Men in Black: International

“The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest, most global threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.”

Men in Black: International opens with Agents H (Chris Hemsworth) and T (Liam Neeson) in Paris during an attack by a species known as The Hive. Next, we’re introduced to a young Molly 20 years earlier, witnessing the Men in Black neuralyze her parents as she helps a small and very fluffy alien creature escape. Fast forward to adult Molly (Tessa Thompson) who has lived her life in search of the truth about what happened that night, applying to all the government agencies she can, none of which offer the answers she needs. Her persistence pays off eventually, as she tracks an anomaly falling to Earth, and follows the MiB dispatched to the location. Dressed in a black suit, she acts as if she belongs to infiltrate the organization. Her ingenuity and ability to find the secretive organization intrigues Agent O (Emma Thompson) who recruits her into the organization and sends her to London for assignment. There, she partners with Agent H and uncovers a plot within the MiB.

What I discovered pretty quickly while watching this film is how much I’ve missed this universe. The Men in Black films built their universe extremely well with a lot of fun and action built into it, the best part being the humor dealing with the extreme varieties of aliens and their cultures blending in with the rest of humanity. Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth fit right in their roles and naturally have good chemistry together, previously demonstrated with Thor: Ragnarok. The action was well done, as was the CG and cool futuristic items/weapons the MiB employ, and there is a great nod to the original trilogy. Overall, this is a good start at a new direction for the franchise, expanding the universe globally, and I applaud Sony for going this direction and not adding it to the reboot machine.

As much as I wanted to like the film, there were some aspects of it that didn’t work.

The entire mystery of ‘who is the mole?’ is glaringly obvious. Of course, I won’t give away who it is if you want to try and turn off your brain to be surprised, but the half-hearted attempts to throw you off the trail are very weak. Pacing seems to stall a bit in the latter half of the film while it tries to figure out who to throw out next as the possible antagonist, but most likely has to do with the introduction of the worst character in the entire MiB universe, perhaps of any character in recent memory: Pawny, voiced by Kumail Nanjiani. Now, I like Kumail Nanjiani, his stand up is great, as is his film, The Big Sick. However, in Men in Black: International, he is the unfunniest part of it all. The entire character of Pawny seems to be an afterthought, quickly added into the film because some test audience didn’t think it was funny enough. I don’t know if this is true or not, but when I think back to the first trailers for the film, there was no hint of this character at all. Then, in the final trailer, there he is, standing on Tessa Thompson’s shoulder the entire film, injecting bland, sarcastic and horribly delivered lines with little to no reaction from the human co-stars. This character serves virtually no purpose and for me, brought the film down several levels. I hated Pawny, and wanted to turn off the film every time he spoke. Unfortunately, the comedy isn’t the only detriment to the story. Several coincidental, deus ex machina moments seem to fix all the problems in certain sequences, a product of lazy writing.

Men in Black: International makes some good strides at beginning a new chapter in the MiB universe, but fails to materialize on several levels. Although it’s an entertaining ride for the most part, the bland humor, the predictable plot, and coincidental fixes for some of the conflicts make it a much harder sell. If they make another, hopefully they’ll tone down these flaws to make a more coherent and enjoyable story.

Video

Men in Black: International is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.00:1. The transfer looks exceptional, with a very clear and detailed picture. The film, for the most part, is very dark, taking place at night and with dark tones. The vivid and bright colors are balanced nicely against the tone of the film with no defects noticed.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The audio is exceptional as well, although I’m not sure why they didn’t go all out for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X given the profile of the film with no shortages of action sequences. Regardless, the surrounds are still utilized nicely for those action sequences, atmospheric effects, futuristic guns firing, etc. Dialogue is clear and concise from the center channel, and the score is instantly recognizable from the original trilogy with minor alterations and accompaniments.

Special Features

There are some interesting extras on this set, a wealth of material for fans who enjoyed the film:

• Gag Reel
• Alien Shopping Network!
• Deleted Scenes
• New Recruits, Classic Suits
• Let’s Do This! Inside the Action & Stunts
• Look Right Here: Gadgets, Weapons & Rides (
• Expanding the Universe of MIB
• Frank & Pawny’s Peanut Gallery
• Les Twins Leave it on the Floor
• In Case You’ve Been Neutralized: MIB Recap
• The MIB Meet the NBA
• Previews

Men in Black: International may not find the right groove as the originals did, but it presents an entertaining story with some great chemistry between its lead actors. I’m hoping there are more stories to tell in this universe, and that they get it right the next time.