In 1997, the galaxy was treated to the first Men in Black movie and the perfect dynamic duo of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Over two decades and a trilogy later, director F. Gary Gray helms the latest iteration of the story in Men in Black: International. Starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, International serves as a spinoff of the original story, focusing on new characters and the London branch of the MIB organization. With a rough start at the box office, how well does the 2019 movie hold up to its predecessor? Our latest Mandatory Movie Battle pits two generations of alien-fighting secret government agents veering for the top spot in the extraterrestrial franchise.
Cover Photo: Amblin Entertainment
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Men in Black still holds up and will likely forever stand the test of time. Men in Black: International serves as a somewhat enjoyable homage to the first film, but with little focus on its own narrative. Up against an iconic sci-fi action comedy like Men in Black (which even won the 1998 Oscar for Best Makeup and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical), it’s fair to say that Men in Black: International won’t be winning over as many fans as the original. That said, International is a worthy enough contender to spend a night on the couch with, so keep that in mind when the Blu-ray releases later this year.
Overall Winner: Men in Black
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Men in Black Battle
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Leading Duo
Hemsworth and Thompson's Thor: Ragnarok chemistry didn't quite transfer as much as was anticipated for International. Their new characters have a few fun moments together that match the overall tone of the movie, but the duo doesn't come close to the chemistry between Smith and Jones. The relationship between the young Agent Jay and older Agent Kay is key to the success of the first film and remains a fan-favorite odd couple to this day.
Winner: Men in Black
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Plot
Where Men in Black took great care to develop a solid narrative, International failed to maintain a cohesive plot, including a lack of any real risk or urgency. Disjointed at times thanks to apparent rewrites and other alleged issues behind-the-scenes, the latest installment in the franchise suffered the lowest box office opening of the series.
Winner: Men in Black
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Action
Men in Black: International has a few incredible visual effects and fun action sequences, but the movie is not nearly as exciting as the original. Men in Black offers a masterclass in how to combine action, effects, and comedic layers, while International struggles to maintain the balance.
Winner: Men in Black
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Cheesy Dialogue
We had to give International a win somewhere, right? One thing's for sure: Nothing will take you out of the movie faster than a few of the unfortunate lines randomly scattered throughout the spinoff.
Winner: Men in Black: International
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Comedy
Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld struck gold when Smith and Jones were cast in the popular blockbuster. That's not to say Hemsworth and Thompson are incapable of onscreen humor, but their International characters suffered from flat writing where Smith and Jones were able to flourish.
Winner: Men in Black
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Villains
We won't give away the twist ending, but the main antagonists in Men in Black: International, known as the Alien Twins, are pretty freaking cool. The "major" reveal of a key villain in the movie is relatively lackluster, though, and entirely predictable.
The main baddie in Men in Black, Edgar (Vincent D'Onofrio), stands up well on his own against Smith and Jones as a memorable and often times unexpectedly hilarious alien disguised as a human turned cockroach-looking monster we will always appreciate.
Winner: Men in Black
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Pawny
The delightful, tiny alien Pawny, voiced by Kumail Nanjiani, deserves a massive amount of credit for making the movie worth that theater ticket. Point for cutest mini ally goes to our new favorite snarky sidekick.
Winner: Men in Black: International
