No one knows why Men in Black: International was made. Even with likable stars such as Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, there was no reason for the film to be made. I was willing to give the film a chance though. Give it a chance to prove me wrong. Sadly, I was right. Men in Black: International is such an uninspired reboot that completely wastes the chemistry of Hemsworth and Thompson. To be fair, they do their best to try and salvage what material they had to work with.
But the storyline just isn’t interesting or engaging. At the same time, the mystery the MacGuffin and the mole just feel too generic and unimaginative for audiences to care about these storylines. Because of that, the storyline becomes too predictable. The “mole” storyline is hinted at early on but it doesn’t come up again until towards the end of the film. There’s no build-up or progression to this. Yet when they reveal who the mole is, you’re thinking to yourself “I knew it!”
At the same time, the twins, who were under the disguise of being the villains, are simply one-dimensional characters. Not surprising since they barely talk in the film. Yet these characters do have a high cool factor since their powers are very cinematic. When they transform into a “galaxy”, it’s beautiful to look at. It’s a far cry from the look of the ugly roach from the first Men in Black.
The saddest part about the film is that the filmmakers somehow both Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson less charismatic. We know from Thor: Ragnarok what they’re capable of. Yet their relationship just feels stale. Not to mention, funnyman Kumail Nanjiani is severely underutilized here. His presence and dialogue occur during random times. At times, it makes me think if his role was just shoehorned in at the last minute.
Overall, Men in Black: International is a dull, generic reboot that you’ll learn to quickly forget. Seeing Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth in a buddy comedy should’ve worked, but sadly, it doesn’t.
Movie Rating: 1.5/5 atoms
Video
Men in Black: International hits Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG-AVC with a 2.00:1 aspect ratio. For a 1080p Blu-ray, the picture looks fantastic… It just maybe a little too bright, though. The overall high brightness of the picture causes a few moments of bloom where the details in these areas are lost. On the other hand, the shadows and blacks look great here. There’s a nice definition in the shadow details with a slight crush in the shadow areas.
Also, the high brightness and right amount of saturation do equal to vibrant colors that pop from the screen. The galaxy look of the twins is one of the highlights of the video transfer. But the best thing about the picture is easily the detail clarity. The details are super incredibly clear that it looks like a 4K release (from afar). However, there are some drawbacks to this. The super clear picture does highlight the plastic look of the alien skin CGI. Overall, this is a good video transfer despite the high brightness.
Video Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Audio
Men in Black: International hits Blu-ray with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The audio mix for Men in Black: International is quite a lively mix. The movement of the aliens inside MIB headquarters and the action sequences zips and flies all over the soundstage. Also, there’s distinct and audible atmospherics at each of the robust locations which adds immersion to a scene. At the same time, there are sound effects that also fill up the entire soundstage. Effects like announcements or soundwaves.
Unfortunately, there are times where the mix does slightly drown out the dialogue. It also doesn’t help that a majority of the actors have accents which makes it hard for the viewer to understand what they’re saying. Also, the music sounds static across the soundstage. There aren’t any layering of instruments nor are there dynamic usage of the score. Despite that, the music does fill up the entire soundstage. Overall, this is a decent audio mix.
Audio Rating: 4/5 atoms
Special Features
Men in Black: International has the following special features on the Blu-ray disc:
- Gag Reel
- Alien Shopping Network!
- Alien-cestry.com
- The Neuralyzer: Like It Never Happened
- Deleted Scenes
- Do Not Turn Around!
- We Need To See the Queen
- Extended Nightclub
- How Did They Recruit You?
- Ready for Riza’s
- Pawny Holds Court
- I’m Not Quite Feeling Myself
- History Repeats Itself
- An Annoying Friendship
- New Recruits, Classic Suits
- Let’s Do This! Inside the Actions & Stunts
- Look Right Here: Gadgets, Weapons, & Rides
- Expanding the Universe of MIB
- Frank & Pawny’s Peanut Gallery
- Les Twins Leave It on the Floor
- In Case You’ve Been Neuralyzed: MIB Recap
- The MIB Meet the NBA
The “Alien Shopping Network” is a kind of useless feature where you simply watch MIB-inspired informercials. However, if you like watching infomercials then this short feature is for you. With the deleted scenes, there are a few funny gems in there but you can see why it was cut from the film. Needless to say, the addition of these scenes would’ve improved the quality of the film.
Although there are a lot of featurettes, all of them are short. “New Recruits” highlights the entire cast of the film. While it’s primarily a “pat in the back” featurette, “New Recruits” does have a lot of fun behind-the-scenes shots. “Actions & Stunts” is a fun look at the action sequences in the film. It doesn’t go in-depth but you do get to learn a bit about the film’s various action scenes. “Les Twins” is another one those types of featurettes where the cast and crew praise someone. However, it’s still hypnotic seeing the twins move and dance the way that they do.
Easily the two best featurettes in this release is “Gadgets, Weapons, & Rides” and “Expanding the Universe of MIB”. You’ll get to learn more about the various aspects of the production design of the film. They’re both informative and highly intriguing.
At least the gag reel is hilarious to watch. It looks as if the cast and crew had a lot of fun on set. “Frank and Pawny’s Peanut Gallery” simply just recaps the entire plot for Men in Black: International. However, they do it in a way where it’s like Mystery Science Theater 3000. So anytime you do anything that’s like Mystery Science Theater that’s always a plus.
Special Features Rating: 3.5/5 atoms
Overall, Men in Black: International is an uninspiring and dull reboot that both Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson can’t even save. The video looks phenomenal but the audio mix does have a few issues. The special features are generic, but there are some gems in this release.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 atoms
This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
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