The Men in Black franchise is amazing. They have a whole universe to explore, they could literally do anything with it. It has so much potential, yet it continually does the same thing.
Every single one of these movies has the teacher and student dynamic. Perhaps one of these days a Men in Black film will consist of more than an agent that has saved the world explaining the wonders of this fictional world to another clueless character. After 4 films, it's safe to assume we know this world by now.
On paper, Men in Black: International is intriguing. The franchise was taking a bold move and was branching away from the same characters and the Will Smith humour. Unfortunately, they kept that 2000s slapstick humour that no one can really pull off like Smith leaving the comedy falling short.
The winning quality for the film was the star-studded leads; Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth. Audiences who have seen Thor: Ragnarok can attest to their undeniable on-screen chemistry. They bounce off of each other so well. Even when the plot is poor, the relationship these two have is enough to want to keep you watching.
But alas, this great power pair was wasted just like all of this film’s potential. All we can hope for is a sequel with a change in the creative team that can utilize this comedy duo’s chemistry.
A pleasant surprise in this film is Kumail Nanjiani's CGI character, Pawny. While probably only in the film so that the studio can sell toys, he was one of the most entertaining elements. Pawny's comedic timing was one of the only things that landed.
The star quality of this film just about saves Men in Black: International from being a complete flop. While not being awful, it isn't exactly memorable. It's something to watch when you're bored, keeping you somewhat entertained as it's not hard to follow, and then walk away and immediately forget about it.
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