Film Review - Men in Black International (12A)

Come on - the world's not going to save itself.

I

I remember my reaction some months back on seeing a poster for Men in Black: International at my local Odeon cinema. Really? Eh... Why? 1997's Men in Black original was fresh and funny, but bore sequels that doubled down on jokes, while doing little to expand the universe it had created. Hardly a franchise ripe for revisiting. I went into the screening with expectations on a level with those for last week's Dark Phoenix... and once again came out a shade more entertained than I'd expected. June 2019 is proving the month of the 'adequate'.

Tessa Thompson (Creed, Creed II) plays Molly, who as a little girl witnessed an extra-terrestrial creature being pursued by Men in Black agents, but escaped having her memory wiped in that MiB 'look at the flashing light on my neuralyzer' fashion. She has spent over a decade searching for the mysterious agency that regulates alien activity on Earth, finally tracking down their US headquarters. Here she pitches herself to high-ranking Agent O (Emma Thompson even more dramatically coiffed than in Late Night) as perfect recruitment material. Swiftly Molly is abbreviated to M, dispatched to London and teamed up with Chris Hemsworth's Agent H, an MiB playboy-hero credited with the defeat of a parasitical alien race called the Hive. As our new heroes bicker and spar their way to friendship, however, it becomes apparent that the Hive might not be as vanquished as originally believed.

Word from Hollywood's overactive rumour-mill is of a troubled Men in Black: International production, where the 'edgier' original script that enticed the two main stars (and which supposedly tackled the issue of immigration in a 'timely' way) was reshaped into something more generic against the director's and actors' wishes. Certainly the end result feels less than inspired. This is a film that's quite engaging, quite exciting, quite funny. To say that it lacks the spark of originality that made the original such a memorable ride... Well, quite. There's much that's recognisable here, too much really - the tech, the obligatory McGuffin that everyone is chasing, the goofy array of ETs, with not enough to push the limits of the MiB cosmos or even to subvert our earthly expectations a little.

Lacklustre story regardless, there are aspects here to enjoy. (Glass half-full is the way of Filmic Forays after all.) Chief among these is the rapport between Thompson and Hemsworth, a chemistry already proven in Thor: Ragnarok. They simply ease into their characters, finding a different but equally relaxed rhythm to the one they had as Thor and Valkyrie and quickly becoming the movie's comic lifeblood. Add The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani voicing their third wheel, a sentient chess piece referred to as Pawny, and you have a likeable central dynamic throughout.

Rafe Spall adds needle as H's obnoxious work colleague (not for nothing is he named Agent C), while Emma Thompson adds her customary class in what few scenes she's in. And it's interesting to watch Liam Neeson as UK's MiB boss, the pun-tastically named High T, if only to ponder how well he can salvage his career following that high-profile PR disaster he inflicted on himself back in March. There's fun to be had with new locations too: London makes a fine backdrop for the agents' investigations, while there's a nice visual contrast in the street markets of Marrakesh and some jaunty escapades on a Mediterranean island. 

In short there's enough to keep things ticking over entertainment-wise, but not the ideas nor the conviction to set them alight. It's a waste, because the central team establish a great connection, one that might have been explored sometime again. (While the movie doesn't embarrass itself by trumpeting an intended sequel, it's obvious that Agents M & H have been set up for further adventures.) Ultimately, though, the question to be asked of any sequel is the one that occurred to me on catching sight of that poster. Why? Sadly, despite its plus-points, Men in Black: International simply can't muster a really good answer. 

Gut Reaction: Prepared to be bored, but reasonably amused and engaged instead.

Memorable Moment: Pawny to the rescue.

Ed's Verdict: 6.5/10. Solidly made and nicely played, this MiB reboot needs some bold new conceit to justify its existence. As a Friday night out it's enjoyable. Quite, not very.