Men in Black: International (2019)

The difference between this and the original? I didn’t make this review look great. The movie did that for me… and then ruined it.


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🎞️ Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we?

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🛸 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview:

When a mysterious alien threat targets Earth, newbie Agent M (Tessa Thompson) is recruited into the London branch of MIB,

Keep I mind, after Tessa Thompson sneaks her way into MIB headquarters and tells Emma Thompson while she’s tied up thanks to Emma Thompson, that they need her.

And they hire her, because I guess this is how that works?

Where she partners with hotshot legend Agent H (Chris Hemsworth). Together, they investigate a series of alien-related attacks that might be part of a larger conspiracy… and shocker: the truth might hit close to home. Like, “Hey, why is Liam Neeson squinting suspiciously in every scene?” close.


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👽 Character Rundown:

Agent M (Tessa Thompson): A woman who’s been obsessed with finding the MIB since childhood after a close encounter with a fuzzy alien. She’s smart, determined, and one of the only likable parts of the movie.

Agent H (Chris Hemsworth): Supposedly legendary, but mostly comes off like a washed-out frat bro with a neuralyzer. He and M have decent chemistry, but this version of Hemsworth leans hard into dumb-jock mode.

High T (Liam Neeson): Head of MIB London. He’s Agent H’s mentor and father-figure. He seems wise and noble… and yeah, we’ll save that twist for the spoiler segment. But let’s just say Liam Neeson’s role here? Taken… for granted.

Pawny (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani): The comic relief alien chess piece. Sometimes funny, often annoying. He’s trying to be Frank the Pug but ends up as low-rent Rocket Raccoon.

Riza (Rebecca Ferguson): A three-armed alien crime boss who has a brief but memorable fight scene. Shame the movie forgets she exists five minutes later.

The Twins (Les Twins): Two dancing alien assassins made of cosmic energy… that do almost nothing. They’re cool to look at but lack any actual story, character, or threat.

Emma Thompson as Agent O: Yes, she’s back from MIB 3! Briefly. They brought her in just long enough to remind us that better films exist.

The Worm Guys: Blink and you’ll miss them. Nostalgia bait achieved.



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⏱️ Pacing / Episode Flow:

This movie moves weirdly. The intro has promise. Then it sags. Then it turns into a globe-hopping buddy film that forgets the “buddy” part. London, Marrakesh, Paris—all feel bland. By the time we hit the third act, it’s like the movie remembered it needed a villain and just copy-pasted a twist from an episode of Scooby-Doo.


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😂 Funny Moments / Dumb Moments:

Funny:

Pawny offering himself in noble sacrifice every five seconds like a space chihuahua.

Hemsworth flirting with an alien tentacle creature. (It’s weird but commits.)

Agent O deadpanning through an awkward intro speech like she’s already regretting signing that sequel contract.


Dumb:

Hemsworth’s Agent H getting mind-controlled off-screen as a throwaway excuse for all his idiotic behavior.

A magical alien super-weapon that fits in your pocket like a USB stick—convenient!

That scene where the Eiffel Tower is casually revealed to be an alien gateway and no one freaks out.

Agent H being considered a legendary hero… despite acting like a himbo 90% of the time.

“We stopped the Hive at the Eiffel Tower!” Flashback: You were lied to. Audience: No duh.



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✅ Pros:

Tessa Thompson brings charisma and heart, trying her best to hold the film together.

Great suit and set design—very MIB.

A couple of decent action sequences.

The worm guys and Agent O returning gave a nice (if brief) connection to the original films.

🧷 The Only Redeemable Thing: Pawny

Let’s be real—MIB: International is a cinematic shrug in a suit. But if there’s one thing that almost made the experience worth it, it’s Pawny.

The tiny alien sidekick voiced by Kumail Nanjiani steals every single scene he’s in. He’s funnier than the leads, more emotionally engaging than the plot, and somehow has more character development than most of the human cast.

He’s loyal, sarcastic, weirdly noble, and fully aware he’s in a bad movie.

> “I pledge loyalty to the queen… and also maybe the audience trying to stay awake.”



If they made a Pawny spin-off short? I’d watch it. Twice.
If he was in MIB 5? Sold.




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❌ Cons:

Zero emotional depth or stakes.

Hemsworth is charming, but directionless—like Thor with no hammer or script.

Poorly developed villains.

Wasted supporting characters like Riza and the Twins.

The final twist is both predictable and underwhelming.

Over-reliance on visual effects without strong character writing.

The film feels like it’s trying way too hard to flex its A-list casting muscle. I mean, we’ve got Emma Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, and Liam Neeson — and instead of elevating the movie, it just highlights how bland the script is. When you assemble the Avengers of respected actors and still can’t make the story hit? That’s a you problem, not a casting win. It’s like putting Gordon Ramsay in a Taco Bell — the talent’s there, but what’s on the menu? Limp.



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Let me know if you want a tag to go with that like “Overstuffed Casting Syndrome” or a full meme caption post for Instagram.





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💬 Final Thoughts:

This had potential. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson should’ve worked. The settings should’ve been cool. And the MIB legacy should’ve made it feel like a true continuation. But instead, we get a film that plays like a bootleg James Bond script re-written by ChatGPT with half a charge left. It’s not offensively bad. It’s just… there. And that might be worse.


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⭐ RATING: 4/10

A big flashy disappointment with brief glimmers of charm—mostly thanks to Thompson. MIB International is like being neuralyzed: you forget it ever happened.


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🚨 Spoiler Warning:

Flashy thing ready. You will now forget everything from here on out if you choose to.


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🧠 Spoilers:

The “big twist” is that High T (Liam Neeson) is secretly a member of the alien Hive. He was taken over during the Eiffel Tower mission years ago and has been pulling strings ever since. Basically, it’s the Let’s Make Liam Neeson the Surprise Villain trope again. It doesn’t work here.

The “Light” of the movie—a powerful alien species—is never really explored. They exist, they’re important, they’re gone. Boom. Bye.

There’s a ridiculous third act shootout where Agent H gets beat up, Agent M has to rally the mission, and Pawny saves the day in a totally ridiculous way.

The weaponized crystal USB-thing is used to blow up the Hive’s incoming forces, and the MIB agents are safe again. H and M return to Earth, their partnership solidified… and so are our regrets.