Movie review: Men in Black III (+trailer)

Bringing together a combination of sci-fi, action and comedy, and hoping it works well at the box office, can't be easy.

The Men in Black franchise has worked well twice before, particularly the original in 1997.

It has been 10 years since the somewhat disappointing sequel, but the gap has allowed sufficient time for new life to be injected into the series.

Most sci-fi seems to aim to scare you out of your seat - not this one.

Although the creatures that wander across the screen are certainly in the weird, wonderful and creative category, they seem harmless enough.

That is the case in Men in Black III, with the exception of our own "Conchord", Jemaine Clement, who plays the decidedly nasty Boris the Animal.

Boris is the archvillain who Agents K (Tommy Lee Jones) and J (Will Smith) have to defeat to keep the world safe.

Boris has escaped from the highest-security jail on the moon, and returns to Earth with one mission - exacting his revenge on Agent K for shooting off his arm.

To achieve his aim, Boris must go back in time to 1969, when Agent K injured and captured him while trying to protect the Earth. Agent J knows he must also go back in time to prevent Boris achieving his aim - the future of the planet depends on it.

Back in 1969, Agent J must convince a young K (now played by Josh Brolin) that they must stop Boris from changing the course of history.

While trying to track down Boris, the agents cross paths with an interesting ensemble of creatures with evil intentions.

Men in Black III is good fun. There is a plausible storyline, some fascinating characters, wonderful humour and special effects that leave you gasping at their authenticity and violence.

Men in Black III

(M), 120 minutes

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars