Film And DVD Reviews by Phil Boatwright

Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson. Sony Pictures Releasing. Action/comedy. Written by Etan Cohen. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. 5/25/12

FILM SYNOPSIS: When K’s life and the fate of the world are put at risk, Agent J must travel back in time in order to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him -- secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

REVIEW: From my review of Men In Black 2: “It’s okay. it just didn’t reach me like the first one. In it Mr. Smith & Mr. Jones as hip versions of Dragnet’s Joe Friday and Bill Gannon captivated me. The laughs came easier, with sharper dialogue and true character development, (rare for an action flick). One thing I was pleased about was the lack of profanity. Not one misuse of God’s name. Wow, that’s unique for a sci-fi thriller.”

Well, that’s pretty much how I feel about Men in Black 3. The special effects and CGI are even more amazing and Josh Brolin is pitch perfect as the younger version of Agent K. But the humor is not always up to the filmmakers’ ability. While that is just opinion, I am also taking into account the audience’s reaction. There were some laugh-out-loud gags, but too often those at the screening sat quietly. Should an audience be sitting quietly through a Men In Black movie?

As for the lack of profanity, well, I guess that couldn’t last. Along with several obscenities and a whole lot of minor expletives, there are also at least two misuses of Christ’s name. While the profane use of Jesus’ name didn’t come from Will Smith, when is he ever going to stand up for his faith? He still has clout, and if an actor of his box office stature asks that such an offensive be eliminated, it will be. Well, that’s an assumption. Actually, I can’t think of an actor from this era who would ask for such reverence.

PG-13 (five or so uses of the s-word and a handful of minor expletives; two misuses of Christ’s name by a supporting player; the loud soundtrack, the perilous situations the leads find themselves in, and the film’s overall violence may frighten little ones; there are a couple of jolting action sequences, but nothing too abusive for older kids and teens; some blood, green from aliens). Running Time: 106 min. Intended Audience: 12 on up.

For information about Phil Boatwright, go to moviereporter.com.

DEFINITIONS

Profanity – God’s name followed by a curse or the abusive use of Christ’s name

Obscenity – a swear word, indecent language

Expletive – minor curse words such as damn or hell

Crudity – vulgar, often coarse situations or dialogue dealing with bodily functions

Adult Subject Matter – situations or subjects unsuitable for or difficult to comprehend by children