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AARON HEDGES

Contributing Columnist

“Men in Black 3” came out last weekend and, while there were not many asking for it, it was a pretty solid film. The first film in the franchise came out in 1997 and was received well both commercially and critically. The first sequel was met with much less enthusiasm leading many to believe there would never be a third. Nonetheless, 10 years after the first sequel, the third, most unexpected and perhaps best installment of the franchise was released in theaters.

“Men in Black 3” follows the story of how Agent J (Will Smith) travels back in time to MIB’s early years in the 1960s to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and changing history in dangerous and significant ways. This deadly alien assassin, who is called Boris the Animal, is perhaps the greatest threat the MIB has faced. However, this is actually not the main story of the film which is why it works so well.

The true story of “Men in Black 3” is more of an origin story telling us how Agents J and K first met. Without giving anything away, the truth behind their relationship leads you on quite the emotional journey. Suffice it to say, the writers did a remarkable job bringing out a lot of depth in Agent K’s character in particular. While his character in the first two films had been fairly stoic, in this third film he ends up being the most relatable and appreciated character. The success of both this film and the character of Agent K is due entirely to the acting performances of Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin.

So, if you haven’t seen either of the first two movies and are thinking about seeing this one, make sure you see the first film. You can afford to skip the second. While “Men in Black 3” may have not been on many people’s summer movie radar, it was definitely on mine. After seeing the film, I feel reassured in that decision. Will Smith had been claiming that this was a great last act for the franchise and I wholeheartedly agree! Not only was it a heartwarming story, but the special effects and action sequences were top notch. If you enjoy science fiction along with a bit of comedy and good character building, “Men in Black 3” would be a great choice for you.

Rating: 7.5/10

Aaron Hedges is the Pastor of Student Ministries at Temple Baptist Church. You can contact him at aaronhedges@roadrunner.com , by visiting www.templetime.org or by following him @fieryshrub.