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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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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Heading into Captain America, one question was at the forefront of my mind: could director Joe Johnston recapture the tone of his 1991 cult classic The Rocketeer and translate that into a superhero movie for today’s audience? Thankfully, the answer is yes. This movie probably isn’t going to be any Marvel fanboy’s favorite, but it has enough action and humor to make it one of the fledgling studio’s better efforts of the past couple years.

The newest in Marvel’s ambitious multi-film build-up to The Avengers, Captain America shows yet another side to the studio’s versatile approach to creating one consistent universe; while Thor delved into an entirely different world, Captain America takes place in a different time, making it Marvel’s first true period piece. Johnston, a protégé of Steven Spielberg and a former Acadby Award-winning effects artist (responsible for designing Boba Fett’s armor and the AT-AT units in Star Wars, among many other things), really starts to relish the look and feel of the 1940s in this movie. In a recent interview, Johnston revealed that he had two offices during the making of the film and one of thb was in the art department so he could supervise the design and creation of the world; clearly, that aspect of production remains close to his heart. His team pulled off a really cool look here, a stylized vibe that reminds me more of a propaganda poster than what that actual time truly looked like.

After an interesting casting battle that featured “The Office” star John Krasinski and TRON: Legacy‘s Garret Hedlund, actor Chris Evans – who notably already played a superhero in Marvel’s Fantastic Four series – accepted the role and did an admirable job with a pretty decent script. Once the scrawny Steve Rogers (a great bit of CGI trickery) becomes the jacked Captain America, the audience’s ability to relate to the character dissolves a bit. It’s tough to pull for a guy who’s seemingly invincible; even Superman has Kryptonite, but there’s never any real danger for Cap. He and his boys go around the world kicking ass, and it’s cool and everything, but I wish there would have been a little more importance attached to his missions.

Hugo Weaving as the villainous Red Skull was inspired casting, but he’s essentially wasted on a character that never shows the true evil of which he’s surely capable. He’s gotta have that Darth Vader moment where he completely destroys something on a massive scale for the audience to really fear him, but unfortunately the character is never allowed that moment. The makeup is great, and Weaving was solid, but the character himself didn’t really do much.

One of the reasons I liked Thor was because of how well the writers integrated the S.H.I.E.L.D./Avengers setup stuff, making it organic to the story instead of forcing it in (like Iron Man 2). Since Captain America is a period piece, it’s a little easier for them to deal with; the story revolves around the cosmic cube (referenced in Thor and surely an important part of the upcoming Avengers), and they incorporate Howard Stark’s involvement into the story, filling out that character and allowing for some fun moments for Dominic Cooper to chew some scenery as, essentially, an older version of Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony. The rest of the supporting cast is serviceable, too. Names like Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci rarely disappoint, and more minor players like Neal McDonough (fantastic in “Band of Brothers”) and Sebastian Stan (entertaining in Hot Tub Time Machine, totally forgettable in the otherwise-brilliant Black Swan) also did some good work. (Though their parts are woefully underwritten.) Hayley Atwell (Cassandra’s Dream) takes center stage as Cap’s love interest, Agent Peggy Carter. Her character isn’t given much to do, but Atwell brings enough moxie to the part that I’m interested in seeing her again soon.

Like most of the other Marvel films, this one begins in media res and returns to the present time by the end. Aside from not detailing how exactly Cap is able to “sleep for almost 70 years” – and honestly, it doesn’t matter – I thought all of the storylines were nicely wrapped up and, without trying too hard, Captain America ended up being a pretty fun stepping stone towards next summer’s ultimate team-up flick. Until next time…

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ComingSoon got their hands on the new international poster for Captain America: The First Avenger which features Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Neal McDonough, and JJ Feild as their respective characters.

Check out the full poster below:

Captain America: The First Avenger will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers (Evans) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Stan) and Peggy Carter (Atwell) to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Weaving).

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Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field are already set to star in Steven Spielberg’s Abraham Lincoln film as the 16th President of the United States and his wife, and now the director has cast his supporting roles.

According to the press release sent out by DreamWorks Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill and Joseph Cross are in negotiations to join the cast.

Tommy Lee Jones will play Thaddeus Stevens, a Republican leader and powerful congressman from Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stevens was a staunch supporter of abolishing slavery and was critical to writing the legislation that funded the American Civil War.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known for his roles in Inception, (500) Days of Summer, and next year’s The Dark Knight Rises, will take on the role of Robert Todd Lincoln, eldest son of President Lincoln and the only one to live past his teenage years.

Also in negotiations to join the film are David Costabile, Byron Jennings, Dakin Matthews, Boris McGiver, Gloria Reuben, Jeremy Strong, and David Warshofsky.

The screenplay for the film, currently titled Lincoln, is based on the 2005 book Team of Rivals, written by Doris Kearns Goodwin, and was penned by writer Tony Kushner, who previously worked with Spielberg on Munich. The film will focus on the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition and the end of the Civil War. Shooting will begin later this year for release in the fourth quarter of 2012.

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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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Earlier today we heard that the second half of filming on Men in Black 3 would now begin in March, as opposed to later this month like originally planned. There seems to be issues with the script which need to be ironed out, but it’s not all bad news as British actress Alice Eve will be joining the cast when filming eventually resumes.

From Deadline:

Alice Eve will play the younger version of Men in Black Agency head Emma Thompson in the time travel storyline. The British actress plays Olivia, hired as secretary for the Agency in 1969. While it appears she was given the job because of her looks, Olivia is actually whip smart. Sure enough, in the contemporary storyline, Thompson runs the place.

The filming in March will mainly 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. Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can and Rush Hour 2) is currently re-writing the script.

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.

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Last November it was announced that filming on Men in Black 3 would be split into two parts. After shooting in New York for three months (to take advantage of New York State tax incentives) there would be a two months break, and filming would resume in mid-February. However it appears script issues have caused filming to be delayed until March.

From 24 Frames:

After a hiatus of nearly two months, “Men in Black III,” the third installment in the sci-fi/comedy franchise, was to resume production this week in New York. But studio Sony and the film’s producers have pushed back the production date again. Shooting is now delayed to March 28 owing to ongoing script issues, according to a person close to the 3-D production who was not authorized to speak about it publicly.

During the downtime screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can and Rush Hour 2) was brought in to rewrite the script, specifically 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. The decision to film in the spring was made as it would allow parts of the movie set in the summer to shoot in a more temperate climate.

Men in Black 3 won’t be released until May 2012 so this filming hiatus won’t have much of an impact. In the movie British actress Emma Thompson will play Agent Oh, agent of the MIB in present day and a secretary in the 1960s, and Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords will play the villain, although his motives have not yet been revealed.

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Here is our first official look at footage from Captain America: The First Avenger, and it’s quite good. We see the big transformation from skinny weakling to Captain America, get our first look at Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, and are treated to some nice action shots.

Watch below:

Some of the first images released looked quite cheesy, but it’s good to know the cheese has been reduced in this TV spot. A sign of good things to come.

Horrified by the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers is inspired to enlist in the army. However, because of his frailty and sickness, he is rejected. Overhearing the boy’s earnest plea, General Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) offers Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment…Operation: Rebirth. After weeks of tests, Rogers is at last administered the Super-Solider Serum and bombarded by ‘vita-rays.’ Steve Rogers emerges from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human. Rogers is then put through an intensive physical and tactical training program and, three months later, is given his first assignment as Captain America.

Captain America: The First Avenger will be released July 22nd and stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Samuel L. Jackson as Nicky Fury and Tommy Lee Jones as General Chester Phillips.

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