Men in Black was among the many headlines that arose from that dumpster fire that was that notorious Sony email hack in the shadow of The Interview. It was revealed that the franchise was going to get re-booted and some even had suggested a continuation of the 21 Jump Street universe with finding the two leads as the newest Men in Black. Love Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum but thank goodness that never occurred.
For fans of the franchise—that began one fateful July Fourth in 1997 with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones ushering in a “it’s a blast” film series—what they are given with Men in Black: International is not worth the wait.
Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson star as Agent H and Agent M and the two have some satisfying chemistry that even sizzles on occasion at the beginning of the film. Somehow, it seems to wane when the story heads into a third act that is muddled, meanders and above all else, is not that original and wholeheartedly predictable. Thompson has been quite the stalwart of late, what with her astounding turns in Creed, Sorry to Bother You and of course Thor: Ragnarok. Needless to say, due to the latter of those movies, the actress has a history with Hemsworth, and it shows. The two perform effortlessly until the material fails them completely.
Hemsworth has some serious MIB swagger, but even his act in the third frame of the film seems to be awash in a mess of quicksand storytelling. It sucks you in and leaves you gasping for something to grab onto, but there is nothing. If the film does decently enough, perhaps the Aussie actor and Thompson can return for something worthy of their titanic talent.
F. Gary Gray is a stellar director, after all, he is just coming off the pop culture explosion that was Straight Outta Compton and the blockbuster hit The Fate of the Furious. It’s sad witnessing MIB: International and realizing how much bloody talent is up there that cannot save something from the mediocrity heap. Liam Neeson is even the leader of the London MIB branch that Thompson’s Agent M is shipped to for a “probationary” period. His gravely voice a perfect fit for a leadership role in the world of Men in Black while Emma Thompson returns as the leader of the New York City outfit. Both are great, but to a point. Like everyone else involved, they suffer under a wave that crashes much earlier than it should have when it comes to how this flick should have progressed. Then, it crashes again … and again.
The sole saving grace is Kumail Nanjiani. The Big Sick actor voices Pawny, a tiny, half-foot extraterrestrial that our dynamic duo “inherits” and winds up being amazingly helpful, deeply devoted and above all else—provides the only laughs that emit from this film. He’s priceless and gets the best lines out of everybody and makes the absolute most of them. Remember the first Men in Black, it was as funny as it was thrilling and universe-expanding. That could be because it was the cinematic brainchild of Barry Sonefield.
He, obviously, is missing completely from this film—save a “producer” credit that was probably in his contract from the first several flicks. There was a plethora of joy in his films, even if dramatically they suffered a tad (particularly the third one). That particular element of the cinema experience is grossly missing in this fourth Men in Black film. It is a shame. The idea that the world of Men in Black is not limited to that New York City office we all know so well is inspired. In Men in Black: International we learn that it isn’t just in London and New York as well. This franchise has a chance to globally grow exponentially with the mere announcement of the International aspect of Men in Black. Sadly, with such a flat, relatively unfunny and uninteresting start, the Men in Black may not be going global much longer.
Grade: C-