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James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated Men in Black International (2019) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019

Not quite a noisy cricket.

I saw this film with an open mind, figuring (as is sadly the case more and more nowadays) I had seen the best parts of the movie in the trailers. I had seen other reviews which had been overwhelmingly negative. I wasn't expecting much, but it was two hours away from the world, so what the hell.

Definitely not the best film I've ever seen, but surprisingly far from the worst.

The plot is simple enough - there's a mole within MiB that's trying to start a war between a long-forgotten enemy and another race of aliens, which will ultimately endanger the earth. Nothing we haven't seen before.

But it's actually pretty good fun. The chemistry between the two leads (Thor and Valkyrie!) is a joy to watch, and if nothing else, this movie serves to reiterate what we first found out in the "Ghostbusters" remake - Chris Hemsworth is hilarious! His comedic timing is brilliant, and he's a genuinely funny guy which shines in the right role (see "Thor: Ragnarok").

Sadly, I guessed the *big twist* from watching the trailers. Figured it was obvious, as we've all seen this type of film/story before. And if I could figure it out, most other people probably can, too. As the film entered its third act, I found myself hoping my prediction was wrong, just to inject a little more life into the experience, but nope... nailed it.

Whilst there are subtle nods to the original films, they aren't required viewing ahead of watching this. A cross between a sequel and a reboot, it stands well on its own merits.

I think with a film like this, you're never going to get an "Avatar" or a "Shawshank Redemption" experience. Not that this is bad, per se, but because the level of potential quality will always be limited by its content and genre. Same way an "Expendables" movie would never win an Oscar. I think they're brilliant, but they are what they are and nothing more. Same here. It's not a bad film. It's not a great film. It's just a film. Would I have paid to see it in hindsight? Perhaps not. But definitely catch it when it's on Netflix.