MEN IN BLACK 3 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2012)

It’s been a good 15 years since Agents J and K first made an impression on the big screen with their too cool to be true black suits and shades. Director Barry Sonnenfield is back with the third installment, and back with him is composer Danny Elfman’s wacky score which revisits the signature themes which, like Agants J and K, are too cool to be true.

Kicking off the 53 minute album is “Men in Black 3 – Main Titles”, a cue that wastes no time in reintroducing the familiar theme which brings to mind a snazzy 60s backdrop setting. The five minute track indulges listeners with its unabashed guitar arrangement, the tune blaring in your ears in the least subtle way possible.

Following that are action cues which Elfman fans are no strangers to (especially if you have heard his compositions for blockbuster movies like Batman and Mars Attacks!), “The Setup”, “Big Trouble” and “Time Jump” being very good examples. The frantic cues busily turn and twist their ways through the brief runtimes, manically bringing listeners on a frenzied adventure.   

The third film in the trilogy explores some rather emotional themes, which allows Elfman to come up with tracks like “Griffin Steps Up”, an enchantingly lyrical cue which evokes lush images in the mind. “Under the Bridge” is a tender composition which is innocently childlike. “A Close One” is also a moving track which begins with a warmly touching tune, before it launches into a bold finale.

If there is one gripe we must raise about this soundtrack, it would be the lack of surprises Elfman brings to the music. Sure fans of the beloved Men In Black series would have no problem falling in love with the score, but we get a nagging feeling that the four time Academy Award nominee is capable of so much more.

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: : (1) Men in Black 3 – Main Titles

Review by John Li