Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Men in Black 3 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Decent but somewhat disappointing converted 3D doesn't dampen an otherwise entertaining film.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 21, 2012

The truth is the only path.

First time unique, second time a dud, third time a charm. Men in Black III is a strong compliment to the series, gives further shape to its characters, approaches the first film in overall quality, and vaults past the second film by plot leaps and humor bounds. However, it isn't so much a humorous conspiracy movie like its peers; it's rather a more straightforward Sci-Fi Action/Comedy that retains the series' hallmark aliens, visual style, and sleekness. MiB 3 recovers the franchise and returns it to prominence with a ridiculously fun ride that might be a touch dramatically shallow (at least until a superb ending) but that does highly entertain from beginning to end. Good new characters, great casting, strong visual effects, and a fast-paced plot that allows the slick and sleek and cool factors to be substantially elevated all help shape Men in Black 3 into a classic summer fan-pleasing blockbuster sequel.

Four greens against a Blu-ray?

Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), a one-armed Boglodite and the last of his kind, has escaped his off-world prison with a single goal in mind: murder the man who took his arm and took so many years of his life. But he's not just out for revenge in the here-and-now; he plans to travel backwards in time to Agent K's (Tommy Lee Jones) younger (Josh Brolin) days and kill the man who would take his arm before the deed can be done, essentially rewriting decades of history and drastically altering countless lives, amongst them that of Agent J (Will Smith). When the timeline is altered, J finds himself shaken and craving chocolate milk but fully aware of his past life and relationship with K. However, he discovers the timeline skewered for everyone else, including new MiB head honcho Agent O (Emma Thompson). The biggest change in the timeline? The Boglodite's are hardly extinct anymore. In fact, they've invaded earth. Now, Agent J must make a literal leap of faith and travel back in time if he is restore the timeline, save K, and prevent Earth's destruction.

Though it may lack the deep conspiratorial tones of its namesake, Men in Black 3 does prove to be a wild success of crowd-pleasing mass entertainment. It's playful and fun, not at all unique but certainly a Men in Black picture at its core, a well-made and worthwhile summer flick with a few surprises up its sleeve. It's cool and sleek and slimy, a bit gross at times but then again a few squishy, ooey-gooey visuals to make the squeamish wriggle around in their seats is an understood and necessary part of the series equation. The movie builds its success on characterization -- more on that in a moment -- mixed with big action, energetic humor, and a trademark visual style that defines zany and redefines cool. The late 1960s make for a perfect escape for the series, a time when forward-future slick and cool was all the rage. The lines and styles match the "current" MiB high polish sleek weapons and gadgets and gizmos perfectly, and while the era recreation feels spot-on, the similarities allow for a mixture of "then" and "now" that bridges both time spans and makes the transition a bit more comfortable for the characters and audiences both. The film does lose a bit of steam in some of its bigger action scenes which are structurally fine but hardly groundbreaking. There are a few nifty tricks to be enjoyed -- one in particular during the final showdown works very well -- but ultimately it's more of the same run and gun and fun stuff viewers have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of times before.

On the other hand, the characters are fantastic. They're the series' most critical asset and the film uses them wonderfully, retaining all the core charm and quirks and characteristics but diving a whole lot further into who they really are, where they come from, and what drives them, all culminating in a beautiful character moment near film's end that completely redefines the J-K relationship. Smith and Jones are again stellar, falling easily into character after a decade's absence and not even looking much different all spiffy in the trademark black suits and cool attitudes. Smith and Jones share the screen superbly. Generational and methodological differences don't make them a new odd couple but rather a chemistry-laden duo that feed off of one another's strengths and styles and, really, set the stage for 3's plot that sees Smith team up with a younger version of Jones played by Josh Brolin. Brolin's is an unequivocally uncanny performance, perfectly capturing the inflection, style, and even look of Jones' character. It's as good as Ewan McGregor's absolute embodiment of Alec Guiness in the prequel Star Wars films. Brolin's role in Men in Black 3 may not be as high a profile and it may not garner any sort of award recognition (though it should), but he's perfectly cast and it would be a shame not to see him worked into whatever Men in Black sequel(s) are to come.

Men in Black 3 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Men in Black 3's converted 3D transfer isn't the worst to ever find its way to Blu-ray, but neither is it in any way a reference-grade 3D image. There's a fairly good sense of general depth to most scenes. Long corridors feel lengthy, falls from skyscrapers give the illusion of rapidly-shrinking distance between the viewer and the ground, wide-open spaces feel wide-open, and even those more confined shots -- back-and-forth dialogue between J and K in a vehicle, for instance -- offer noticeable spacing between the men, bodies and the back of the car seat, and so on. There are even a few nice visual effects that play with added spatial dazzle. A brief laser show in chapter two dances with accurate depth in and out of the screen, holographic MiB displays take on a very real and obvious shape, and Boris' organic "darts" seem to pass beyond the boundaries of the screen and into the living room, threatening to pierce viewers' eyes. Beyond that, there's not much here. Many scenes don't look appreciably more extra-dimensional here than they do in the standalone 2D release. The review equipment did display a few crosstalk issues, doubling the edges of the title cards, shadowing a shoulder here and there, or making a collar appear quasi-transparent.

In other news, the 2D attributes hold up well, but the movie doesn't look quite as good here as it does in the 2D version. Comparisons reveal an immediate drop-off in vibrancy and brightness from the beginning prison break sequence. It's one of the darker stretches in the movie and it looks even darker in 3D, not to mention a bit muddled and bland. Colors never really pop under any darker backdrops, but they do look quite nice in bright locales or daytime stretches, such as the nearly blindingly white MiB offices or the Coney Island sequence. Details remain firm throughout; visual complexities aren't really lost in 3D, though the image doesn't always seem quite as dynamic, sturdy, and real as it does in 2D. Blacks are a little overpowering on occasion, and faces sometimes look slightly pasty. All in all, it's a good conversion job on both ends of the equation -- the 3D elements are fine but not breathtaking, and the details and color drop-off isn't too significant -- but not quite up there with the best of the bunch.

Men in Black 3 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Men in Black 3 tears into Blu-ray with an aggressive and enveloping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. From the outset, listeners will enjoy a full, seamless presence. Music flows from every corner with a natural balance and authenticity; surround use doesn't feel forced in the slightest, and in fact the added immersion creates quite a soothing and natural sonic environment that sets the stage for the film's more aggressive action elements. Bass proves potent and invigorating, offering firm and heavy rumbles that never stray into unkempt reverberations. An alien attack sequence in chapter six offer a fine example of the track's exemplary low end. Laser blasts, or whatever it is the MiB/alien weapons fire, play with an impressive Sci-Fi sonic signature that's both high pitched and deep at once, a pulsating electric-like sound that not only fires with superb clarity but zings and zooms all over the stage with strikingly natural presence. The big finale offers a barrage of intense, expertly placed, and robustly clear sound effects that place the listener in the middle of the action. On the other end of the spectrum, light ambient effects are faultless. Whether 2012 city din or the light clanking of typewriter keystrokes in the 1969 MiB offices, listeners will delight in the track's natural immersion capabilities. The track is rounded into fine fashion by faultless, center-focused dialogue reproduction. All told, this is a stunning soundtrack, just the sort of thing a major summer blockbuster of recent origins needs.

Men in Black 3 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Men in Black 3's 3D Blu-ray release contains all of the extras from the standalone 2D disc as well as a trio of brief 3D exclusives. Below is breakdown of what's included on each of this set's two Blu-ray discs. The set also contains a DVD copy and a voucher for an UltraViolet download.

Blu-ray 3D Disc:

• The Case of Boris the Animal: The 3D Models of MIB 3 (HD, 3D): A supplement in which users interact with a 3D display and may learn more about the Particle Randomizer, the Class 2 Jet Pack, the Archanan Time Jumper, Boris' Motorcycle, and the Monocycles.
• Converting to 3D (HD, 3D, 1:31): Visual Effects Supervisor Corey Turner walks viewers through the conversion process for several shots.
• Previews (HD, 3D): The Amazing Spider-Man.

Blu-ray 2D Disc:

• Spot the Alien Game (HD): From the disc: "How good are you at spotting an alien? Step into the practice range an take out the alien scum. Hitting alien targets scores points and earns medals -- just make sure you don't hit any fellow agents or friends. Using your remote control, move the targeting icon left and right and select enter to fire your weapon. Select the pop-up button on your remote to exit at any time." Basically, it's a crude and clumsy first-person shooter that will entertain players for about twenty seconds before it grows old. Pop in Call of Duty instead for an FPS fix.
• Partners in Time: The Making of MIB 3 (HD, 26:24): This fast-paced behind-the-scenes supplement features cast and crew talking up pretty much every part of the movie experience, including performances; plot; the series' core character story; stunt work; the film's time travel elements; Josh Brolin's work and place in the film, Jemaine Clement's, Emma Thompson's and Michael Stuhlbarg's characters and work; shooting in New York; visual effects, production design, props, and sets; alien creature design; Barry Sonnenfeld's style, vision, and direction; making the film's big finale; and the drama that shapes the film's end.
• The Evolution of Cool: MIB 1960's vs. Today (HD, 11:14): A fun glimpse into both updating Men in Black for 2012 as well as designing the headquarters, props, and costumes for 1969.
• Keeping it Surreal: The Visual FX of MIB 3 (HD, 10:26): A closer look at the film's special effects and creature design, including discussions of seamless integration and a look at various scenes in several stages of digital progress.
• Scene Investigations (HD, 17:25): Cast and crew offer a detailed look into the making of several crucial scenes, including Lunar Prison Escape, Showdown at Mr. Wu's, J's Time Jump, and The Motorcycle Chase.
• Progression Reels (HD, 17:37): Animation Supervisor Spencer Cook and VFX Supervisors Ken Ralston and Jay Redd offer voiceover commentary discussing design and digital effects as they relate to the following elements and scenes: 'MIB 3' Trailer, Creating the Weasel, Alien Fish, Agent J Prepares to Time Jump, Motorcycle Chase, and Creating Cape Canaveral.
• Gag Reel (HD, 3:54).
• Music Video (HD, 3:34): "Back in Time" by Pitbull.
• Previews: Additional Sony titles

Men in Black 3 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Men in Black 3 is a fundamentally fun big-budget diversion that retains the spirit of its predecessors while going in a somewhat different direction via a drastic alteration of time. It boasts the usual assortment of Men in Black goodies, including cool characters, interesting aliens, sleek technology, high-powered action, and big time special effects. That basic Men in Black essence carries it through to a satisfying dramatic conclusion, and the film certainly redeems the series and returns it to prominence after a decade of bad taste left after Men in Black II. Best of all, however, is Josh Brolin's amazing performance as a young Agent K; here's hoping the filmmakers find a way to incorporate him into future installments. Sony's Blu-ray 3D release of Men in Black 3 features serviceable 3D visuals, awesome audio, and a good assortment of extras, including by a couple of brief but appreciated 3D-only features. The 2D version is the better (and cheaper) bet, but most 3D audiences shouldn't be overly disappointed with this one.