Men in Black 3 (3D)

Stars: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emma Thompson, David Rasche, Mike Colter, Bill Hader

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

A quite lively, family-friendly addition to the series in which special agents clad in black suits and shades root out aggressive aliens from around the world.

In this episode, Boris the Animal (Clement) breaks out of his lunar prison, determined to wreak vengeance upon Agent K (Jones), who took out his left arm. K disappears, leaving his partner J (Smith) to go back in time and attempt to prevent K's death by dispatching Boris.

You needn't understand much of the plot to enjoy this one for its frequent alien action, although there's rather a lot of dialogue in between. Alas, Smith and Jones aren't particularly stretched by their roles, and Thompson is pretty much wasted as their boss, as is Alice Eve, as a rather curvier version of Thompson's younger self back in the day.

Still, it's by and large a return to form for the popular Smith, Clement enjoys himself as the snarling, po-voiced Boris, and there's a fairly exciting, if derivative climax at Cape Canaveral as the US rocket to the Moon gets under way.

Junior school children and fans of the series should find themselves thoroughly well entertained and amused by turn, especially when a flailing Smith is nearly swallowed by a giant alien fish. The 3D, however, is scarcely noticeable.

David Quinlan

USA 2012. UK Distributor: Sony (Columbia). Colour by deluxe.
106 minutes. Not widescreen (3D). UK certificate: PG.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 22 May 2012