When the first Men in Black movie came out in 1997, my dad and I built a homemade neuralizer for me to play with. We took a piece of hollow silver pipe, drilled a hole in one end near the top, secured a red light in it, then ran wires down the middle of the shaft to a button on the back. It didn’t actually wipe anyone’s memory, of course, but I didn’t care – I had my very own neuralizer, and it was awesome. I loved the first Men in Black movie. I had Will Smith’s theme song memorized (who am I kidding? I still do), and I was excited about the sequel when it came out a few years later. But the mediocrity of Men in Black 2 turned my devotion to the series into total apathy, and I haven’t bothered revisiting those movies since then. A lot of people my age had similar reactions.

Now it’s 15 years after the original and 10 years after the second movie, and director Barry Sonnenfeld and stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back again for more alien action in Men in Black 3. Why? Because they can, I guess. There doesn’t really seem to be a great reason for this movie to exist, other than the genesis of it came from Will Smith and he’s powerful enough to make it happen. No one was clamoring for a sequel, especially after a pretty questionable second attempt. Against all odds, Men in Black 3 is not a terrible movie. But it feels like a movie that knows it barely has any reason to exist, cribbing a Back to the Future time travel story and providing just enough of a narrative to keep us interested.

The film starts with Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement from “Flight of the Conchords”) breaking out of a high security prison. He’s got a chip on his shoulder, but not much beneath that – Agent K (Jones) shot his arm off 40 years prior and sent him to the maximum security facility, and Boris is out for revenge. He finds out a way to travel back in time and kills K, which is quite the shock to Agent J (Smith), who wanders into MIB headquarters the next day looking for his partner…but everyone tells him he died in 1969. Turns out K also installed a huge force field over Earth in 1969, but since he was killed by Boris, Boris’ race comes crashing down to Earth, destroying civilization. So in a Back to the Future-inspired plot device, J has to travel back one day further in 1969 so he can kill Boris before he kills Agent K. Once there, he accidentally meets up with the younger Agent K (Brolin) and eventually teams up with him in order to save the world.

If that sounds confusing, I assure you the film does a far better job of explaining it than I did. In fact, the time elements are so by-the-numbers that the movie feels like Time Travel for Dummies. Time travel movie junkies (myself included) love the complicated nature of crossing timelines and cause-and-effect paradoxes that often come up in these stories; here, everything is pretty easy and goes pretty much according to plan. There’s not a lot of time (heh) to spend thinking about the consequences of anyone’s actions, and even though the big reveal at the end (which I won’t give away) causes us to rethink what we know of the first two movies (specifically Agent K’s motivation in recruiting J), the movie doesn’t bother to address these points beyond surface level.

There’s also a guy named Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg), an alien who can see all possible events in all possible timelines simultaneously, that comes along to offer some exposition to the audience, but the film isn’t concerned with complicating things too much. It’s a simple, entertaining movie, and that’s about it. Sonnenfeld brings his familiar visual stamp, and the score is pretty much just the main instrumental theme played 400 times throughout the movie, so it all seems designed to make you go, “Oh yeah, I remember these movies!” There are some good setpieces and the 3D was surprisingly decent (but still ultimately unnecessary unless you love wasting money), and Smith is his usual wise-cracking self, back on screen after a five year absence.

But the real stars of this film aren’t Smith and Jones (the latter of which is only in the movie for about 20 minutes): Josh Brolin as a young K and Rick Baker’s makeup and creature effects are the main draws here. Brolin is really great, impersonating Tommy Lee Jones but also allowing us to see a side of this character we’ve never seen in an MiB movie before. He’s straight-faced but jovial, and we’re genuinely curious to find out what happens in this man’s life that turns him into the sourpuss we know from the other films. (Don’t worry, that question is answered.)

Baker’s work, on the other hand, is much more subtle. The seven time Oscar winner has designed over 100 new aliens for this movie, many of which only appear on screen for a few seconds, but he’s almost singlehandedly responsible for making the MiB Headquarters such an iconic location because of all the craziness going on in the background. His crowning achievement this go-around is Jemaine Clement’s Boris The Animal makeup, rendering the comedian almost unrecognizable. Unfortunately, all this makeup may have hindered Clement’s performance, as his Boris is completely devoid of everything I assumed they cast him for in the first place: wit, sarcasm, comic timing, etc.

There must be something in the air in Hollywood, because this is the second big-budget movie in two years to involve a story that takes place around the moon landing mission, the other being Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The back half of this movie, much of which takes place in Cape Canaveral, works pretty well from both story and character perspectives, especially considering that when filming began, the screenwriters had only finished the first act. (Word to the wise: this is not a good way to make movies, it just so happened that they got lucky this time.)

I’m still at a loss as to why the film exists, but I suppose it’s not a big leap when you realize a movie studio spent hundreds of millions of dollars to capitalize on nostalgia that no one really wanted in the first place. (Ahem, Battleship.) Men in Black 3 isn’t so bad that you’ll want to neuralize yourself, but you can borrow mine if you still want to try. Until next time…

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Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for The Gangster Squad which comes from Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer. The film is based on a series of articles written by Paul Lieberman which chronicle the LAPD’s fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

One of the main reasons to look forward to this film is the cast, which includes Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, Sean Penn, and Emma Stone.

Watch the trailer below:

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. “Gangster Squad” is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.

The Gangster Squad is set for an October/November release in the UK other European countries, but no specific date has been set for the US. It’s looking likely to be sometime later this year though.

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Sony Pictures has released the full length trailer for Men in Black 3, the newest installment of the popular comic-book-turned-movie franchise. This trailer definitely brings a necessary dose of plot and nostalgia, instead of just relying on the “Josh Brolin impersonating a young Tommy Lee Jones” Gag, and gives us everything we loved about the first two and then some.

In addition to Brolin, Men In Black 3 brings back the usual cast of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agents J and K, in addition to Emma Thompson as Agent Oh, who is head of MIB in the present day but will be seen as a secretary in 1969 (portrayed by Alice Eve), and Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords who will play the villain.

Check the trailer out below:

Agent J travels in time to MIB’s early years in the 1960s, to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history.

Of course we have the usual formula of an evil alien who must be stopped from destroying the world by Will Smith, but the trailer gives some teasing hints that there’s much more in store this time around. For starters, time travel is involved, giving us a new setting in the form of the 1960s, which is filled with the standard jokes of time travelling of the main characters interacting with famous icons. This is a smart move to change things up, keeping elements such as the plot and characters familiar, but with more mystery and intrigue to keep things fresh.

Honestly, the teaser trailer really didn’t get me interested at all, as it looked like just another mediocre sequel. Luckily the newest trailer promises the complete opposite, providing a deeper look at the mystery involving Jones’ Agent K, a more detailed look at the time travel and consequences (Agent J only has 24 hours or he’s stuck in the 1960s forever, oh no!), and still having that Men in Black brand of humor to move everything along. I have to say, Men in Black 3 has finally made its way to my must-watch list for the summer, but let’s hope the formula isn’t overdone and doesn’t fall flat like the second one did.

Men in Black 3 hits theatres in both 2D and 3D May 25th, 2012 in the U.S.

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Columbia has unveiled the first teaser trailer for Men in Black 3 which reunites Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent J and Agent K, members of a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth.

The trailer doesn’t show us anything we haven’t seen before, but it introduces us to the time-travelling storyline and we get a brief glimpse at Josh Brolin as the younger Agent K.

Watch below:

In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) 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 (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

The film is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld who was behind the first two movies, and also stars Emma Thompson as Agent Oh, who is head of MIB in the present day but will be seen as a secretary in 1969 (portrayed by Alice Eve), and Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords who will play the villain.

Men in Black 3 will be released May 25, 2012.

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According to Box Office Mojo, Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer’s mafia epic The Gangster Squad has found a release date for October 19, 2012. The film tells the real life story of notorious mobster Mickey Cohen and the LA police department looking to bring him down. Said Mobster will be played by Sean Penn and also stars Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, and Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) among others.

From the sound of it, this has complete Oscar potential written all over it and it seems like Warner Bros. agrees with that philosophy, considering the fall release that normally bears those big name award winners. After all, the fall, Warner Brothers, and gangster movie are just a few buzz words that shout back to The Departed which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture in 2007. With an all-star cast and intriguing storyline, The Gangster Squad seems like one to watch out for.

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According to Deadline Josh Brolin has signed on to lead the remake of the cult 2003 Korean revenge thriller Oldboy, which has Spike Lee directing.

In the original film the story followed a man who is kidnapped on his daughter’s birthday and held for 15 years in solitary confinement without explanation. He is eventually released and sets out on a path to take revenge on those who destroyed his life. Back in 2008 Steven Spielberg was considering directing Will Smith in the remake, but that never happened so Mandate Pictures bought the rights and got Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend) to write the script.

The aim is to begin production in March, so Brolin will likely fit it in after Gangster Squad with Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling, and before Jason Reitman’s Labor Day opposite Kate Winslet.

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According to Deadline Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar) will be joining Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Anthony Mackie in The Gangster Squad, a 1940s crime drama that will be directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland).

Penn will play Los Angeles mobster Mickey Cohen, with Gosling and Brolin set to play two cops assigned to bring him down when the gangster starts targeting innocent people. Ribisi will play Conway Keeler, a cop in the group who is a master of electronics and wires. The film is based on a series of articles written by Paul Lieberman which chronicle the LAPD’s fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

Ruben Fleischer has mainly been a director of comedies with his latest, 30 Minutes or Less, set for release in August. This will be his first attempt at a serious drama, and it’s looking promising thanks to the impressive cast he’s managed to pull together.

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Variety reports that Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) will be joining Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling in Gangster Squad, a 1940s crime drama that will be directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland).

Penn will play Los Angeles mobster Mickey Cohen, with Gosling and Brolin set to play two cops assigned to bring him down when the gangster starts targeting innocent people. The film is based on a series of articles written by Paul Lieberman which chronicle the LAPD’s fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

Mackie will play Rocky Washington, ex-cop and the first black lieutenant in the LAPD, who is ultimately recruited to work as part of the gangster squad. Since The Hurt Locker won gold at the Oscars last year both Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie have been in demand. Mackie, who was considered for The Bourne Legacy and Mission Impossible 4, will be seen next in Real Steel, and in 2012 we’ll see him in Man on a Ledge and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

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According to Deadline Warner Bros. is currently in negotiations with Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling to star in Gangster Squad, a 1940s crime drama that will be directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland).

If all goes well Penn will play Los Angeles mobster Mickey Cohen, with Gosling and Brolin in talks to play two cops assigned to bring him down when the gangster starts targeting innocent people. The film is based on a series of articles written by Paul Lieberman which chronicle the LAPD’s fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

All three actors have Oscar nominations or wins under their belt, so Gangster Squad could easily be a contender when the 2013 ceremony rolls round. So far director Ruben Fleischer has only been associated with comedy, so it’ll be interesting to see him try something darker. Warner Bros. aim to begin filming later this year so they’ll be hoping to wrap up these deals soon.

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After taking a 4 month break to iron out issues with the script cameras are rolling once again on Men in Black 3. The majority of shooting will focus on the time-travel section of the movie which sees Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones transported back to 1969 where they meet Josh Brolin, who plays a young version of Jones.

Originally I wasn’t convinced about Brolin playing a young Tommy Lee Jones, but these recently snapped images from the set show that it is actually pretty good casting. Someone give the casting director a raise! The images come from The Daily Mail, and you can see more by clicking here.

Men in Black 3 is still on track for a May 2012 release, and is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld who was behind the first two instalments. As well as Smith, Jones and Brolin the film also stars British actress Emma Thompson as Agent Oh, who is head of MIB in the present day but will be seen as a secretary in 1969 (portrayed by Alice Eve). Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords will play the villain.

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