It’s Ok to Leave things in the Past

Men In Black International

by Kathia Woods

Men In Black was initially introduced to us in 1997 starring the iconic Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. It's 2019, and we have a new dynamic duo, Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth.

Thompson is an alien conspiracy follower, and Hemsworth is the good-looking super-agent Agent H representing the international wing of the agency. His mentor Agent High T embodied by Liam Neeson is the man in charge.

They are still chasing extra-terrestrials that threaten the sanctity of mother earth, but this time the threat is internal as well. The agency has a mole.

There were high expectations for Men in Black International. Thompson is coming off the success of Creed 2 and Hemsworth of the juggernaut known as The Avengers. They first worked together in the hit Thor- Ragnarok so one would think that they would strike magic again. Sadly No.

The issue with this movie is that the plot is all over the place. We have two great actors with great comedic timing that were given this common theme. The film opens with a daring mission in Paris and then pivots to Agent M childhood. Young Molly embodied by Mandeiya Flory first sees the Men In Black twenty years ago during her first contact with an alien, since then she's been obsessed with joining the agency. Back in the future, she finally locates the elusive group and is given a chance to prove herself by Agent O played by the charming Emma Thompson. The interaction between Thompson and Thompson were one of the better parts of the movie. The joy of finally getting fitted for that black jacket meant everything to Molly.

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't continue this euphoric ride. Men In Black International has an opportunity to create great comedic moments just like its predecessor however the script never takes advantage of the enthusiastic spirit of Agent M and the boisterous self-indulgent Agent H. The jokes are flat and predictable. One minute we're looking for a killer, then a mole inserted with agent H enemies coming back to haunt him. It's dizzying just typing all the events; hence, the audience never connects to these characters. Kumail Nanjiani was added as Pawny to bring additional comedic relief, but even he can't save this film. I was delighted to see dance icons Les Twins make their screen debut, but they too deserved better.

So let's review you have Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Emma Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani and Liam Neeson yet Men In Black International still is dismal. The blame for that are screenwriters Matt Holloway and Art Marcum. They never managed to understand who these characters are instead built a script on cheap jokes sprinkled in with fake feminism. F. Gary Gray attempted despite the above to cut and piece together a fun ride, but it's hard when the foundation is shaky. This is one time where special effect and star power doesn't translate into a winner.

If you want to see a better connection between Thompson and Hemsworth watch Thor Ragnarok. Men In Black International was an idea that needed to stay on paper.

Diversity: This movie gets a 5 for Tessa Thompson and Emma Thompson. Kumail Nanjiani was also cast, but he plays a pawn.

Scale: This movie receives a 5 for messiness.