Men in Black: International: What a weird watch this ended up being. Unlike a lot of sequels and spin-offs, Men in Black: International feels like it belongs to a different series. Sure there's still the shades, neuralysers and single letter codenames, but the tone is oddly serious and the manic, breezy pacing of the original MiB trilogy has been slowed down considerably. Adding to the oddity of this revival is that this uncharacteristic routine manages to be somewhat successful. It's never boring, director F. Gary Gray puts together some relatively exciting action sequences and the primary cast (Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Kumail Nanjiani, Liam Nesson, Rebecca Ferguson) all do respectable work-although Ferguson was sadly underutilized. Would've been it better if the script stuck closer to the franchise's roots by properly utilizing the tremendous comedic rapport of Thompson and Hemsworth? Absolutely. However, this inability to capitalize on the established dynamic of its stars doesn't mean its a total failure. In fact, I would say that even with all of the flaws brought on by the change in tone-it's still a more focused and enjoyable product than Men in Black II. Middling box office numbers will likely prevent this franchise from continuing as currently constituted, but I'd definitely be down for another go-round with this cast if Sony brought in some new writers that were better suited for a goofy sci-fi comedy.
Grade: B-
Murder Mystery: Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's latest project/summer vacation doesn't work nearly as well as their first one. Murder Mystery has all of the features of the genre (collection of suspicious characters, double crosses, over-the-top reveals) its attempting to satirize without the electricity of a traditional whodunit or the healthy volume of silly laughs and heart Sandler's projects tend to have. The always affable chemistry between these comedy vets and a handful of good jokes ensure that the proceedings aren't a completely middling affair, but that's still not enough to prevent this from being one of Sandler's most anonymous movies to-date.
Grade: C+
Shaft: While not without its groanworthy "goddamn kids these days" jokes and narrative bumps, Shaft does a pretty good job of bringing this franchise into the modern day without sacrificing the style and edge that has defined it from day one. This iteration is more of an odd couple buddy movie than a straight-up actioner with an estranged father (Samuel L. Jackson-reprising his role as the foul-mouthed private investigator from the 2000 reboot) and son (Jessie T. Usher), who is a rookie FBI data analyst, teaming up to solve a murder. They question each other's procedures, bicker over the differences between their generations and ultimately, learn some much-needed life lessons from each other. Sure it's predictable as hell, but it's an amusing ride bolstered by the always welcome presence of cinema's finest F-bomb slinging asskicker, Usher's understated comedy chops and a quality supporting cast led by the always fantastic Regina Hall as Usher's mom/Jackson's ex-wife. Shaft is simply a flashy, enjoyable exercise in escapism-which is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for this time of year.
Grade: B
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