Review of MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL: Newly Neuralyzed

June 12, 2019

This sci-fi/ comedy film franchise about an organization that monitored alien activities on earth began way back in 1997 with the first film "Men in Black" starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as partner agents J and K. A sequel was released in 2002, and the third film in 2012. With this fourth film in 2019, the franchise is being rebooted with a totally new cast, no Smith nor Jones, nor their respective characters anymore. 

Molly was an inadvertent witness to a "Men in Black" operation when she was a little girl. Growing up, she was obsessed about becoming a "Man in Black" herself. So when the opportunity presented itself, she boldly grabbed it and was accepted as an agent in probation (codenamed M). For her first mission, she was sent to investigate a case in MiB UK branch in London. The popular Agent H, noted for once saving the world from the alien invaders, took her under his wing as partner. 

Chris Hemsworth continues his roll of taking on comedy roles, as he had done so in "Ghostbusters," "Thor Ragnarok" and even in "Avengers: Endgame." He's really grown quite comfortable playing this dapper, debonair, cocky jock who may or may not have all the brains to match his brawn, a ladies man even among the alien varieties. This character was like second skin to him, the comedy did not feel forced and was actually quite funny. 

Tessa Thompson played Agent M. Thompson had been with Hemsworth before as Thor's partner Valkyrie in two films. Their working chemistry as work buddies was quite evident and very entertaining in all their scenes together, with Thompson as the straight guy to Hemsworth's comic. Thompson played Agent M as the wide-eyed neophyte who was street-smart and never one to back off from a fight with alien species unknown. 

The usual cute and colorful variety of alien species for which the Men in Black was known for was still there. The audience favorite in this installment was the adorable little Pawny (voiced by Pakistani-American comedian Kumail Nanjiani), a smart and sassy chess pawn who swore to serve Agent M as his queen. There were also a couple of powerful sinister aliens who took the form of human twins, played by French hiphop dancers Laurent and Larry Bourgeois

Several veteran British actors lend support behind the lead cast. Liam Neeson played Agent High T, who was Agent H's senior partner when they defeated the Hive on the Eiffel Tower in 2016, and was now the head of MiB UK. Rafe Spall played the annoying Agent C, always suspicious of Agent H's cavalier work attitudes. Emma Thompson played Agent O, the head of MiB USA (taking over from Rip Torn's Zed in the previous films). Rebecca Ferguson was again unrecognizable as the beautiful but deadly three-armed alien named Riza, who once had a serious fling with Agent H. 

This new film felt shallower and more juvenile than the Smith and Jones series. With this reboot film, director F. Gary Gray practically "neuralyzed" the old MiB series, with minimal sentimental nostalgia. He introduced new characters, new rules, new weapons and new settings to revive the franchise for a new generation of viewers, but without losing the fun spirit of the original MiB films.  6/10.