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MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL
Director: F. Gary Gray Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rafe Spall, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Rebecca Ferguson, Laurent Bourgeois, Larry Bourgeois, Kayvan Novak, Spencer Wilding, the voice of Kumail Nanjiani MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:54 Release Date: 6/14/19 |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | June 13, 2019 Considering the limitless possibilities of a universe in which aliens and different worlds and all assortments of technology exist, this series about a secret agency that explores, enforces rules about interaction with, examines, and engages in diplomacy with extraterrestrial beings shouldn't be a matter of one-time success. It has been, though, and Men in Black: International, the fourth installment in the franchise, continues that trend. The original film was a clever blend of special effects, comedy, and action. In the process, it introduced us to the super-secret government organization the Men in Black, which defended Earth from alien threats and made sure that the benevolent aliens felt enough at ease to never become threats. Nothing
really changed over the course of the next two movies, save for the introduction
of time travel in the third entry and, perhaps, the enthusiasm of the series'
stars, who are only represented here in a painting of their characters' battle
with a giant creature. One could take the actors' absence as a sign of issues
with this new installment, but to give this sequel/reboot some credit, anyone
who saw the second and third movies know that Will Smith and especially Tommy
Lee Jones had checked out of these movies well before anyone even had the idea
of making a new one. This installment gives us a pair of new stars, who at least seem happy to be here, which alone marks a significant improvement for the series. Both Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth are also charismatic and funny, which is another mark in the movie's favor. Their characters have to take the alien politicking and conspiracies seriously, albeit with a knowing wink and smirk, because saving the planet is supposed to be fun, when there are all sorts of strange creatures to meet and cool gadgets with which to play. We can tell that the actors get this, and we also get a sense that their characters believe that being part of the Men in Black is the best job in the world. As for the movie itself, well, it's simply more of the same. The title of course implies a slightly broader scope for the eponymous organization and the adventures of our new heroes. Indeed, we learn that the Men in Black have field offices and headquarters around the globe, since the organization began with Gustave Eiffel, whose namesake tower was built as a harbor for aliens visiting and immigrating through wormholes. That's about the extent of any actual expansion in terms of the back story of this world, and it mainly gives the movie the backdrop for a pair of battles during a prologue and the climax. Meanwhile, the plot involves the assassination of a visiting alien dignitary and a world-destroying species called the Hive. The story takes the established Agent H (Hemsworth)—who previously saved the world from the Hive with his boss Agent High T (Liam Neeson)—and newcomer Agent M (Thompson)—who met an alien as a child and has been obsessed with space and the Men in Black since then—from London, to Morocco, to the Sahara Desert, to Naples, and to Paris. Screenwriters Matt Halloway and Art Marcum update the tried-and-true gags (which contemporary celebrities are actually aliens, a seemingly ordinary car with a lot of accessories, and, because of advances in visual effects, some alien foes and helpers). They also recycle a lot of the details, such as a couple of Men in Black headquarters occupied by familiar and new aliens, as well as, well, the entirety of the plot, which yet again has the heroes trying to stop the Earth's destruction. At this point in the series, we're not exactly expecting the filmmakers to try anything too new. After all, the sequels before this one hadn't, and this one possesses the requirements of re-introducing the concept and the challenges of setting up new characters, who, in theory, would continue to appear in any other sequels. By this point, too, we're mostly looking for what a new, overly familiar entry in the franchise can get right. The two leads are its greatest assets, with Thompson playing the enthusiastic up-and-comer, excited about every new discovery, and Hemsworth playing the well-traveled expert with deadpan charm. The new villains, plasma-based twins (played by Laurent and Larry Bourgeoius) who can manipulate matter, are intriguing, if underutilized, and there's an amusing new sidekick in the form of the diminutive Pawnie (voice of Kumail Nanjiani), a chess piece-sized warrior who sees M as his new queen and is hesitantly, sort-of willing to die for her if every other option has been exhausted. Those elements aren't really enough to compensate for the fact that we've seen all of this before. This world of aliens and gadgets and history influenced by extraterrestrial involvement has no right to have remained this static for this long. It has, though, and while Men in Black: International provides a few glimmers of hope, this new entry doesn't breathe any much-needed life into the franchise. Copyright © 2019 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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(for sci-fi action, some language and suggestive material)
