By: Keaton Marcus

filmkritik-men-in-black-international-e1560335543902.jpg — 35/100 “sour”

Remember the blissful paradise that was the 1997 version of "Men in Black", starring both Will Smith, and Tommy Lee Jones as hysterical partners. The film was entertaining, and a clever twist of two genres: buddy comedy, and sci-fi action--and it worked. Then, obviously, cause of the hit it was in the box office, the retro cop flick sprouted two other money-makings and expensive sequels--both of which disappointed with the quality. After the finale of the worn-out trilogy, nobody was really praying for another MIB installment. Well, too bad folks, F. Gary Gray decided to reboot the franchise; this time starring Tessa Thompson, and Chris Hemsworth. The two fine cast members shined in the likes of "Thor: Ragnarok", and had terrific chemistry together. The two clearly have not completely lost their comedic touch, however, its the film around them that disappoints. Let's see...the reboot looks great, has an extremely talented cast, yet it's so so shallow on the inside and even dulls at moments. Yes, there is the occasional yuk here and there, but the sporadic amusements cannot quite save the sheer disappointment that was the film.

In "International", the uninspired reboot that was decided to be made whatsoever--has a globe-trotting hodgepodge of a storyline. One of the first few scenes tells the origin story for Molly, aka Agent M--played by Thompson. One night, a small alien broke into her childhood home--and of course, the MIB responded immediately, wiping the parent's minds; however, they forgot to wipe Molly's brain of the creature, and thus began her grand search for the Men in Black. Around 20 years later, Molly finally found her treasure, and easily broke into the organization, only to be caught by Agent O (Emma Thompson), and brought into questioning. When she convinces O into letting her into training, Molly gracefully passes the classes--and becomes Agent M. Soon after, her and Agent H (a brilliant Chris Hemsworth) become crime partners. Their focused case is to exploit an alien species called the Hive, who can shapeshift into humans, including other MIB agents. The plot ends so complicatedly and uninspired, most will not follow. The audiences, well, they"ll just ride on the substantial chemistry of the two charming stars.

Mentioned many times before, Hemsworth and Thompson are an incredible duo, possibly the only memorable bit of the film. When the dialogue gets dull, or the around-the-globe storyline becomes too complicated, you rely on the two stars to bring you occasional moments of a fun, popcorn flick-type buddy comedy. In fact, it saves the film from being a total disaster, offering laughs here and there, and the ability to look "damn good" while donned with MIB suits. Hemsworth's last major role was in this year's "Avengers: Endgame", playing Fat Thor, he was hysterical and had surprisingly elaborate make-up--otherwise, Thompson had a minor part in "Endgame", and partook a sizable role in "Creed II". As said beforehand, both have shown solid significances of comedic force, and it's well shown here.

The supporting cast also has considerable chemistry with our leaders--it includes Liam Neeson, who plays High T, the leader of the London branch--and mentioned before, Agent O, who is played by a decent Emma Thompson. Otherwise, we also meet Agent H's ex-girlfriend, who turns out to be an alien of sorts who has multiple limbs. Her name's Riza and is played by a stiff Rebecca Ferguson, who really shouldn't be in a sci-fi film. The most memorable of the supporting bunch is a little alien dubbed "Pawny" by Agent M and is performed by a superb Kumail Nanjiani, who has the most giggles out of the all-star crew and blends naturally with the remnant of the cast.

Filmmaker F. Gary Gray has directed many bad-ass sorts of flicks, including the likes of "The Italian Job" (75% "sweet"), "The Fate of the Furious" (65% "sweet/sour"), and even "Straight Outta Compton". Really, he's perfect for the film, which blends action and comedy--it was truly a smart choice by Sony. However, the actually skilled director is let down by an underwhelming screenplay by Art Marcum. Not only is the script irritating, the plot and the character development fail to amaze in this forgettable reboot--making it a dazzling, but brainless adaptation. Yes, for the cast, and the visuals, I'll watch--but, for the remainder of the film, well, you can neutralize me, make me forget everything that happened.

The final verdict is: "Men in Black International" delivers elegant chemistry by both Chris Hemsworth, and Tessa Thompson--along with with some dazzling set-pieces, but the forgettable reboot has immense troubles with the screenplay, it's globe-trotting storytelling, and the disregard of the heart shown brightly in the original...$KIP IT

By: Keaton Marcus