The 1997 classic “Men in Black” holds a special place in American film history. But its… The 1997 classic “Men in Black” holds a special place in American film history. But its sequel, “Men in Black 2,” did not have the same effect.

This 2002 disaster of a film made any hope for the future of the franchise bleak. As a result, it seems only natural that the latest addition to the franchise, “Men in Black 3,” goes back in time to 1969 to find its plot.

The film features all of the iconic characters from the franchise played by the same actors. The story centers on Agent J (Will Smith), who discovers that his longtime partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) is in danger from a time-traveling alien named Boris. The film follows Agent J as he travels to 1969 to prevent Boris from altering history.

The premise of the film is an obvious parallel to the “Back to The Future” franchise, which — unlike “Men in Black” — never stumbled in its sequels. The difference with “Men In Black 3” is how gracelessly this plotline is handled.

Almost as if the film’s writers were aware of the unoriginal concept of earth-saving time travel, the action in the movie simply happens, as opposed to building up to anything significant.

The movie’s saving grace is the highly compelling performances given by its cast. The 1969 version of Agent K, played by Josh Brolin, looks so similar to the Agent K of the original film that it’s almost impossible not to feel a certain tinge of nostalgia while watching.

As always, Will Smith provides enough of a reason to go out and see the movie, giving yet another stellar performance and adding an element of excitement to the otherwise cliche-riddled film.

The series could have ended with the first film — it certainly didn’t need the second — but while “Men in Black 3” doesn’t add anything new to the franchise, it doesn’t hurt either.