Despite the franchise stretching out across four films released almost a quarter of a century apart that racked up a cumulative box office haul of over $1.9 billion, it wouldn’t be unfair to say there’s only one good Men in Black movie.
Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1997 original is a cosmic buddy caper for the ages, with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones proving to be inspired casting in a certifiable smash hit that won massive critical acclaim before instantly taking its place among the pantheon of all-time greats.
The sequel was a slapdash and second-rate affair, and while the third chapter was a minor return to form, spin-off Men in Black: International was an unmitigated catastrophe. Seemingly leaving their Thor: Ragnarok sparks at the door, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson trudge their way through a banal blockbuster that deservedly flopped hard and ended up being savage by critics.
Nobody thought Men in Black could work without its original dynamic duo, and it was easy to see why when International turned out to be so forgettable. And yet, because effects-heavy epics are like catnip to streaming subscribers on any given day, the big budget dud is back with a vengeance.
Per FlixPatrol, the catastrophic franchise-killing failure has resurfaced on the Prime Video most-watched charts in multiple countries, even though we’d have much rather seen the bonkers-sounding Jump Street crossover instead. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum? Any day of the week. Hemsworth and Thompson? Been there, done that, didn’t want the t-shirt.