool: _MIB_ 1960’s vs. Today
-Keeping it Surreal: The Visual FX of _MIB 3_
-Scene Investigation
-Progression Reels
-Gag Reel
-“Back in Time” Music Video by Pitbull
-Previews
*
Overall:*

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=10129[/img]_Men in Black III_ does a fantastic job reigniting the franchise. It doesn’t feel like merely a cash grab, but a movie that was made with high a level of quality in mind, on all fronts. There is a bit of character development, fabulous chemistry between all the characters, Brolin is uncanny as a younger Agent K, the wild technology is back, the action sequences are rewarding, the audio is immersive, and there is some drama incorporated into the comedy mixing things up a bit. _Men in Black III_ gets rid of that sour taste left behind from _Men in Black II_ and replaces it with something pleasurably palatable, I hope the eventual fourth installment continues on this current path. 


*Buy Men in Black III on Blu-ray at Amazon*


*Recommendation: Rent it!*
*Watch the Official Trailer*


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

sweet, thanks for the review peter, I'm glad it got such high video/audio scores. I really like the movie in theaters and was hoping it would be as good on home video


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Thanks for the review Peter!

I am in the same boat as Mike - saw this at the theaters with the boys (who love these movies) and was really hoping in transferred well. Add to the buy list! And, at the rate you guys are pumping out these great reviews, I am going to have to build a bigger rack to hold all my movies! :T


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

Watched it last night. Really enjoyed it. Good review Peter


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Sounds like one worth adding to the collection! Thanks for your review :T


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## xechostormx (Dec 18, 2012)

thanks for the review on this, I was really on the fence about seeing it, but you've convinced me to pick it up this weekend


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