International Incident

Without a doubt, the most iconic aspect to come out of the Men in Black movie franchise is that of the neuralyzer. For those of you living under a rock for the past twenty-two years (or perhaps the device was used on you), the neuralyzer is a pen-like gizmo that is used to flash innocent bystanders in the eyes, erasing their memories from anywhere between hours to years ago. I remember that in the bygone year of 1997, one ad for the original Men in Black movie had Will Smith flashing the device directly towards the camera and telling the audience to “See it again… for the first time.” Surely there are many studio executives who wish it were that simple to make as much money at the box office as possible with that very strategy (and also use it to make their numerous legal problems go away, but let’s not go into that).

That 1997 Men in Black movie was a prime example of lightning in the bottle, as it was a star vehicle for Will Smith, who was just coming off the success of Independence Day, and a major comeback in his rap music career. And it also had Tommy Lee Jones, who had won a Best Supporting Oscar a few years back for The Fugitive, and also appeared in Batman Forever. Add in the fresh concept of a police force that monitors alien activity, Steven Spielberg as executive producer, great CGI, makeup, and puppetry effects, and an ongoing joke about the “strangest” members of society (be it celebrities, postal workers, or fashion models) are actually extra-terrestrials, and you have a recipe for a hit movie. Unfortunately, the neuralyzer doesn’t exist in real life (thank goodness), but that hasn’t stopped Sony from making sequels to their franchise.

I can’t blame the studio for wanting to do a soft reboot of the series. Men in Black 2 was lackluster compared to the first movie. The fact that Johnny Knoxville stars in that sequel proves just how dated it is. Then there was Men in Black 3, in which everyone seemed to be phoning it in or going through the motions, except for Josh Brolin, who seemed to be having a ton of fun. By that time, Will Smith’s usual routine of yelling “oh hell now” had gotten tiresome, and Tommy Lee Jones had gotten so old that he looked as if he was about to turn to dust and be blown away in the wind, Avengers: Infinity War style. Not to mention a supporting character who borderlined on being on par with JarJar Binks in levels of annoyance, and an eye rolling-ly bad plot reveal that completely altered the relationship between Agents J and K. So yes, if there had to be a fourth movie (although there’s never really a “need” for a fourth movie in any franchise), said sequel would need new blood. And new blood was found, in the form of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson as the leads, and F. Gary Gray as the new director.

Set within the timeline of the original three movies (there’s a subtle nod to the events of the first movie), a young Molly Wright (the lovely Tessa Thompson) has an encounter with a baby alien, and witnesses Men in Black agents use the neuralyzer on her parents. Skipping ahead by two decades, Molly wants to join the Men in Black, and she successfully manages to find their hidden headquarters. She follows this up by convincing the head of the organization, Agent O (Emma Thompson, no relation), to recruit her. Agent O agrees, and sends Molly (now just Agent M) to the organization's United Kingdom division, headed by High T (Liam Neeson). Agent M is quick to pair herself with Agent H (Hemsworth), as he investigates a case involving an alien threat known as The Hive, whom he and High T defeated three years earlier.

I focused mainly on the hiring of new actors, because they really are the main reason to see this movie. Hemsworth is his ever charming self in his role, perhaps channeling the slick and smooth attitude of Will Smith’s Agent J from previous movies. Tessa plays more of a fish out of water, as she is new to everything around her and has to adjust to unfamiliar situations, again, not unlike Agent J in the first movie, although she proves herself to be quite resourceful in dangerous situations. This being the third movie that they have appeared in together (Thor: Ragnarok, and Avengers: Endgame being the other two), Hemsworth and Tessa have a good chemistry together, and play off each other quite well. Another standout is the technology that the MIB agents use, be it a futuristic subway tunnel, laser weapons hidden within the parts of their cars, or a floating motorcycle with teleporting abilities; there’s always a fun “toy” for Agents H and M to play with. The Hive also provide an interesting concept as villains, as they are made of a type of matter that can manipulate themselves and their surroundings into anything they want. This provides some stunning visual effects, as well as obstacles for the Agents to fight.

However, the movie has its shortcomings. Most of the jokes fall painfully flat. The pacing feels a bit off, as some scenes seem needlessly long. All the other characters besides Agents H and M are either annoying (not to JarJar Binks levels though), or come across as underwhelming. The plot twists in the third act are a tad too easy to predict. And while I did praise the unique idea for villains in The Hive, for creatures who can manipulate themselves and their surroundings into whatever they want, they could have been more creative in what weapons they manage to produce. But what I found to be the biggest let down is the development of Agents H and M. While the two do work well together, I felt there should have been a scene in which they sit down, and we learn more about them as people. Agent H’s defining characteristics are based on his first encounter with The Hive, and Agent M is limited to the fact that she spent her life trying to find and join the MIB. That’s all fine and good, but I wanted to know more about them than that.

Many critics are savaging this movie, claiming it to be the lowest point of the series. I humbly disagree. Frankly, Men in Black 3 was far worse, for the reasons I mentioned above, I would give that sequel only two stars. If the franchise ended on that note, then it would have been quite the sour note to end on. If this installment is the end of the series, I think it’s a more satisfying one. And because of this, I’m giving Men in Black: International a solid three out of five stars. If you’re a fan of MIB, by all means, see the movie in theaters, but do so at matinee prices. Otherwise, you can wait for physical disk or streaming media rentals. That concludes this fanpicked review. And remember, when it comes to the media that you consume, be like Indiana Jones, and choose wisely.

Short Version:

Pros:

• Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson are great overall.
• Fun gadgets and technology.
• Visually stunning CGI.

Cons:

• Humor falls flat.
• Annoying and/or bland supporting characters.
• Predictable plot twists.

Verdict: *** (three out of five stars).