Review Summary: Checks the basic boxes, but never quite takes off.
The Men in Black films are one of those franchises I find to be "guilty pleasures". They're fun, unique and weird. Yet, I don't exactly find them to be the greatest movies. Sometimes they come across as very bizarre instead of something that would be considered thoughtful and interesting. However, I did enjoy the dynamic between Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith's characters, and I personally found the third one to be the best of the bunch.
With this reboot, Sony attempted to bring in actors that have proven themselves in the Marvel universe, Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie). It's not a bad idea, as both had strong chemistry in Thor: Ragnarok. However, the overall result is a mixed bag of sorts. However, it's mostly no fault of the actors. Here, it's the creative decisions of the filmmaking team seemed noticeably lazy at times.
That being said, Thompson is fantastic here. I found her to embody both the seriousness and gravitas of Jones' character and the intellect/youthful vitality of Smith's character from the original trilogy. She hooks you from the beginning and maintains a strong personality throughout. However, Hemsworth is surprisingly ineffective. But, I don't find his acting skills to blame. His character is written essentially as a stereotype, with an almost instantly unlikable personality. I wished that his character would be given more of an interesting angle.
As for the other actors, Kumail Nanjiani voices an animated sidekick that works, but does feel a bit jarring in places. Liam Neeson is solid as an older agent with a couple of tricks up his sleeve, while the always-terrific Emma Thompson is unfortunately limited to just a couple of scenes. But its' Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible movies) that is wasted here as a countess of sorts. Her character here is limited and so ridiculous that I honestly wished someone else could have played her (she honestly deserved better than this).
The action sequences are appropriately thrilling. One in particular involving an intergalactic motorcycle in a Middle Eastern town is a stand-out. And, the pacing is surprisingly nimble. It keeps moving through each scene at a breezy pace, with a much-needed slow-down scene about two-thirds in. This slow-down scene might be the best-written scene in the whole movie, with at least a tiny bit of substance thrown in. Visual effects are decent, with a handful of nice practical touches (including a strong taste in cars).
Story-wise, the first act is definitely the most effective. The first 30 minutes of set-up are very good. Agent M's introduction and her successful (of sorts) infiltration of MIB headquarters is entertaining. However, when Hemsworth's character really starts playing a part in the story, things become much more scattershot and not nearly as intriguing. If this story was more about Molly and her character, it might would have made a better film.
Of course, being a Men in Black movie, there are odd and bizarre moments too. A club scene feels like filler and throwaway material, with some really odd dialogue and camera shots. Ferguson's character scene really feels like it could have been rewritten to be at least a bit less ridiculous. And, there are several odd jokes here that don't hit their mark. In fact, I may have chuckled only three or four times in the whole film. And, Danny Elfman gives a suspenseful tone to the music score (he collaborates this time with Chris Bacon).
However, despite several entertaining moments, you can't help but feel that this movie had the potential to be something even better. Yes, it hits all the required marks for an action flick nowadays. But, it doesn't sound like it was given enough time in development to really create something more memorable. The overall plot is pretty undercooked at times, and the characters also needed a lot of work.
Director F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton, Fate of the Furious) tries to infuse a sense of style and hip-hop flare to this franchise, but even he seems suffocated by franchise, paint-by-numbers constraints. Not saying that's always a bad thing, as Men in Black has always stuck to entertaining tropes, rules and regulations (like the characters themselves). I just wish a few of those rules could be bent a bit in favor of creating a more interesting movie.
My Score: 5.8/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing....
Rating: PG-13 for "sci-fi action, some language and suggestive material"
Recommended age group: Mature teenagers and up.
Violence: A mysterious villain called "The Hive" assumes a human form with a mildly scary real form (bright red substance). They melt one human on contact (we see him slowly disintegrate slightly graphically, then melt on the ground). Another one is melted also. Some intergalactic weaponry is used including guns in a handful of scenes. A car is flipped, killing one character. A handful of scenes of hand-to-hand combat (including one female-on-female). Someone is bitten by an extraterrestrial snake. A scary alien appears in the ending action sequence causing some minor destruction. He's later blown up.
Language: The most common profanity is "a**" (and its counterparts, like "a**hole"), which is used seven times. The s-word is used three times, as is "h*** also. Someone is told to "bug off", which could be misinterpreted for the f-word. There's also two uses each of "p***ed" and "d**k", one of "d***" and other mild insults like "crap", "bloody", "b*gger" and "oh my g**".
Adult Content: Saying he will do anything to be cured of poison, Hemsworth's character is then seen in bed shirtless with an alien female. He takes her tentacled arm off his chest as he redresses himself (it's obvious what this implies). At a club, a male alien gyrates in Molly's direction, to her horror. She says, "I'm not fornicating with an alien!". A group of aliens make a crude allusion to masturbation by saying how much a young male agent uses a neuralizer. An alien says an agent looks "yummy".
Drugs/Alcohol: In one moment, Hemsworth's character inhales a substance that makes him a little woozy (this can definitely be comparable to the effects of drugs). Alcohol is seen in a handful of scenes.
Other: Some lying and deception is clearly going on over at MIB, with a reported mole that constantly deceives and throws people off the case. Hemsworth's character acts pretty selfish and rude through most of the film, with little to no care for others. Someone mentions they were "handcuffed to a horse".
