New to On Demand and DVD: Men in Black International
They are mysterious. They are secretive. They blend in with their surroundings. “They” are the Men in Black, and they never leave a trail of evidence that would lead people back to them — at least, not until now, in the film Men in Black: International.
In this new effort, director F. Gary Gray introduces us to the story of Molly (Tessa Thompson), who, as a child, had her first alien encounter and witnessed mysterious men in black erasing her parents’ memories. But the agents didn’t wipe Molly’s brain, and since then, she has spent every waking moment searching to prove that aliens and the Men in Black are real.
For Molly, the quest to find the elusive organization led her to apply to the FBI, the CIA and every governmental agency she knew of before finally finding MIB headquarters. Once there, she convinces Agent O (Emma Thompson), the lone carryover from Men in Black 3, to give her a chance. Training ensues, and after she passes through the program with flying colors, Molly, now known as Agent M, is sent overseas for her first mission.
In London, station chief Agent High T (Liam Neeson) partners M up with Agent H (Chris Hemsworth). The two set off to Paris on their first mission. Together, they find a fun alien accomplice named Pawny (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani), who pledges his service to Agent M, and meet a variety of other agents and crazy aliens as they try to save the world, of course — it is what the Men in Black do best.
Now that I have spent all these words telling you about the film, I need to boil down what I thought of the movie. The first 20 minutes are enjoyable. I found myself smiling and laughing and having a good time. But then came the middle of the film, and the movie transitioned from being fun and funny to slowing to a snail’s crawl.
It ended with a solid 10 minutes, but the meaty midsection of the film featured a clever hammer gag with Hemsworth, and that was about it.
I like Hemsworth, both Thompsons, Nanjiani, Neeson and so many others who were a part of this film. Unfortunately, I did not like the film as much as I wanted to, and that’s sad.
Men in Black: International is available On Demand and on DVD beginning Sept. 3. Check your cable system for availability
