Have you folks seen Men In Black recently? The original? Cause it’s good, actually – scratch that, it’s not just good, it’s legitimately one of the best blockbusters ever made. Not since Ghostbusters has there been a perfect amalgamation of genuinely gut-busting comedy and weird, but thoughtfully crafted genre fiction that would totally work on its own if it were played completely straight. That combined with a director hitting his stride, a writer with experience in similarly strange material, and having two of the biggest stars of that time working at their best alongside a wonderful blend of early CG and practical effects and makeup. It’s truly one of those movies you forget how masterfully it’s all done until you revisit it, which you absolutely should, by the way.
And like Ghostbusters, all the attempts to further explore the movies in sequels have not turned out particularly great. None were able to recapture that lightning-in-a-bottle magic that made the first film so fresh and inventive. Not that it’s going to stop Hollywood anytime soon since a new Men in Black was bounce to happen in some form or another, at first being a crossover with the 21 Jump Street series, which sounds so bonkers, it might’ve actually worked. Instead, we have a soft reboot in the form of Men In Black: International, which is written by the duo behind Iron Man and Punisher: War Zone, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, and directed by F. Gary Gray.
The film follows new recruit, Agent M (Tessa Thompson, who is in a probationary period, and is sent by Agent O (Emma Thompson), the head of MIB’s New York branch to London. There, she meets High T (Liam Neeson), a decorated former agent who noe acts as the head of MIB’s UK branch. She is paired with High T’s last partner, Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) to do a simple security job. However, after they are attacked by two mysterious unidentifiable aliens, they find themselves on a globe trotting mission to find the truth about what happened, and how the organization itself might be compromised.
Sadly, while the basic ideas in the movie are more than rock solid for a new Men In Black entry, the film we end up with is deeply underwhelming on almost every conceivable level. For a film that is clearly meant to rejuvenate the franchise, practically every element of it feels like it is running on autopilot. There’s no energy, no flair, no style, no sense of momentum to either the action or the story, which feels strange considering Gray has done some really good work behind the camera, even if I wasn’t a fan of the overall movie.
The best thing about the film is very much the team up of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, even if the film wishes it had the verve of something like Thor: Ragnarok. Despite some often questionable material, gags that don’t totally work, and one-liners that fall flat, these two bring as much as they can. Their intense likability carries the whole movie, and when they get into some playful banter, it’s like the movie suddenly springs to life, and it becomes a really fun watch.
Unfortunately, those moments do end up being few and far between. It’s not even that it’s bad, it’s just oddly dull. Another strange thing about the film is that, despite the first film’s pointed commentary about empathy towards refugees and immigrants, and celebrating America’s willingness to embrace the outsiders, this one doesn’t seem to have anything to say. Considering the current political climate, with news coming out mere days ago about a former Japanese internment camp being reopened by the Trump administration to keep migrant children detained in, there is ample room to explore relevant themes in a new Men In Black film. It’s so bizarre, but had the movie been more compelling and funny, I wouldn’t have minded.
I didn’t necessarily have the highest expectations for Men In Black: International, so I can’t necessarily say I was disappointed. The franchise has been running on fumes for a while, and none of the marketing suggested or showed anything to indicate otherwise. It’s still a major bummer, though. There is plenty of talent behind this, and there are moments where the film shines. Like I said, it’s not even a bad movie, it’s perfectly watchable and adequately put together with occasional good joke thanks to Hemsworth and Thompson’s chemistry. But it is very easy to see where things could have been improved, what could have been tweaked for more interesting action, comedy, or story development. Now I really want to see what that 21 Jump Street crossover would’ve looked like.