Throwback Thursday: Men in Black 3 (2012)

The final film in a movie trilogy is sometimes the hardest one to complete. The legacy of the entire narrative can be dependent on how the closing tale is presented.

Men in Black 3 (2012) is the third film in the Men in Black trinity. Following the events of Men in Black (1997) and Men in Black II (2002), Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) has retired. He has no idea that an alien he put away years ago, Boris the Animal (Jermaine Clement), has broken out of prison and wants revenge. His plan is to go back to 1969 and assassinate Agent K.

After realizing that this has altered the timeline completely, Agent J (Will Smith) has to back in time. His job is to save the young Agent K (Josh Brolin). But he has only 24 hours to do so. But before he can save K, K has to trust him. Assisted by Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg), J knows what is on the line if he fails. What he does not know is the secret that K has kept from him.

While it is not Return of the Jedi, Men in Black 3 is the perfect ending within the entirety of the overall story. It has all of the qualities that made Men in Black what it is (despite the failure that is Men in Black II) and gives the characters the ending they deserve.

My only complaint is the usual one. The only females are Agent O (Emma Thompson), Young Agent O (Alice Eve), and Boris’s Girlfriend (Nicole Scherzinger).

Do I recommend it? I am leaning toward yes.

Throwback Thursday: Rio 2 (2014)

When we settle down (if we settle down), we hope that we will at least, get along with our partner/spouse’s family. That is not always the case.

Rio 2 (2014) is the sequel to Rio (2011). Jewel (Anne Hathaway) and Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) have happily settled into marriage and parenthood. Wanting to see her father Eduardo (Andy Garcia), Jewel, Blu and the kids fly to the Amazon. While dealing with his less-than-understanding father-in-law, Jewel’s childhood pal Roberto (Bruno Mars), Blu also has to face a vengeful Nigel (Jermaine Clement).

Assisting Nigel is Gabi (Kristin Chenoweth), a tree frog who is happy to come along for the ride. As this is going on, Linda (Leslie Mann) and Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) are fighting loggers who are destroying the forest.

Unlike other sequels, I like this movie. I liked the additional family dynamic, the message about climate change, and the Meet the Parents esque narrative.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Throwback Thursday: Rio (2011)

The only way to expand our world is to step out of what we feel is comfortable. That being said, not everyone does this willingly. Some have to be pushed.

The Disney/Pixar film, Rio was released in 2011. Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) is a male macaw that was taken from his native Brazil as a young bird. Found in Minnesota by Linda (Leslie Mann), he is raised as a happily domesticated animal. Fifteen years later, Linda is the owner of a bookstore when Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) enters their lives.

He is an ornithologist who wants Linda and Blu to come to Rio de Janeiro with him. Blu is the last male of his species. Tulio has a female, Jewel (Anne Hathaway) whom he wants Blu to reproduce with. Independent Jewel is not exactly thrilled with Blu.

After they are kidnapped by smugglers and held hostage by Nigel (Jermaine Clement), the smuggler’s cockatoo, Blu and Jewel are chained together. After their new friends help them remove the chain, they must find a way to escape their captors for good and return to their humans. The challenge is doing all of this with the chaos and magic of Carnival.

I liked this film. The dynamic between Jewel and Blu is nice. I very much appreciate that Jewel is more concerned with being free than settling down. The last thing she wants or needs is to be saddled with the non-flying Blu.

I also liked the subtle message about respecting the Earth and her non-human creations.

My only issue is that Linda is tiny and ends up with Tulio. The romance between the birds is organic, and the actors have natural chemistry. I just question the necessity of the B storyline.

Do I recommend it? I am leaning toward yes.