Men In Black 3 arrives in theaters a full 15 years after the original film came out, and a decade after its first sequel met with venomous disapproval. Given the amount of time that exists between films, MIB3 could easily lumber under the weight of the previous two features in the series. Instead, the film zips along rather smoothly with a new element: time travel.

Stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back for this third installment, which finds Agent J (Smith) going back to 1969 in order to stop the assassination of Agent K (Jones) by Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords). To do that, J finds himself working with a younger K (Josh Brolin).

The plot is really rather simple, but the choice for a past time period was a solid pick. The first two films feature enough designs that have a ‘60s influence to them. Throwing the film itself back to that decade actually manages to not feel all that jarring. Considering how many films with time travel feel overdone when going to the past, there’s a good balance with this film.

What makes the film work is the cast. Smith, in his first film role in four years, has aged well as an actor, and his performance as J works with that. He’s similar to the character’s portrayal in the original film, but just a bit older and wiser. Jones, meanwhile, does well in a limited role, while Clement is almost unrecognizable as Boris. But the biggest revelation is Brolin’s take on K. From his appearance to his phrasing and body language, Brolin mimics Jones perfectly. If anything, it’s easy to see Brolin becoming Jones within a few decades. It’s a spot-on casting choice.

While the plot is light, there’s a remarkable amount of heart to it, thanks mainly to Jones. The humor is also solid and plentiful, which – in a summer filled with sequels – is a welcome relief. In a summer filled with more serious works of science fiction and action, Men In Black 3 is a bit of a welcome breather. It’s not a complete farce, but it’s also not so serious that it can’t be fun.

For the past decade, the concept of the ensemble comedy has shifted into a very specific form: namely, an anthology of loosely connected stories with a bunch of name actors filling the roles. At its best, audiences get something like Love, Actually. At its worst…you get New Year’s Eve.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting falls in-between these two, though it leans a bit more towards the latter in terms of watchability. “Based” on the best-selling pregnancy book (in that it shares a name with the book, nothing more), the film follows five couples going through pregnancy.

I’ll be honest: the stories themselves are all weak. While not necessarily as messy as larger ensemble comedies, the film does suffer from splitting its time more or less equally amongst the couples. Fortunately, the times aren’t completely equal, which gives some stories a tad more prominence.

Of the five pregnant women, the one who makes the biggest impression (and gets a touch more screentime than the rest) is Wendy, played with full dedication by Elizabeth Banks. Banks has never really been shy about going all-out for comedy, and she does that here, which lets her character stand out from more restrained performances from the other leading women. It helps that her storyline also features some of the more notable supporting cast members, including Dennis Quaid and Rebel Wilson.

Another reason to see the film at some point, at least for Atlanta residents, is to play a fun little game of “Where Was This Filmed?” Atlanta’s become a hotbed for filming in recent years, and What to Expect… goes all over the city. In some ways, the film works as a promotion for Atlanta tourism, including gratuitous mentions of the Georgia Aquarium, Delta Airlines, and a rather creative insertion of Piedmont Park’s Screen on the Green that the series’ promoters might not be thrilled about.

If you’re a fan of films like Valentine’s Day or He’s Just Not That Into You, chances are that you’ll enjoy this film, too. There’s nothing particularly distinctive about the film, but it works as a harmless Sunday afternoon diversion.

Rating: C+

When Sacha Baron Cohen made his previous two films, Borat andBrüno, he infamously used real-life individuals as part of his comedy. It worked, in part, because the majority of the individuals weren’t in on the joke. The mockumentary style worked well with the outrageous, offensive humor.

The biggest problem with Baron Cohen’s newest film, The Dictator, is that it forgoes the mockumentary format in exchange for something that technically resembles a plot. Baron Cohen stars as Admiral General Aladeen, the over-the-top dictator of a fictitious North African country called Wadiya. After taking some time to show Aladeen’s particular brand of tyranny in Wadiya, the story moves Aladeen to Manhattan, where Aladeen plans to address the U.N. Tired of Aladeen’s reign, his second-in-command, Tamir (Ben Kingsley), sets in motion a plan to assassinate Aladeen and bring democracy to Wadiya. When the assassination attempt fails (leaving him beardless in the process), he’s left to wander around Manhattan, where he encounters Zoey (Anna Faris), a stereotypical ultra-eco-friendly feminist.

In short: it’s a fairly conventional plot with an unconventional sense of humor, the latter being quintessential to anything by Baron Cohen.

My biggest problem when it comes to this film is whether or not to recommend it. As far as the construction of a plot goes, The Dictator falls flat. It’s threadbare, and essentially serves to move the film over its 85-minute running time with as many jokes crammed in as possible. While there are certainly worse constructs for a film, the traditional form used here shows just how well Baron Cohen’s previous films worked because of their format.

As a comedy, I can’t deny that the movie is hilarious, even though it’s so offensive at times, “offensive” doesn’t quite convey the tone. Obscene, vulgar, crude, vile, and disgusting also don’t quite cover it. Fair warning: if you’re easily offended, you have no business reading this review, let alone actually watching The Dictator. Also worth noting: one source of humor that was consistently jarring to me, as well as to the audience I sat in, involved repeated rape humor. If nothing else, consider yourself warned.

Basically, a film like this comes down to the humor more often than not. If you’re a fan of Baron Cohen’s work in Borat and Brüno, you’ll likely laugh at this film as well. Ignore the plot. You’ll be better off for it.

Rating: B-

Looking for the newest and hottest locally produced line of swimsuits? Look no further than HCSwimwear. The line is filled with a wide variety of styles and colors, resulting in a wide variety of options from the line. HCSwimwear is the brainchild of creator Melvin Browne, a New York transplant whose background in fashion and desire for quality products resulted in his current venture. I recently spoke with Browne his start in fashion and the creation of HCSwimwear.

How did you get started in design? 

Well I studied Fashion and Fashion Merchandising up north in New York City. So I have always been in some sort of design. I’ve always been creative, business-savvy, and an entrepreneur. I started a non-profit when I was 20 years old but then again I had a vision and plan for what I wanted to come. I always knew I would start some sort of clothing line but did not know when. Ironically, leaving the Capital of Fashion in NYC and moving to Atlanta is what brought my opportunity to really move into fashion design. Here in Atlanta I had the time and extra cash to act on my vision, and really put my design and fashion skills to use.

How did HCSwimwear get started?

HCSwimwear actually was a branch off of my online blogazine called HomoCouture.com. It’s a non-profit that provides the LGBT community with an online lifestyle and fashion guide. So when I moved here to Atlanta, I met a seamstress named Chiraza Knight of Chaza Fashions. I had always wanted to start my own clothing line but didn’t know where to start. After meeting with her I knew that my dreams would be now going into full speed. So it all started with a vision I had. And that’s how I started HCSwimwear – HomoCouture Swimwear.

What makes your swimsuit designs stand out?

While starting this collection, I noticed that other designers all used the same neutral and typical swimsuit colors. I wanted to expand the color palette; my collection features very vibrant and bold colors. Also the quality of my pieces is what will stand out. The saying “you get what you pay for” isn’t always true. I use the best spandex and nylon blend and lining so that you can feel just as good as you look, but for a very inexpensive price. My pieces are handmade here in Atlanta. They won’t color fade or fall apart after one wear, and that’s what completely separates my swimwear from others.

Who or what are your inspirations?

My inspiration behind this collection was a combination of things. When I use to go swimsuit shopping, every swimsuit brand had the same designs and typical colors. When I shop I look for pieces that are unique and that match my personality. So finding really cute swimwear that was of great quality was so hard to find. Another inspiration was: I’m tired of going to the beach, summer prides, and pool parties and witnessing guys play around in cotton underwear.

What’s your most popular item?

My most popular item right now seems to be the Body Trunk. It comes in a combination of 4 sets of colors and 2 back styles. A lot of guys like it because it’s a sexier take on a wrestling singlet. Only my body trunk is cut lower and exposes more of the body. It’s super sexy on, unique in design and feels great on the skin. 

Where are HCSwimwear products available?

The HCS Collection is available on my website at www.hcswimwear.com and now exclusively in-store here in Atlanta at Brushstrokes on Piedmont Road. Hopefully by my next collection we will be in-stores in other cities.

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For more information on HCSwimwear visit www.hcswimwear.com, and also look at the swimsuit photos in this issue, featuring select pieces from HCSwimwear’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

Debut albums from American Idol alums are notoriously rushed efforts. Even the best of these albums fail to show the full potential of the artists recording them. More than with most artists, the second album is usually key in determining where the artist will go in the future.

That’s the place Adam Lambert is at right now. His debut, 2009’s For Your Entertainment, was a surprisingly strong collection of songs with a wide range of input from artists and producers like Lady Gaga, P!nk, Linda Perry, Max Martin and Dr. Luke. The result was a sometimes thrilling, sometimes maddening album that showed a lot of potential, but also felt a tad too schizophrenic at points.

With his sophomore effort, Trespassing, Lambert establishes a more solid musical personality: the wild child of the Idol bunch. Trespassing is an arresting collection of fierce, funky dance tracks and deep, pensive ballads. Rather than mix the two styles, the album splits the two into separate halves.

The first seven tracks serving as a non-stop barrage of sassy fun over dubstep-influenced pop. The tracks take on different styles. The title track and “Kickin’ In” both come from Pharrell, and include his signature production style. There’s more attitude on these two tracks alone than you’ll find on an entire Katy Perry album. “Shady,” meanwhile, pairs Adam with Sam Sparro and Nile Rodgers (of Chic fame), and is probably the single coolest song Adam’s recorded to date.

Another pair of songs on the front half of the album are just begging for single release. The first, “Cuckoo,” is a dance song with an immediately catchy chorus. The second, “Naked Love,” is a slightly more laidback song that sounds like a Bruno Mars track with a dance beat. It’s a good thing. 

The five tracks that make up the back end of the standard edition are, by comparison, a lot slower. The second half opens with lead single “Better Than I Know Myself,” which works surprisingly well at transitioning the album. It’s the closest Adam comes to replicating his biggest hit, “Whataya Want from Me.” It also starts a theme covered in the back half of the album about troubled relationships. “Broken English” tackles problems with communicating, while “Chokehold” describes the thrill of a toxic relationship. 

The highlight of the album is its closer, “Outlaws of Love.” While For Your Entertainment didn’t exactly avoid Adam’s sexuality (with “Fever” being the most prominent example), Trespassing is a bit more explicit in its subject matter, and “Outlaws of Love” is the most haunting example of songs performed from an LGBT perspective. It’s all about the longing for acceptance, a topic that should resonate with many of the album’s listeners.

Trespassing is one of the stronger, more consistent mainstream pop albums to come out in the past year, and with the right push from RCA Records, it could be a big hit. My one complaint? The singles released so far, while good, do not do this album justice. Releasing “Cuckoo” would be a step in the right direction.

Rating: A-