'Men In Black: International' slated by critics as 'tiresome and pointless'
Men In Black: International arrives in cinema this week and the first reviews have landed online.
Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth replace Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as the leads of the sci-fi franchise - seven years after the release of the last film.
They play Agent M and Agent H, a rookie and a veteran of the secret organisation, forced together in order to stave off another alien threat to Earth and the entire universe.
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The first reviews have not been kind to the new addition to the MiB franchise with its Rotten Tomatoes score currently sitting at 33% rotten from 23 reviews.
“It’s time once again for what must now be called the Meh in Black, making another intensely tiresome and pointless reappearance,” writes Peter Bradshaw for the Guardian.
“Now with Liam Neeson and Chris Hemsworth on exceptionally charmless animatronic form in their dark suits, like Tussaud dummies with a contractual obligation to appear in a bad film.”
Josh Bell for CBR.com writes, “after a few character-building moments at the beginning of the movie, H and M function mostly as cogs in the convoluted plot, which drags on far too long and never features a compelling (or even clear) antagonist.”
Eric Kohn of IndieWire says, “Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth were a fine pair in Thor: Ragnarok, but they can't rescue this lifeless attempt to capture the original MiB charm.
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However, Beth Elderkin of io9 says, “it kind of feels like the perfect sequel to the original Men in Black. It’s an entertaining movie made better by the people in it.
“There are plot issues, character arcs go unfinished, and the ending felt rushed. But it’s still a campy, cool sci-fi spy thriller.”
Here’s what other people are saying:
You’re not going to need a neutralizer to forget MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL because the lifeless script manages to do that for you the second you step out of that auditorium door. #MIB #MenInBlackInternational
— Rendy Jones (@Rendy_Jones) June 12, 2019
The chemistry Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth had in Thor: Ragnarok is absent from #MenInBlackInternational. There's really nothing compelling you to care about either of their characters or the story + apart from Kumail Nanjiani's Pawnie, there is nothing to laugh at either.
— Hanna Ines Flint (@HannaFlint) June 12, 2019
Wow, #MenInBlackInternational joins the ranks of the other mediocre, generic sequels to coming out this year. Nothing about the movie screams "see me in a theatre," and I struggle to find things to praise. Okay, Pawny was cute af...
Full review tomorrow, but it won't be pretty— EJ Moreno (@EJKhryst) June 12, 2019
This franchise is still alive and well! Hilarious, and manages to feel fresh throughout! #MenInBlackInternational #MIBInternational @MenInBlack
— Klepcx (@Klepcx) June 12, 2019
Though, quite rightly, some people are going to make their own decision on the film:
The review embargo for #MenInBlackInternational is lifted the reviews are negative still seeing the movie Saturday making my own opinion about it pic.twitter.com/VPJrmwz0Ob
— jalisha turner (@pinkyopink) June 12, 2019
Men In Black: International is in cinemas from 13th June