Men in Black: International Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Men in Black: International Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 27, 2019

Men in Black: International, the fourth film in the franchise and the first to move away from Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the leading roles, offers more of the same and less reason to watch. New faces do not equal new plot dynamics; this is a familiar if not passably watchable and ultimately stale formula regurgitation jazzed up by some snazzy visual effects (that in truth aren't much better than what the first film threw onto the screen more than two decades ago) and...not much more. Franchise fans yearning to return to the universe will appreciate the fresh coat of paint but that's really all this movie has to offer: a few bells and whistles and but little purpose beyond big box office business.

An upstart MIB agent known as "Agent M," or "Molly" (Tessa Thompson) in the civilian world, is thrust into a world of danger and adventure when she's teamed up with veteran agent "H," or Henry (Chris Hemsworth) to his friends outside the agency, in a globetrotting race against time to unravel a nefarious alien plot and save the world. Sound familiar? International's plot and character dynamics share much in common with the original film (though one of the more obvious changes is that the newcomer, Molly, approaches the work with more seriousness like Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K while the veteran Henry is more like Will Smith's brash agent J). Director F. Gary Gray’s (Law Abiding Citizen) MIB entry benefits from the foundational structure established by the other three films, even if there’s not much of a deviation from it. There’s opportunity to push more directly into the story (as derivative as it may be) rather than build the world from the ground-up. Gray rightly only employs minimal backstory seen through Molly’s eyes, eyes that were not subject to the neuralyser and led to a lifelong fascination with the MIB and a do-anything approach to becoming a part of the team. Molly, like the audience, has been living with the knowledge of the secretive world of MIB and yearns to inject herself into that world (whether the audience really wants to join her is another question), serving as a point of entry for anyone who might only be tangentially familiar with the franchise in what is, here, a soft reboot.

The plot plays second -- and distant -- fiddle to the peripheral elements, dominated by two well rounded performances from the leads who mercifully carry the film through the otherwise rote and recycled narrative beats, the surrounding special effects, and verbal tongue ties that drag rather than draw the viewer into a world that’s all too familiar and, by now, fairly stale. The story is interchangeable with any other MIB iterations: a couple of hotshot agents tackle the same problem by way of their own, sometimes clashing, approaches, surrounded by various creatures and carrying powerful silver weapons of various sizes. A few twists that aren’t difficult to see coming pop up here and there, adding only light intrigue and minimal draw into the story. There’s just nothing of even remote interest here; the plot exists merely to make transitions from scene to scene possible, not to test the audience’s mental mettle. And in some ways that’s OK; MIB is not a franchise meant to stretch the brain, but a story of slightly more originality and purpose is still welcome and, indeed, necessary if there’s to be another film beyond this one.

Men in Black: International Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Men in Black: International's 1080p transfer sits at the format's pinnacle. Even nitpicking there's really nothing of note worth a complaint beyond some noisy establishing cityscape shots, lasting mere seconds within the movie's entirety of runtime. It's boringly exceptional, translating the digitally sourced imagery with the type of high yield clarity, textural richness, and color rendition that Blu-ray was made for. Facial textures are standouts even beyond close-ups. At medium distance viewers will note the complexities inherent to fine features, including individual hair. Various examples of attire shine, from the standard issue MIB suits to street clothes. As the title suggests, the film transitions through a number of locations around the world, each with its own texturally rewarding atmosphere that the Blu-ray reveals with the utmost precision. Even digital constructs -- i.e. aliens -- are realistically and believably tack-sharp. Colors are a strength, handling the black-on-white MIB suits with accuracy while additional hues, particularly those making up the film's colorful cast of otherworldly characters, dazzle. Skin tones are spot-on and black levels are excellent. What an image!

Men in Black: International Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Men in Black: International features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, not the UHD's Dolby Atmos presentation. The track proves that there's still viability in the 5.1 configuration from the outset. The opening title sequence delivers a satisfyingly large, detailed, deeply immersive, and perfectly balanced presentation. And the track never relents from this opening excellence. Action scenes are high yield and the subwoofer works overtime in support of various effects, from weapons blasts to passage through an invisible force field when Molly is getting her feet wet in the world of aliens and MIB. Low end intensity is matched only by prodigious surround implementation which is carefully tuned and perfectly balanced to play in total harmony with the front end and subwoofer. Music is richly detailed and fills the entire stage with excellence, whether score or energized party beats in chapter six. Ambient effects fill in empty spaces and define environments with impressive precision and placement perfection. Dialogue is true to a natural front-center location. It is naturally detailed and well prioritized for the duration. Blu-ray-only fans will not find this track lacking, even if it's not the "best" option on the market.

Men in Black: International Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Men in Black: International contains deleted scenes, a gag reel, and several generic featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Gag Reel (1080p, 2:13): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Alien Shopping Network! (1080p): A two-part feature. Alien-cestry.com (1:20) features Frank pitching an ancestry website while The Neuralyzer: Like It Never Happened (1:04) is an ad for the most famous gadget from the MIB universe. Both include new footage and clips from this and past franchise films.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 11:35 total runtime): Included are 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, and An Annoying Friendship.
• New Recruits, Classic Suits (1080p, 7:04): Talking up the cast and the qualities the actors bring to the film.
• Let's Do This! Inside the Action & Stunts (1080p, 5:43): As the title suggests, this supplement explores the more physically demanding components necessary in making the film.
• Look Right Here: Gadgets, Weapons & Rides (1080p, 4:20): A quick run-down of some of the fictional tech that appears in the film.
• Expanding the Universe of MIB (1080p, 5:57): Shooting in London and Marrakesh and working within the complex sets.
• Frank & Pawny's Peanut Gallery (1080p, 5:36): The obligatory "cute" characters view a few clips from the film, MST3K-style
• Les Twins Leave it on the Floor (1080p, 2:22): Making a dance club scene.
• In Case You've Been Neutralized: MIB Recap (1080p, 3:21): The franchise condensed into three minutes.
• The MIB Meet the NBA (1080p, 2:36): H and M look to the world of basketball to find some aliens.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Men in Black: International Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Men in Black: International is in no way super but it is in every way superfluous. This is, admittedly, a perfectly serviceable but entirely forgettable light reboot that is exactly the kind of film Hollywood loves: a familiar brand retooled with fresh faces and an opportunity to plaster the screen with the latest and greatest in digital technology. In other words, a guaranteed moneymaker. Hemsworth and Thompson slide comfortably into the suits but the film is otherwise fully forgettable. Sony's Blu-ray is, on the other hand, exceptional. Video is pristine and audio, even lacking the UHD's Atmos presentation, is wonderfully dynamic. A handful of extras are included. For fans, this is a must-own.