The Synopsis
The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.
The Review
Twenty-two years after the original Men in Black comes the fourth film installment in the series, Men in Black: International. As the name would suggest, this is the first time we are taken on a trip with MiB outside of the United States, but it is not the only first for the series. Gone are our friends, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones), and the only reference to them is a single painting relegated to the background of the MiB offices. In their place is now primarily Agent M (Tessa Thompson), a new agent proving her worth by working with the hero of the London branch of MiB, Agent H (Chris Hemsworth).
When their first mission together goes awry and Agent M is only able to talk their way out of trouble by stating there might be a mole in MiB, M and H soon find themselves as rogue agents investigating that very possibility to keep themselves safe. The familiar laser gun-fighting violence of the series continues in International, but there is no blood or gore. Furthermore, the few on-screen deaths that are shown (while potentially unnerving) are not in any way realistic, leading to a kind of cartoon-like violence feel that is not common in many action films today.
Thompson and Hemsworth are not strangers to each other as leads on a film, as they worked together on 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. The pair, however, never seems to reach the potential of their on-screen charisma together that was shown in Ragnarok. Their casting, the writing, and the story of this film can all be described in a single word: stale. International does not take many risks at all in its presentation and writing, and indeed this is why our two lead characters, and the film as a whole, seem to fall a little flat. While it is a fun and straightforward action adventure film with some nostalgic elements to it, Men in Black: International leaves something to be desired, particularly for movie-going families this summer. It is not Dove-Approved.