Parents' Guide to

Men in Black: International

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Reboot looks good but lacks spark; sci-fi/alien violence.

Movie PG-13 2019 115 minutes
Men in Black: International Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • 1:06
  • Men in Black: International Movie: Agent M and Agent H pull out their guns
  • Men in Black: International Movie: Agent M and Agent H in the desert after crashing a motorcycle

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age 12+

Based on 14 parent reviews

EMILIOS K.
EMILIOS K. Parent of 8-year-old
September 3, 2023
age 16+

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 1, 2022
age 12+

Mindless summer blockbuster

A summer blockbuster. Big explosions adjacent to large historical structures. On location with lots of chasing. Good chemistry between Thompson and Hemsworth...not shocking. The only scene that was a definite no-no was the club scene and the CGI that was employed to make Vungus felt a little icky and not in that bad but feels good kind of way. Other than that it was a fun ride.
See all 14 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL, young Molly watches as her parents are visited by the Men in Black and neuralyzed after encountering an alien. She grows up wanting to join MIB and, through great perseverance, finally manages to find their headquarters. She's made a probationary agent, dubbed Agent M (Tessa Thompson), and sent to London, where she meets the reckless, charming Agent H (Chris Hemsworth). Their first mission is to meet a friendly alien called Vungus in a nightclub. After an attack by two powerful alien twins, Vungus gives Agent M a mysterious object, asking her not to trust anyone. Returning to headquarters, Agent M deduces that, for the attack to have happened, there must be a mole inside MIB headquarters. From there, M and H must keep tabs on the strange object -- and figure out what happened to Agent H on his last mission -- before they can save the universe.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (32 ):

The fourth movie in the sci-fi/comedy series arrives at much the same place as the other sequels; it's fine but flat -- it's not as funny, surprising, or wondrous as the 1997 original. Thompson and Hemsworth worked together before in Thor: Ragnarok (and other Avengers movies), but their chemistry is somehow lacking in Men in Black: International. Once Thompson's Agent M achieves her dream, she doesn't seem to have anywhere to go but sideways, and Hemsworth just isn't as charming as he usually is (his character is going through something; he's muted and said to be "acting differently"). And the story they've been given is disappointingly routine, with dull villains and a "surprise" reveal that's all too easy to spot.

The original Men in Black was constantly surprising, since the aliens hid themselves on Earth in clever and unexpected ways; it was also very funny, thanks to Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones' expert-level banter -- not to mention the film's comically nonchalant attitude toward danger. Men in Black: International is more about scary bad guys, cool cars, and explosive weapons than it is about fun aliens or the suit-wearing heroes getting to know each other. It's too busy plowing through its plot to come up with any moments of delight or humanity that really resonate. The cast is still likable, and the movie looks good, but it just needed more.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Men in Black: International's violence. How did it make you feel? How much of it consists of special effects? Does the impact of movie violence change based on how realistic it is?

  • How does Agent M demonstrate perseverance? Is she a role model? What does it mean to have a woman of color as a lead character in a Hollywood movie like this? Why does representation matter in the media?

  • Is the movie scary? Does knowing the aliens aren't real make them less scary?

  • How does MIB: International compare to the other movies in the series? To the comics or the TV series?

  • How do the characters show the value of teamwork? Why is that an important character strength?

Movie Details

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