Here come the Men (and Women) In Black, ready to defend the galaxy from the scum of the universe yet again. It's time to suit up for action once again, as Men In Black International arrives this weekend to cash in on a storied franchise and its continuing adventures. Which means, it’s also time to answer the greatest question in the search for the truth of the universe: to 3D, or not to 3D?
If you’re curious as to how Men In Black International stacks up as a film, you’ll have to make your way to our official review to find that out. However, if you’re ready to slip on the glasses, and let your eyes be treated to the potential thrills of a 3D conversion, we’re ready to help you find out whether this trip is worth the 3D money, or if you’d be better off saving up for your own series 7 De-Atomizer.
3D Fit Score: 5/5
The Men In Black series has always had a tendency to create images that highlight out of this world activity in the most interesting ways. Considering the action in films like Men In Black International has always lent itself to a sort of an exaggerated reality, the 3D treatment has felt at home with the series since it was first used in 2012’s Men In Black 3. So having director F. Gary Gray’s entry into the series come at the audience with potential 3D thrills is something that sits well with franchise history, as well as modern business practices.
Planning & Effort Score: 4/5
The level of 3D conversion on Men In Black International is quite impressive, both in terms of 3D presentations on the whole, and especially considering this year’s efforts in the medium at large. This is a crisp, clear presentation that doesn’t strain the eyes at all, and doesn’t forget to throw in some 3D thrills into its options package. Even something as simple as the point of view of Kumail Nanjiani’s Pawny looking at Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson’s characters manages to get augmented into a visual gag. The only real flaw present in Men In Black International’s 3D viewing were a couple of shots that had a sort of weird, clear smudging around some characters in frame during the portion of the film set in Greece. They’re only noticeable if you’re looking at the images hard enough.
Before the Window Score: 5/5
Most films use the Before The Window factor to throw objects out of the screen, point guns out into the audience, and have cool shots of spacecraft flying straight at the camera. Men In Black International does indeed have all of those things, and it does them well. However, the most impressive part about the film’s 3D presentation is the fact that there’s some seriously awesome moments of perspective enhancing visuals that come at the audience. Again, when Pawny is looking at Agent H and Agent M, you get the sense of the scale in that scene, as their faces stick out a little more and everything looks a little bigger. Even something as simple as Agent H sitting in a job interview makes sure to protrude the arms of her character out to the audience, as if you’re sitting right in front of her.
Beyond the Window Score: 5/5
Depth for days. That’s basically what Men In Black International has to give the audience when showcasing all of the exotic locales that the film takes place in. Street markets have that extra sense of endless depth, and a sequence involving a wormhole between dimensions is quite breathtaking when you stare into the frame and see just how deep everything seems to go. Even something as simple as opening a window, or watching characters move through a scene adds an edge to the scenes at hand.
Brightness Score: 5/5
Most of the time in our To 3D Or Not To 3D feature, you’ll hear us banging on about how the brightness wasn’t up to snuff. Even with the best of 3D intentions, the image on the screen gets washed out once you put on those famous glasses. But with Men In Black International, there’s a degree of stunning clarity that persists through that very stumbling block. Now mileage will vary, depending on how well your theater in question maintains their projection rigs, so make sure you go with someone you trust. That said, as far as the presentation of Men In Black International observed for this feature goes, it’s really damned solid.
Glasses Off Score: 5/5
In the 3D universe, blur is the thing that binds the overall product on a conversion job. Taking off your glasses during a 3D movie like Men In Black International allows you to see just how blurry the picture gets. So when you see something as blurry as the picture for this film looks without those glasses, you’re usually in for a treat. There’s a strong blur factor throughout the image, with the standard 2D anchor points that help keep the image grounded. But those two-dimensional elements aren’t distracting in the overall 3D scheme of things, especially when there’s so much of the Men In Black universe that depends on clever background gags and set dressing.
Audience Health Score: 5/5
When 3D sucks, a lot of things can happen that affect your situational health. Your eyes become tired or confused, and in some cases, you might feel queasy from the action being shown. Absolutely none of this is true with Men In Black International, as this happens to be one of the easiest experiences to enjoy in the realm of third dimensional thrills. When walking out of the theater, you won’t feel tired or strained when you take those glasses off, and that’s pretty spectacular when coming out of a modern 3D experience.
While the film may not be gaining a lot of friends in the critical community, from a 3D standpoint it’s pretty obvious that Men In Black International is best enjoyed with the added bells and whistles. A prime example of the sort of fun the right 3D conversion can add to the film, it’s without question an experience that audiences should try and take when they have the opportunity. If you’re going to see this film anyway, make sure you don’t forget to add the 3D fun to your ticket.
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