A very familiar and hollow story unfolds as Men in Black: International chugs along. Many veteran Men in Black fans will know exactly what they are getting into, and that is the core problem with International. In the past, Men in Black was able to salvage its repetitive loop of alien discovery and extermination with quirky humor and memorable supporting characters. However, this newest Men in Black feature is severely lacking in this aspect, as most of the jokes fall flat. Director F. Gary Gray could have done better, as the film tends to lean on its star power and MiB branding. Entertaining in spots but mostly forgettable, Men in Black: International is an uninspiring reboot for which no one was particularly clamoring.
Agent M (Tessa Thompson) has dedicated her entire life to becoming a MiB agent, after watching her parents get neuralyzied (when the silver tube that makes people forget what they saw) when she was a young child. After years of hard work and a little bit of luck, M finds an MiB office and demands to be recruited. Her first task is to go to the highly respected London office and investigate the possible infiltration of a mole. She then meets with the decorated Agent H (Chris Hemsworth), and the two embark on a journey that has them investigating dangerous alien activity, as they try to save the world from destruction.
MiB: International actually starts out in a new, exciting way. Watching the short montage of M become an MiB agent as she discovers her new workplace is very entertaining. However, the film falters from the moment Agent M meets Agent H, as they go gallivanting across the globe, destroying alien scum while trying to unravel a mystery that is not very captivating. Hemsworth and Thompson don't display the type of chemistry one hopes for; this is likely explained by the lack of engaging dialogue and countless attempts at failed humor. Their cute little alien sidekick, Pawny (Kumail Nanjiani), is a lackluster companion who doesn't offer much besides the occasional light-hearted quip.
It is easy to be negative about the latest MiB reboot, but it would do the film a disservice to not highlight certain action scenes that are truly entertaining, including a nostalgic callback to MiB of old, featuring ridiculous weapons and over-the-top explosions. Unfortunately, the story isn't engaging enough to provide a backbone to these scenes, and at the end of the film, the entire scope of the MiB universe comes off a bit hollow.
With small throwbacks and mentions littered throughout the movie, Men in Black: International attempts but fails as a stand-alone feature, coming across more like a cash-grab rather than a true adaptation of the property. A definite missed opportunity, Men in Black will be forgotten until the next revival.