Speaking of Aliens ... MiB International

[Retread]

Saw the trailer. The steering wheel gag was funny but the rest of it looks like it won't be nearly as much fun as the first three.



Anyone planning to see this?

[HoudiniDerek]

I like the idea that they are trying to build off the idea that there is an international headquarters as well.

Knowing that it will have similar elements, but has the ability to go in different directions might make it more enjoyable or just as enjoyable as the original movies.

I'm open to seeing it and hopeful it will be fun.

[Derek‽]

No thanks. It seems... bland? Recycled? Trying too hard?

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s zero appeal. Perhaps it lacks the darker fantasy of the original. Instead of the revelation that anything slightly out of the ordinary might be alien in origin, this is all lens flare and overuse of CGI to telegraph how weird and out of the ordinary aliens are, as opposed to the absurd mundanity established in the original. (The other sequels shared these problems.)

I’m also not sure I’m entirely sold on the “international” concept. It absolutely makes sense that there would be international offices and agents, of course, but the entire premise of MiB is very Amerocentric. NYC served as the perfect setting for the first film because of the established fact that most aliens came to earth just looking for some place to call home and live their weird little lives in peace. And of course, the very idea of “men in black” is taken from the American conspiracy mythology of FBI/CIA-like government agents in their trademark black suits showing up to silence people who have reported UFO sightings.

I’m not saying such a film set outside the US couldn’t be good, but I think a part of the spirit of the franchise is lost in doing so. It’d be like making an Independence Day sequel set in London—you can do it, and it might turn out alright, but the entire allegory would be lost in doing so. In terms of MiB, I think a better plot would revolve around an established American agent traveling overseas and seeing how different the international branch is when it’s based on local lore. This agent would still act as the audience surrogate since they would have trouble distinguishing local customs from alien quirks, which would act as the learning moment on par with J’s revelation that the streets he thought he knew so well as a member of the NYPD were teeming with small touches he never noticed or imagined until he learned the truth.

[Retread]

Jun 13, 2019 14:17:47 GMT -8 Derek‽ said:

It seems... bland? Recycled? Trying too hard?

Not really / Yes / Very much so.


I think the original worked on the concept that the alien thing was everyday business, not such a big deal for the MiB. Yes it was important work and a daunting task but they pretty much just took everything in stride.

The oration by O in the trailer has mysterious background music and sound effects adding way to much drama. So yeah, trying too hard.

They can't possibly recreate the comic genius of Tommy Lee Jones (his deadpan humor far surpassed any of the zany stuff by Will Smith). In 2, the scene where the neural K blasts Jeebs' head off and J asks "How'd you know his head grows back?" K's reply "It grows back?" is pure gold. Tommy Lee doesn't work the line at all. He just tosses it out there and lets it have its own space.

In 3, Josh Brolin was very effective at creating a young K character but he didn't try to mimic Tommy Lee. He was different because he hadn't had all the experiences the later K had. But it still worked as a comedy because of the interactions between the two main characters.

I'm not seeing any of that level of comedy in the trailer for International. Maybe there will be enough of that in the film itself, but if that's missing I think this one will fall flat. In my personal opinion the greatness of MiB was that although it was a sci-fi/action/adventure, it's roots are firmly in comedy. And the comedy is more than just snappy one-line quips.

[Artemis]

I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm a little skeptical for reasons stated well above, and already I wasn't a huge fan of MiB 2, but there's potential here. Maybe I'll check it out at the dollar theater instead of right when it comes out, but at least pre-reviews I'm interested in seeing it eventually.