While the population is not crying out loudly for another Men in Black movie, number three in the franchise is inventive and a lot of fun.

It’s been 15 years since the popular and entertaining original and even 10 years since the not so popular or entertaining sequel. And this trequel has its moments.

Tommy Lee Jones is looking old as Agent K, but luckily he is not there that much as the plot involves Will Smith (Agent J) travelling back in time to 1969 to save his future partner from being killed by an especially nasty alien named Boris the Animal. This is where the film is especially good as Josh Brolin does a great job playing a young Jones and shows once again (No Country for Old Men and W.) he is an actor worth going out of your way to watch.

For those unfamiliar with the series, the Men in Black are government agents that protect the world from aliens, of which there are a surprising number. The film is very creative in coming up with these often grotesque visitors from other worlds and they are better looking than ever thanks to the huge advances in computer generated special effects.

It lacks the originality and creative joy of the first film, but there’s a touching finale that sheds new light on the relationship between Jones and Smith. All in all, not a bad summer popcorn movie.

Rating: three deer out of five

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Alf Cryderman is a Red Deer freelance writer and old movie buff