So I checked out Men In Black: International… that’s the fourth Men In Black movie (if you’re counting) and the first to not star Will Smith (or Tommy Lee Jones/Josh Brolin). They have swapped in Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth… last seen together in Thor: Ragnarok and (briefly) in Avengers: Endgame. Nice casting… best part of the flick.
So MIB: International (as the trailer calls it) is a continuation of the existing MIB universe. Tessa Thompson plays a gal who saw the Men In Black wipe her parents’ memory when she was a kid so she has spent her life getting good at everything she needs to join the agency… once she can find them. Hemsworth is a veteran agent who takes her under his wing… though he doesn’t seem to be in top form. Together they do something something plot… it hardly matters (they just do it in England, France, and North Africa… international!). Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson basically cameo as their bosses.
So… the best part of this movie is easily Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth. Both are super charismatic and charming (especially Thompson who can’t help but ooze cool). Neither are half the comedian as Will Smith so they both kind of rely on a script that isn’t half as comedic as it should be. This change in the dynamic of the two leads – moving from wisecracking younger agent and curmudgeony old straight man – is actually one of the film’s assets. The dynamic between Thompson and Hemsworth is more hyper-capable rookie and been there/done that experience. It is unique for the series since the previous three films just kept recycling the same character beats and structure.
But, yes, the problem then with the movie is the basic script… it fails the leads and results in a kind of messy, kind of meh movie that the actors just can’t quite save. The script (and editing) gives us a disjointed low energy flick that tries to have that sparkle of the past movies but fails.
But, hey, Hemsworth’s story is actually pretty good and surprising… though ultimately a little predictable. It’s a weird combo but, near the end of the flick, I was genuinely surprised there was more emotional impact than I expected. Maybe less so for Thompson’s character who is introduced as this super smart, hyper capable person who finds the Men In Black… and then the flick just drops that storyline. There’s some razzle dazzle about her wanting to know how the universe works and some lip service payoff at the ending that just does not have the heft they clearly meant it to have. Happily, she’s still a great addition to the movie by sheer force of will alone.
So… yeah… this movie is a bit of a mess but is ultimately low key saved by the movie star factor. The script is a bit jumbled, the jokes often don’t work, and the editing can be a bit of a mess. The CGI work on the aliens is top-notch though… that’s something. I can’t really recommend the flick unless your a diehard or a superfan of the cast though. The movie just kind of doesn’t work… but at least it tries a different approach and tone from the Will Smith era.
Score: 71