Here they come- it’s the Men In Black. You know the song, you know how this movie should go. We expect interesting aliens, celebs outed as aliens and tons of laughs. Well, 2 out of the 3 isn’t bad- except when it is. Trust me: it pains me to say that. I’d say kids under a certain age should skip this one in my Men In Black: International Parent Movie Review.
When I heard that Thor and Valkeryie were teaming up as part of one of my favorite comedy-adventure franchises, I was expecting great things. Thor: Ragnarok, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson proved that these two stars have both the comedy and action background to make this movie work.
But it just doesn’t.
The Men In Black movies are ones I never pass up when they show up on the TV Guide. They are just pure comedy gold, wrapped inside some action-adventure. A little mindless but a lot timeless and that’s how I like my movies.
This one? It was boring and that alone was disappointing. But there are more issues covered in this Men In Black: International parent movie review.
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About Men In Black: International
The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 114 Minutes
Men In Black: International Review
This movie had potential and for the first 15 minutes or so, I was hopeful. But the pacing fell off, and the chemistry between the stars that we’ve seen elsewhere was pretty much non-existent. I never thought I’d say Hemsworth was boring- yet, here I am.
As a Marvel movie fan who adored the pair’s shared screen time in Thor: Ragnarok, I felt some loss at the wasted potential here. I kept thinking there would be a turn around when Agent M felt a little more at home in the agent role, but that never came. The movie rolled on and on (and on) and nothing changed.
For those wondering, yes, there is one Thor joke in the film but even that barely registered as funny on my radar. And you know I was looking for it.
I don’t need the flashy-thing to erase the movie from my mind because it’s not all bad. It just doesn’t compare or hold up with the other movies in the franchise, and I can’t say the stars are to blame.
When you have Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson in a movie, you shouldn’t waste them.
And they were both wasted with limited room to flex on screen.
The script and direction were both uninspired and frankly boring.
There’s a mole in MIB? Who could it be? The list was stupid short and this one was obvious from the moment the idea is floated.
The movie is about 30 minutes longer than it needs to be which added to the disappointment. Slow and dull, this Men In Black didn’t stand much of a chance at bringing the laughs.
The one exception is Kumail Nanjiani whose role was both charming and fun- and most appreciated. If they try to make a sequel and don’t include him, I won’t bother. Not that I think there will be one or even needs to be one. Just saying: he was adorable.
No-Guilt Fangirls Podcast Men In Black International Review
Are There End Credit Scenes in Men In Black: International?
There are not. I honestly felt like the movie makers knew this thing had gone on way too long and just rolled the credits to get it over with.
Nothing to stick around for unless you want to see who you need to blame for wasting your time.
When Can You Pee During Men In Black: International?
This movie is slow and bland, so you could dip out at pretty much any point and be ok. You won’t miss much as far as plot or even incredible moments you’d regret, so feel free to go when you’ve got to go.
But if you need suggestions on when you can run to the bathroom during Men In Black: International, here are some suggestions:
- When the agents team up and get out of the car to head to the club to meet the Jababbian at 30-minute mark
- After Agent High T tells them to run and get safe around the 1-hour mark
- When the agents show up in Naples at the 1:25 mark
Men In Black International Parent Movie Review
If you are thinking of taking the younger kids or the whole family, I’d advise against it.
As I’ve mentioned, the pace is slow and this movie is long. Little ones are never going to get sucked in enough to really embrace the movie and will end up getting fidgety in no time.
This is one of those that you’ll do better waiting for streaming, just in case you need to watch it in spurts due to the inability to hold kids attention.
There’s also a scene that suggests Agent H sleeps with a woman alien to get out of a tight jam. You don’t see anything other than a naked Hemsworth chest but it’s still a scene you should know about in this Men in Black: International parent movie review.
And there’s language. A lot of it. Back to the lazy scriptwriting: this one goes overboard in using colorful jabs, particularly from Hemsworth. I counted at least 10 instances of swear words that I wouldn’t want my 12-year-old thinking are cool to use and most were absolutely not needed in this story.
Yes, the movie is PG-13 but it’s also part of a franchise that’s been mostly kid-friendly. It didn’t need all the extra language and I might have voted a little differently if they had toned that down.
I’d say teens and up should be fine to see Men In Black: International if you want to spend the money, but there are other movies out right now that are a better use of your time and money.
Rating: 4 (don’t bore me, yo!)
Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.