Men in Black International is a science fiction film, released in Italian theaters on July 25, 2019, directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. The film acts as a spin-off of the original trilogy, enriching the world of Men in Black with different mission parts around the world, since the alien crime does not live only in the United States. Despite a cast that could have competed with that of the first films, the vision is trivial and at times contradictory with what was taught in the past.
Synopsis: A good Men in Black story told the wrong way
The plot of this Men in Black is immediately striking for its linearity. The twists and turns are all too evident even to an inattentive spectator, so much so that one wonders why to present yourself as such.
Molly Wright (Tessa Thompson) sees her parents neuralized on the night when, as a child, their home is crossed by an alien. Not knowing that the girl is awake, MIB agents choose not to neuralize her, allowing her to retain memories. From that moment Molly will spend her life looking for men in black, developing incredible skills thanks to her military skills. In his attempts to trace which institution the MIBs belong to, we discover how he has excellent military, athletic, logical and tactical abilities. Our little Mary Sue, after hacking a satellite, manages to discover the location of a possible alien landing. Arrived on the spot, she follows the MIB to their base, where she is finally discovered. Surprised by her incredible talent, they offer her a job as a trial agent.
Soon Molly, now known as Agent M, will be joined by Agent H to resolve a case. Fans of Men in Black may know this storyline: An important member of an alien race is sent to Earth to protect something, the worst happens and the alien race threatens to destroy the planet if the famous something isn't returned. Trivializing the plot, it is exactly that of the first film with a few more twists. Precisely for this reason we can say that it is a good plot for Men in Black. So what are the problems?
Production: When the producer has to let others work
The problems in this film begin with a struggle of views between director and producer. Over and over F. Gary Gray (director) and Walter Parks (Executive Producer) found themselves clashing, disagreeing about practically nothing. The screenplay had to be more edgy and edgy, tackle deeper themes and have a different villain. This script had been presented and approved by Sony and had attracted the attention of Hemsworth and Thompson, only to be heavily reworked by producer Parks. The same can be said of the editing, where the clash saw the director lose, and the characterization of the characters. Now, in light of the reviews that are coming out and the very negative opinion of the critics on the film, I hope that Parks understands that he has made serious mistakes and lets people do their work.
Cast and Characters: When it is too late to leave a production
This film suffers from an incredible waste of talent. The cast hired for the film should be put in a position to bring out the best in the script but, unfortunately, this does not happen.
Tessa Thompson is therefore forced to interpret a Mary Sue who knows how to do everything best of all, who excels and saves the situation, even if technically she would interpret the agent on probation. Before even entering the MIB, she is a spotless character with very little to learn.
Chris Hemsworth, who in his career has shown us that he knows how to interpret dramatic, self-deprecating, action and comic parts, finds himself stuck in a cartoonesque version of Thor. All with the clear attempt to replicate the chemistry seen in Thor: Ragnarok. His agent H, who theoretically should be "one of the best agents in the world" turns out to be all too often unsuitable, out of place and unable, making us doubt him over and over again. Fortunately, the film promises explanations by letting us notice how the character has changed somewhere in his story. Unfortunately, this explanation never reaches the viewer, who is forced to speculate in order to reach conclusions that clash with MIB's lore.
Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson, two giants of the cinema, receive a small particle that does not allow either of them to express themselves properly.
When you want to go against the past at all costs
There are oversights in the making of this film that make you smile, because you just have to see the first few minutes of the original one to notice it. In the film we often see Agent H not in uniform, without keeping in mind that MIB agents can only wear black clothing. In the same way, we observe astonished chase scenes in urban centers without anyone being neuralized. Where is Agent K when needed?
Why obsessively hammer on how special the role of women is? Virtually everything, more or less explicitly, communicates this concept to us. From the very character of M who surpasses and constantly overshadows agent H to the dispute of the name of Men in Black "Why only Men?". From Agent O to the role of the "Queen", everything suggests that this message must enter our mind, willingly or unwillingly.
A not excellent technical aspect
Excluding the soundtrack, which maintains the solidity of the first chapters of the saga, this film certainly does not shine for fantasy and technique. Aliens are trivial, especially when compared to the results achieved when the available technology was inferior. The editing has small scattered errors and even the photograph, except for a few scenes, is bland.
An enjoyable but certainly not necessary film
Men in Black International is a good movie to watch. In the first instance, it does its job and entertains the viewer, who may also regard him or her later without regretting it. However compared to the previous chapters it is a not indifferent misstep, as the re-production errors have led to a mediocre realization that focuses entirely on the name of the film and on the combination of Thor: Ragnarok.
