Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson star as Agent H and Agent M, who employ high-tech weaponry to battle mischievous aliens on Earth. However, the pair also discover a major threat within their own ranks.
Men In Black: International has brought Thor: Ragnarok stars Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth back together. The duo did a good job in Ragnarok injecting some comedic elements due to the opposing nature of their personalities, which worked well within their acting capabilities (we all remember how long it took for Hemsworth to really nail the Thor character). That charisma and onscreen chemistry between them is lacking this time around, and MIB: International falls flat because of it.
The whole "International" aspect is overstated and is more closely aligned with Kingsman: The Golden Circle where a UK agent is sent to the US agency or vice versa. With very little travelling involved outside of those areas, it seems unnecessary to draw attention to it by putting it in the title. It just heightens expectations without a satisfying payoff.
It simply doesn't feel like the film is happening in the same world as the three previous Men In Black films. Apart from some very minimal cameos from Frank and the worms, there is nothing from the original trilogies that feels familiar (unless you consider wearing black suits to be enough).
The biggest issue with the film comes from its antagonist, or more specifically its lack of one. There are two creatures that Thompson and Hemsworth's characters (Agent M and Agent H respectively) must repeatedly battle, but when fighting against a creature that doesn't actually have a physical body, the fight loses all tension as there is no way to win. That is ignoring the fact that they are not the big bad in the film, but nothing is revealed until what feels like the epilogue of the film. Which is no help for building suspense or providing a direction for the plot. There is no impending threat to care about.
There is no real narrative direction to the plot; no reason why any of the characters are doing what they are doing. There is the basic "retrieve alien MacGuffin before bad aliens get it" that every Men In Black film has, but there are no other driving factors. Everything seems to revolve around trying to fix a previous stuff-ups and reactionary plot lines are signs of incredibly lazy writing.
Visually, the Men In Black: International is very slick and sleek. Everything is either crisp black and whites, neon blues, or spotless chrome, and is a very consistent colour palette throughout the film. It serves no purpose though. None of the weaponry is awe-inspiring or exciting in the face of enemies that are effectively giant gas clouds with powers. Far too clean, the film looks sterile.
One of the aspects that has always kept the franchise fresh, was the comedy. This one struggles in that respect aswell. If you have ever seen clips of sitcoms with the laugh tracks removed, you'll notice who the actors actually leave time for the audience to laugh, and it sounds very awkward without the laughs inserted. Films do not have such laugh tracks, and as such, if the jokes do not land, we are left with an awkward silence that makes the joke feel even worse and has a negative effect on the tone.
Don't get me wrong, the film is not horrible. It is simply mediocre and lacks anything that would be considered memorable. If you are after something to zone out to after a stressful work week or to keep the kids quiet for a couple of hours, then this will be fine. But it fails to come close to the quality of any of the previous Men In Black films. With no chemistry, a lack of aliens, a lack of antagonists, and no direction in the narrative, Men In Black: International falls flat; a pretty exterior with no content.