Men in Black International is a spinoff/sequel sans Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and it’s also a disappointing retread that proves this franchise doesn’t have much gas left in the tank.
Instead of Agent Smith and Jones, this time we get Chris Hemsworth as Agent H who works for the London division of the MIB which helps monitor extraterrestrial activity. Liam Neeson costars as his superior and he thinks H needs a partner to help him out. This formula sounds familiar. Hmmm…
Enter Tessa Thompson who worked with Hemsworth on Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame. Her character has always believed in aliens and she hopes to prove her worthiness, but Hemsworth doesn’t think she’s well-equipped. This starts an endless parade of banter, but it doesn’t have any of the wit that Smith or Jones brought.
As per usual in a MIB movie, the characters go globe-trotting to find aliens that pose a threat to the human race and vaporize them, but now there’s a new twist that there might be a mole within the organization.
Hemsworth and Thompson attempt to display the chemistry they showcased in the MCU, but they’re let down by a lazy and desperate script. Hemsworth does bring some quirky charisma and Thompson has some degree of spunk, but I don’t think they’re cut out for this series. Hemsworth, in particular, couldn’t save the Ghostbusters reboot and lightning has struck twice.
The humor often feels forced except for a couple of scenes involving an alien hiding a man’s beard which feels strangely in line, but other than that, there’s nothing really fun or clever with this outing.
Director F. Gary Gray has proven he can handle terrific films such as the original Friday and Straight Outta Compton, but he has paper-thin material that suffers from a case “been there, done that.” Perhaps a neutralizer would be handy for audiences after they walk out.
Grade: C-
(Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, some language, and suggestive material.)
