Men in Black III is one of the more troubled blockbuster productions of the past year – probably even more so than X-Men: First Class – having been plagued by rewrites, delays, creative differences, trailer parking fiascos, and actors dropping out (Alec Baldwin fans were sorely disappointed).

Still, it’s hard to argue with the potential of the project, thanks in part to an excellent cast and a fairly interesting – if Austin Powers-esque – concept. Today, we have set photos from the recent New York shoot of MIB3, depicting alien hardware and 1960s vehicles.

Barry Sonnenfeld and company have been shooting down in the New York financial district for weeks now, with extras wearing 1960s mod-style outfits and what have you, but this is the first time we’ve seen any legitimate alien hardware. It’s nice to see the production values are still in the right place, but it’s hardly surprising for series that has made a billion box office dollars.

For those who don’t recall the plot of MIB3:

The story revolves around Agent J (Will Smith) traveling back to 1969 to stop an alien named Boris the Biker – played by Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) – from killing Agent K before he can become…well, Tommy Lee Jones.

It’s a story that could pay off both creatively and humorously, if it doesn’t get bogged down in time travel and/or Forrest Gump gimmicks, a la the aforementioned Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Hopefully, there weren't too many fingers in the pie (or hands in the pot) for the film's own good. With an ever-expanding budget of $215 million, it's probably going to need the benefit of 'quality' to make its money back.

Check out the set photos below, courtesy of  Coming Soon:

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What do you guys think? Production problems aside, are you looking forward to the third and potentially final Men in Black film? Or are those production problems  too worrisome for you to look beyond - especially after the underwhelming Men in Black II? Let us know in the comments.

Men in Black III – starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Bill Hader, Emma Thompson, Rip Torn, Alice Eve, and a bunch of other people – hits theaters May 25th, 2012.

Source: Coming Soon

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