The world has changed since 1997, more so since 2002. You might wonder why I pick those two years specifically. It’s because those were the years a previous Men In Black movie was released, the first in 1997 and the second in 2002 respectively. Since those two were released, superheroes are the major things in terms of summer blockbusters, alien invasion movies are a dime-a-dozen, and Will Smith has been absent from the big screen since the touching drama Seven Pounds was released. It’s a wonder this movie series still exists, especially since it consists of a fantastic, classic original, a dismal second movie and now the subject of this review: Men In Black 3 (marketing materials have shortened it to MIB3 for your pleasure). So how does it measure up?

In this chapter of the epic saga, Agent J (Will Smith) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) have worked through hundreds of cases and met thousands of aliens. However, a figure from K’s past called Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement) is bigger than all of them, threatening Earth’s existence. To stop Boris, J will have to time-travel back to 1969, find knowledge from a much younger Agent K (played perfectly by Josh Brolin), keep K from being killed, and save the planet. All in a day’s work for the MIB.

I’m a huge fan of the original Men In Black, but found the second to be derivative of the first in every way. The third one, thankfully, gets closer to the original in most ways, though the formula is a bit dated at this point. Humor has changed so much since the last Men In Black movie, with foul language, adult themes and more realistic situations being the basis for most successful comedies these days. Honestly, I’d say Men In Black II and Austin Powers 3 were the last movies to do these kind of “high-situation” comedies before being replaced by movies like Anchorman, The Hangover and 21 Jump Street. Obviously, MIB3 has many of moments of supposed humor that reek of mothballs more than hoots and hollers. This is especially true during the first half-hour, where it almost feels awkward watching the movie, as most of the laughs here felt forced and failing. If it wasn’t for the gangbusters action sequence that opens the flick, I probably would’ve given up.

And then, 30 minutes in, something magical happens. The time travel element enters…and the film gets better. It actually starts to fire on all cylinders the moment they go back to the 1960’s and the humor FINALLY shines (Will Smith kept cracking me up in these scenes, especially his excuse for knowing Agent K’s name). Josh Brolin is probably the main reason for it, not only giving a pitch perfect impersonation of Tommy Lee Jones, but also making the role his own. He brings all the personality and characteristics we know about the character and put them in the younger version . Come to think of it, it’s genuinely amazing how great the film is once you get past the first half hour, especially the new characters. Michael Stuhlberg is wonderful as the all-seeing alien Griffen, whose kindness and wisdom make him resemble a kind of Rain Man among aliens if you will. He brings some much needed pathos to the movie and brings ingenuity that even I was surprised by. The villain, Boris, is a piece of work and the best bad guy in this franchise. Played deliciously by Jemaine Clement (half of the European band Flight of The Conchords) and brought to life with fantastic makeup (kudos to Rick Baker for exceptional makeup on all the aliens) that makes the guy just seem creepy and dangerous, something missing with Men In Black II’s antagonist. Boris just oozes with cruelty and he’s definitely one of the films strongest points.

MIB3 isn’t perfect. That terrible opening is enough to make me reconsider my high grade. I miss Frank The Pug and the worm guys from the first two movies, some of the gags fall flat and there are plot holes that are bigger than any UFO could hope to be. Still, a surprisingly emotional finale, a fantastic bad guy and wonderful characters definitely make MIB3 a fun way to spend 2 hours. And seriously, any movie that gives Bill Hader the chance to play Andy Warhol is a good one in my book. It’s far from perfect, but Men In Black 3 is still a fun summer ride.