It’s a product of the remake generation, and in comparison, probably isn’t all that terrible
Without its stars, Men In Black International, the reboot of the classic 90’s film series, would be a particularly echoing shell of a feature. But it does have its leads in Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth, who give the film some real connectivity, and the drive to be better than it probably deserved to be.
Spending her entire life tracking down the Men In Black, Molly (Tessa Thompson) finally finds and follows a pair of agents from her home neighbourhood in Brooklyn. Believed to be an impostor, Molly is moments from having her memory wiped, but after convincing Agent O (Emma Thompson) to take her on, she is given a probation period to serve in London as Agent M. Teaming up with one of the best in the business, Agent H (Chris Hemsworth), Molly is immediately thrust into a worldwide caper, tracking down the mole currently working inside the Men In Black Headquarters.
As a standalone story, MIB International is very so-so, offering little more than a classic escape and chase routine, with bit part characters making cameos across the board. It’s enjoyable to a point, but particularly unoriginal. This admittedly leaves the characters, namely Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth’s, landing the entire entertainment value for the piece. There is a wonderful voice performance from Kumail Nanjiani as the little Pawny, offering some quality comic relief, but past the lead three, there are no memorable moments of the CGI heavy production.
It’s a product of the remake generation, and in comparison, probably isn’t all that terrible. Forgetting all sense of what makes a great adventure film, or a driving sci-fi piece definitely helps when looking for entertainment, but hoping for MIB International to act as a game changer is absolutely a stretch and a few too many steps too far.
3/5
filmphorthought 