Men in Black: International is the fourth film in the Men in Black franchise, and it has the hopes of starting anew with it’s leading man and woman. After being teamed up in Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson (Molly) and Chris Hemsworth (Agent H) don the black suit, tie, and glasses as they attempt to save the world from an impending intergalactic threat.
There didn’t seem to be much excitement around the idea of another film in a franchise that outraged fans after it’s third installment, but Sony decided to make one anyways. Off the beloved Ragnarok that I mentioned above, the leading duo of Thompson and Hemsworth gave audiences enough hope that their wit, charm, and ridiculously chiseled and perfected features would give International some semblance of enjoyment. Unfortunately, despite zero expectations, Men in Black: International still managed to be a complete misfire.
The level of excitement surrounding Thompson and Hemsworth heading in disappeared in a flash as there was no chemistry between either of them. This could be attributed to some relatively awful and eye-rolling dialogue, but Hemsworth was really a lite version of the Thor we saw in Ragnarok. Once again, this could be the screenwriters repeating what was beloved in Ragnarok, and just assuming that would also work here, and it never did. Thompson is actually quite good and there is a firm grasp on her character, unlike her rather uninteresting, and frankly miscast partner. Many characters repeat how Hemsworth’s “H” is a talented guy and not the same man he used to be, but we have no idea what they mean by that. We don’t know “why” or “how” he is talented enough to be one of the leading agents of the Men in Black institution, we’re just told to buy it. This is probably what ended up making Thompson the bright spot on the stained black wrongdoings of this film.
We see a character who is properly motivated to accomplish a goal. A character who genuinely believes in what they’re doing, and Tessa times jokes well enough to make one or two land (which may be the only jokes worth laughing at). Her newfound friend “Pawny” (voiced by a lovely Kumail Nanjiani) has significantly better chemistry with Molly, and the two banter endlessly to give a lifeless movie something worth staying around for. Although this dynamic doesn’t come alive until the middle of the film, it gives the latter half a boost in quality to at least give you a reason to mildly care about what’s happening. The story is simple enough (kind of), but it’s terribly underwritten, predictable, and directed without any level of purpose or excitement.
F. Gary Gray is a guy who stepped into blockbuster culture with The Fate of the Furious after the biopic, Straight Outta Compton. Not to my surprise, but maybe for others, Gray doesn’t bring anything uniquely interesting to a predictable script, and I begin to wonder what kind of voice he has as a director. Despite a measly last two films in the franchise, the original Men in Black had a palpable sense of whimsy to it’s bizarre creation. It’s leads were semi-stereotypical, but there was a level of definition to them (and the world) that this film is sorely missing. It’s over-reliance on CGI (that looks woefully under budgeted) releases any sense of attachment to the alien life within New York and around the globe. Anticipating going to more exotic locations would seem like a step in the right direction, but nothing is done with it. It is visually realized with a bland aesthetic and no distinct sense of personality. It somehow removes the scope of a world where aliens and humans live on the same geographical planes of existence, and all of the magic, or what was left of it, is gone.
I can’t say that Men in Black: International is deeply disappointing, because I had no expectations for it, but I can say that it’s disappointing that this is the route Sony went for this franchise. There was a level of promise with an up and coming director, and a solid cast, but it is put together in a way that reeks of a last stand for the MiB. When talks began of a potential crossover between the Jump Street franchise and MiB, there was at least potential for some more bizarre antics with the likes of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill participating in an out of this world type of adventure, but instead we are gifted with an overly typical, uninspired blockbuster. Relying on Internet fancasts of everyone’s favorite heroes as the foundation to build a film worth rallying around this Summer season, and now it looks like another misfire for Sony. I’ll keep my eye on the box office returns, no matter how minimal I anticipate them to be, because I love a good blockbuster, but this isn’t it, and hopefully it sends a signal to Sony that they need to pursue something different.
Men in Black: International gets a 33/100