25 replies to this topic

[TWoP Gadget]

Agents J and K are back... in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time 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.

[BrooklynChick]

I saw this film in a private screening last night, and I like this film a lot. I saw it in 3D, and besides the beginning film sequence, the 3D isn't spectacular. You might as well see it in 2D.

Will Smith did his usual great acting as Agent J. I wish Tommy Lee Jones was in it more, but he was fine. (Tommy's role is larger than a small cameo, in case anyone was wondering.) Josh Brolin did a dead-on impersonation of Tommy's Agent K character. Brolin plays Agent K at age 29, in 1969. (They joke about how old Brolin's Agent K looks at that age.) Brolin was very charismatic in the role, if you can believe.

I liked the story very much, especially the end twist, which I won't spoil. I think that was the strongest point in the film, which is funny since that part wasn't written when production on the film had already started.

I definitely think people should see it. It's better than the second one, and I think the background story for Agent K and Agent J in this film are stronger than the first film.

[kems28]

I just got back from seeing this, and I also liked it a lot. I saw it in 2D, because I hate 3D in pretty much everything. I thought the pacing was great - it kept my attention the whole time and it was dramatic or funny when it needed to be. The time travel plot worked for me, it wasn't overly complicated and they didn't waste too much time trying to explain it. The only part I really had a problem with was the whole thing with Agent O, which I thought was kind of randomly thrown in there, but I always like seeing Emma Thompson so I won't complain too much.

Josh Brolin did a great job. I knew the guy who played Boris seemed familiar to me, and I was delighted to find out it was Jermaine from Flight of the Conchords. Hopefully we'll start seeing him in more Hollywood stuff.

ETA: I also loved the alien profiles flashing by the screen in headquarters. I caught Lady Gaga, David Beckham, Yao Ming, and Shawn White (the snowboarder). Very funny!

Edited by kems28, May 26, 2012 @ 12:18 AM.

[ceindreadh]

I knew the guy who played Boris seemed familiar to me, and I was delighted to find out it was Jermaine from Flight of the Conchords. Hopefully we'll start seeing him in more Hollywood stuff.

I spent most of the movie thinking it was Tim Curry under all the make-up!

[Princess Aldrea]

So in the dead K reality, was J's father alive? It would have been nice to see Jim make either that choice or at least recognized the trade-off.

[AimingforYoko]

Josh Brolin and Michael Stuhlbarg were the MVPs of the movie.
The ending was kind of huh? With the 20 second time jump and K turning out to know J a lot longer than anyone realized.

[nilyank]

So in the dead K reality, was J's father alive? It would have been nice to see Jim make either that choice or at least recognized the trade-off.

J's dad died in all realities. The future empaths said the only that they could change was death, so he was always going to die.

I thought the joke about J calling all men K and all women O was really clever when the final punchline of OKAYYY.

Edited by nilyank, May 26, 2012 @ 11:26 PM.

[Princess Aldrea]

Jim died in all realities. The future empaths said the only that they could change was death, so Jim was always going to die.

I don't understand. There had to be death in all realities but why did it have to be Jim's death? K's death wasn't inevitable. I thought the message was that they couldn't save everyone but nothing about Jim's death struck me as something that had to happen across all realities.

No one was ever specifically targeting Jim. Jim only died because he was standing by K when young!Boris attacked. But without J, old!Boris would have killed K before Jim got anywhere near him and it seems like Jim should have been fine. J likely wouldn't have noticed one way or the other because, as a grown man in a secret organization where he's given up his identity, he wouldn't have seen his father that day if he was alive or not and J didn't have any memories of the altered timeline.

[scarlett45]

I do wonder why K locked up Boris rather than killing him? If J was there the whole time (as I assume given that he was the only one to crave chocolate milk and was thus affected by the time break) he would've always said "kill him".

I did like the movie by the way. I wish we had scene more aliens.

[Princess Aldrea]

I do wonder why K locked up Boris rather than killing him? If J was there the whole time (as I assume given that he was the only one to crave chocolate milk and was thus affected by the time break) he would've always said "kill him".

I don't think that he was always there. I think that in the original timeline K was only facing one Boris who did not take him seriously as a threat since he was human and so he was able to save the world and take out Boris all by himself (well, Jim was there, too, having been necessary to get onto the base and so he'd still die). Since K was so green and almost idealistic (for K, at least) maybe he didn't believe in killing a defenseless prisoner and Boris would have definitely been one in order to get locked up. Or maybe he was feeling vengeful about Jim's death and poor, traumatized James and so he wanted Boris to suffer and never thought he'd escape.

Then Boris jumped and suddenly the time-line needed to be corrected so J became a part of the timeline.

We know that J, despite the chocolate milk thing, could not possibly have always gone back because he had no reason to go back (and what's-his-name had no reason to give him the device to go back) without K being dead and the Earth being about to be destroyed. K wouldn't be dead with old!Boris going back. Old!Boris wouldn't have gone back without having been defeated and locked up for forty years. If it had always been the case that old!Boris went back and tried to help young!Boris and failed then young!Boris would have grown into old!Boris, saw how old!Boris failed, and done something differently to try to win.

It's hard to reconcile that part about J remembering because he's part of events but I guess it could be that it was the time-line trying to fix itself and get history back on track and choosing J as its champion so he was immune. Even if J was always a part of the events that led to Boris being stopped (which I don't see how he could be) that doesn't really explain why he'd still remember the past. I can see time travelling providing a buffer so even if you change things you still remember the original timeline but not before you time travel.

So maybe he just remembered because he was supposed to remember and had to remember.

[Chit Chat]

I spent most of the movie thinking it was Tim Curry under all the make-up!

It took me until the credits rolled that I knew for sure it wasn't Tim Curry! Glad I wasn't the only one thinking it was him!

Mr. Chat & I really enjoyed this film. Sure, there was the moment where K & J are on the launch pad 10 minutes before liftoff (can anybody say hazardous gases from said rocket?) But hey, it was all in fun and I can forgive that one little nitpick of mine!

As far as all of the time travel & such, that stuff is way over my head, so I just accept what's on the screen and don't try to analyze it. I keep my sanity that way!

I saw Will's interview on Ellen last week, and he said that MIB3 would make all of the movies come full circle. I was expecting some kind of twist, but didn't anticipate how it turned out. It was nice to see K smiling in his younger days. It was even nicer understanding why his attitude changed.

Edited by Chit Chat, May 27, 2012 @ 5:45 PM.

[Princess Aldrea]

It was even nicer understanding why his attitude changed.

I suspect it was just thirty more years of MiB crap before he met J again.

[thuganomics85]

I liked it. Still didn't touch the first one (which I love to this day), but it was easily better then the second one, which I honestly hated. Time travel usually just frustrates me and the ending was kind of out there, but the characters were fun, acting was good, and a few good funny moments. Added bonus was a decent running time, so it didn't feel bloated.

Thrilled to see Will Smith again after a four year absent and I still think he has it. Dude knows how to deliver a line (the OK bit.) Tommy Lee Jones made the most of his scenes, as few as they were. But I thought Josh Brolin stole the show of the leads. He was dead-on as a young K, but I felt like he was merely imitating TLJ, but channeling him in way where he could also add his own touches to the role, and I thought it worked very well. Great show.

Of the supporting cast, Michael Stuhlbarg was my favorite as Griffin. First time seeing him, so it was a great introduction. Bill Hader as Andy Warhol was hilarious. I knew he was in it, but I assumed he would be an alien, so loved that Warhol was actually an agent who was undercover to keep an eye on the models (who are all aliens, heh), and his rise to fame was unexpected. Also loved the Will Arnett cameo. Jemaine Clement was a better bad guy then Lara Flynn Bole's in MIB 2, but not as good as Vincent O'Onofrio in MIB 1. I did think Emma Thompson was wasted as O, as was Alice Eve as younger O. Liked seeing character actor David Rasche as Agent X. Was amused after hearing that the Pussy Cat Doll woman (Nicole?) was in this, she gets killed off way in the beginning.

Liked that, unlike the second film, they didn't rely on the chain-smoking worm aliens or Frank the pug for all the laughs. Noticed that Frank was even in this film, although I did like spotting his picture in J's room and how he was on the billboard for the carnival freak back in the sixties. Was bummed they couldn't find way to have Tony Shaloub's alien show up for a scene.

So, I found it better then some of the critics did and overall, enjoyed it. That said, while it won the box office weekend, it still under-performed, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last one, but don't mind. But, please, Will. No more long breaks like this. Already worried that his next film is being directed by M. Night Shyamalan. I'm not even sure he can overcome that.

[Princess Aldrea]

Bill Hader as Andy Warhol was hilarious. I knew he was in it, but I assumed he would be an alien, so loved that Warhol was actually an agent who was undercover to keep an eye on the models (who are all aliens, heh), and his rise to fame was unexpected.

I loved him, too. His clear lack of effort with his ideas and desperation to be pulled out was wonderful. Though apparently he was stuck there for another eighteen years.

[RL1]

Is the Pitbull song played daily throughout the movie?

[Sandman]

The line (featured in the preview) "I got no problem pimp-slappin' the shizznit outta Andy Warhol" is in itself enough to make me love this movie.

[thuganomics85]

Is the Pitbull song played daily throughout the movie?

I only heard it twice: during the end credits and you hear it without lyrics playing on an elevator, when J is back in time. I have to say that while I knew it was probably very unlikely to get Will himself to do another song, I was disappointed anyway. Not a fan of Pitbull, especially since he's apparently everywhere now.

I noticed they cut a scene; in the very trailer, we see modern J and K approaching a graffiti artist painting a wall and then the "twist" is that one of the graffiti on the wall is the alien instead of the artist. I wonder what that was all about?

[Princess Aldrea]

I noticed they cut a scene; in the very trailer, we see modern J and K approaching a graffiti artist painting a wall and then the "twist" is that one of the graffiti on the wall is the alien instead of the artist. I wonder what that was all about?

I think it was probably just meant to show them doing their typical MiB job.

[Redtracer]

I only heard it twice: during the end credits and you hear it without lyrics playing on an elevator, when J is back in time.

And technically, the song only appears once, since the song in the elevator is "Love is Strange," the original Mickey & Sylvia song that Pitbull samples.

[RL1]

I know, but I still don't like Pitbull. He is just everywhere lately. He is like the new wannabe Timberland of music now. **shudders**

[Redtracer]

I don't think anyone was trying to talk you into liking him. We were just answering your original question.

[RL1]

I know.

[Rockstar99435]

Bill Hader as Andy Warhol was hilarious. I knew he was in it, but I assumed he would be an alien, so loved that Warhol was actually an agent who was undercover to keep an eye on the models (who are all aliens, heh), and his rise to fame was unexpected.

I loved him, too. His clear lack of effort with his ideas and desperation to be pulled out was wonderful. Though apparently he was stuck there for another eighteen years.

"I'm photographing him eating a hamburger. It's transendent." The Andy Warhol stuff cracked me up.

[lacey81]

I really liked this. It was just enjoyable from start to finish. Love J drinking the little girl's chocolate milk. "He didn't say please." Just a fun movie that wasn't overly long and managed to have some action, humor and heart.

[Sakura12]

I liked this movie too, it was enjoyable which sometimes is enough.

I really liked this. It was just enjoyable from start to finish. Love J drinking the little girl's chocolate milk. "He didn't say please." Just a fun movie that wasn't overly long and managed to have some action, humor and heart.

I like that part too and I think when Agent J was drinking her milk the girl asked her mother why the President stole her milk.

Edited by Sakura12, Jun 7, 2012 @ 3:16 PM.

[irishmaple]

I saw this last night in IMAX 3D, which was my movie buddy's choice, but I really enjoyed it. The effects were well done, making it worth the extra $. I don't do well with heights so the fall from the Chrysler Building was impressive, though the quick glimpse of the suicidal businessman from 1929 was a bit jarring amid the comedy. Does Will Smith not age? He still looks like he did back in the original Men in Black! Josh Brolin was absolutely brilliant as the younger K, especially with the voice; he had the Tommy Lee Jones deadpan down to an art.

There was an extended preview for the Spider Man reboot before the show and, while I was already interested in seeing it, now I'm definitely seeing it in 3D.