Men In Black: International [Film Review]

This was on my backburner list, meaning that I didn’t put high precedence on seeing it in the theater. Alas, when I first attempted to see Yesterday (on opening day, actually), the theater was packed with only the front row seats left, so I ditched out and went to see MIB:I instead as it was the only other film showing at the same time.
Truth be told, I don’t remember anything about MIB3 and all I recall about MIB2 is that Linda Fiorentino was in it. I’m also a bit dubious when Hollywood feels the need to reboot a franchise some 7 years down the line and without any of the original cast.
MIB:I was pretty much what you’d expect: lots of CG action enveloping a rudimentary plot. The story actually appears decent enough while you are watching the film, mostly because the pacing is so lightning quick and the effects are so overwhelming that you don’t have time to dissect the story until the film is over. Once you’ve caught your breath and actually have time to reflect you quickly realize that the story was pretty ho-hum, not to mention terribly predictable, and that you were a victim of classic bait-and-switch, here the tactic being the non-stop barrage of explosions, action, and interesting aliens that overwhelm (and eventually numb) your senses.
The cast is decent enough, although Hemsworth just seems to be coasting along on his good looks and leftover Thor charm (the meta reference to his turn as the Norse God of Thunder seen in the trailers falls pretty flat in the film, fwiw). Tessa Thompson is charming, as well, but she, too, just seems to be along for the ride. The scene stealer happens to be Pawny, a diminutive green alien who drops some of the best quips and actually makes the proceedings rise slightly above mediocre. The rest of the cast, which also includes Emma Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, and Liam Neeson, are serviceable in their roles, but ultimately underutilized.
In the end the film is nothing more than a semi-amiable time waster that, like a generic piece of candy, is sweet to the taste, but eventually forgettable once it has melted in your mouth. Oh yeah, I’m pretty confident that we won’t be seeing Men In Black: International 2, unless, say somebody like Netflix ponies up for a streaming series.

Rating: 2/5