After “Men In Black III” earned positive reception & made enough revenue at the box office, Sony announced a crossover film with “Men In Black” & “21 Jump Street.” Plans however, were scrapped because a hacker group known as “The Guardians Of Peace” stoke confidential information involving Sony’s roadmap of then upcoming projects including “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse,” an “Annie” remake, Daniel Craig’s fourth James Bond film titled, “Spectre” among many others. As a result of the hacking scandal, Sony was forced to cancel the release date of “The Interview” due to controversy for its satirical depiction of Kim Jong-un. Despite cancellation, The Interview as given a limited release & was distributed on digital demand. A Men In Black & 21 Jump Street crossover was cancelled. Thus a spin-off titled, “Men In Black: International” was a back-up plan to recalibrate the franchise with a Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thompson headlining the film set in London.
Men In Black: International is currently out theaters alongside Will Smith as Genie in the live action remake of “Aladdin.” Unlike its predecessors, Men In Black: International earned negative reviews from critics labeled as the worst film of the franchise. So far, it’s making money at the box office. Sony needs to earn $300 million to break-even in order to become a commercial success.
Today’s review doesn’t contain any potential SPOILERS whatsoever. If you’ve haven’t seen this film or the first three Men In Black films, feel free to read my non-spoiler article.
Positive & Negative Qualities
Positive: The Main Cast such as Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Liam Neeson, Rafe Spall, (Timothy Spall’s real life son) Rebecca Ferguson & Emma Thompson all did a great job for their respective performances.
F. Gary Grey did a solid job directing the film.
Barry Sonnenfeld & Steven Spielberg served as executive producers. Barry on the other hand probably gave F. Gary tips to build a cohesive storyline. He also worked with him in “Be Cool,” a sequel to “Get Shorty.”
Action Sequences managed to keep me on the edge of my seat without feeling easily bored.
Men In Black: International never recycled plot elements from the first film. It was its own thing with a less formulaic arc. Sometimes we need a new flavor or item on the menu for consumers to come back for more high quality value.
Humor has some jokes that made me laugh. Especially Kumail Nanjiani’s character Pawny. Kumail deserves Bonus Points as a scene stealer. Pawny is like Jiminy Cricket (from Pinocchio) armed with a powerful pistol.
Danny Elfman orchestrated music for the film.
Cinematography felt genuinely good lacking shakiness.
A fight scene with M & an alien reminded me of “Mortal Kombat,” but with less blood flying all over the place.
Chemistry between Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thompson’s characters H and M felt normal without shoving a romantic subplot down my throat. Their partnership is similar to Thor & Valkyrie from “Thor: Ragnarok.”
Practical Effects & Computer Animation were used carefully to bring many important aspects to life.
If you’ve seen a preview of the film, H throws a small hammer towards an alien. An obvious reference to Chris’s role as Thor.
The spin-off doesn’t put in your face Feminist bullcrap commentary. Thank god an over-the-top feminist like Anita Sarkeesian didn’t direct this movie.
There’s no Post-Credits Scene featured. Once the movie’s over, you’re allowed to leave your seat.
A portrait of Jay & Kay fighting Edgar The Bug from the first film is displayed inside H’s office.
Negative: The Twins weren’t memorable villains on the same level as Edgar The Bug & Boris The Animal. Just generic bad guys lacking personality.
The Plot Twist felt predictable. I saw it coming from a millisecond faster than a lightning bolt before a sound occurred.
A contrived reveal happened between two characters. I’ll let this con slide, because a character lampshades how stupid it felt. It’s played for laughs.
A Plot Hole involving no mention of witnesses neuralized after a chase scene involving H and M evading hot pursuit. Although they erased a few bystanders’ memories, there’s over thousands of citizens witnessing the action.
The Final Verdict: B-
In my opinion, Men In Black: International season an average film. I’m not saying it’s a masterpiece close to the original film or a stinker as in “Wild Wild West.” I find Men In Black International as an adequate entry to the franchise. If you’re interested in seeing this spin-off, go ahead and give it a watch.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 