No-one was asking for a new Men in Black movie, but with charismatic superstars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thomson teaming up to take on the alien scum, there was cautious optimism that it might just be a rollicking good time. Nope. There's no amount of actor charm capable of elevating such a slapdash, clunky and utterly dull reboot that goes from weakness to weakness over its excruciating (nearly) two hours runtime. The flaws start with the script; a concoction of lazy clichés, signposted plot turns and unintentionally ridiculous dialogue, the jokes landing with all the amusement of a punch in the genitals. F. Gary Gray's direction doesn't exactly turn the tide either, the action sequences are messy, filled to the brim with atrocious visual effects and straight up boring. If ever there felt like a 'paycheque movie' for a filmmaker, this is it. The leading duo give it their best - Hemsworth all goofy self-deprecation as the famed Agent H whilst Thomson plays it calm and cool as the new-kid-on-the-block Agent M - but they don't find the same level of chemistry they had in Thor: Ragnarok. Elsewhere Liam Neeson phones in a yawn-inducing turn as head of the London MIB branch, Rebecca Ferguson is awkward as infamous arms-dealing creature Riza, and Kumail Nanjiani is the standout (low bar) as the voice of an over-confident 2-inch tall alien soldier. A complete waste of time and a low point for all involved, MIB: International will offer very little even to the least-demanding of cinema goers. Go re-watch the entertaining 1997 original instead.
Review of Men in Black: International
