'Men in Black: International' -- A Fun But Riskless and Calculable Revamp

"Here come the Men in Black, they won't let you remember."

That lyric in the 90s bop by Will Smith (add International in it) rings true to this Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson-starred installment of the franchise that once was charmed by the iconic men in suit duo of the actor-singer and Tommy Lee Jones.

Columbia Pictures

Still active and running, the alien-friendly company driven by men and women in slick suits have expanded to cover and protect the planet from alien invaders. Smith and Lee's Agents J and K now serve as MIB heroes, where their portraits illuminate the agency's wall of achievements. Along with them is another victory portrait of High T (Liam Neeson) and Agent H (Hemsworth) after defeating 'The Hive', a group of alien invaders that attacked Paris which prompted them to travel and protect the other parts of the globe.

This successful franchise has always been about these men, despite being led by their female head reprised briefly by Emma Thompson. So this revamp feels especially fresh now with Tessa Thompson's presence. She plays Agent M, the rookie, who as a young girl, had an encounter with a cute and harmless visitor from another world.

The introductions of Agent H and, especially Agent M, are actually really engaging. But once they were forced to work together, not so much--even when they've already shared comedic scenes in another not-so-recent superhero movie. They're not to blame, though, as most of the jokes are just difficult to land and they were given a story that's a bit riskless, considering this is about defeating dangerous aliens. The calculable plots and twists don't help either.

The move to different locations such as Paris, Marrakesh, and Naples are fun and new, but there's an element of dryness on how these beautiful and colorful locations are utilized. Even the aliens living in them are too weird even for extra-terrestrial standards. One even lives on a man's face camouflaged as a beard. It's Kumail Nanjiani's Pawny that saves this film from being a drag. Apparently, the written jokes are more apt for a tiny, diminutive alien disguised as a Pawn chess piece.

Men in Black: International is still very much true to its franchise. It just lacks its predecessor's charm. Yes, even with Tessa Thompson's likable character and Hemsworth's screaming magnetism. With a regular and predictable blockbuster story, there's no way to redefine this franchise even if they put a woman on the forefront.