Despite the radical break with the previous films and characters, the film has its value and brings a certain new blood to the franchise.
The MIB franchise got off to a good start, had a bad time with the second movie, and picked up a bit in the third movie. These three films, however, were the result of the direction of Barry Sonnenfeld, who now leaves the project and gives the direction to Felix Gray. The leads, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, also do not return to their roles, which makes the film, basically, a spin-off.
The script is a breath of fresh air: we abandon American soil and leave behind what we know. The story is set almost entirely in Europe, between London and Paris. It is there that the new Agent M will train. She has known about the existence of the agency since she was a child, she always wanted to belong to it, and now she has her chance. In London, she is under the guidance of her chief, Agent High T, and collaborates with Agent H, who is considered to be the best British agent. After the death of a royal from an alien planet in their care, they realize that an invasion of Earth is imminent, and it is up to them to prevent this threat.
Honestly, it took me a while to form an opinion about this film. On the one hand, the franchise desperately needed an injection of new blood and new stuff. They just couldn't insist on a sold-out formula! On the other hand, I understand those who may feel disappointed in their expectations, as familiar faces (in particular Smith and Jones) have disappeared from the scene. After thinking a little about what I saw, I came to the conclusion that the risk of cutting radically with what had been done before and presenting to the public something made with different actors was, perhaps, a good idea. It will never please everyone, especially Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones fans, or those who understand that there should have been a line of continuity between all the movies, but I handled it all well, and I think the changes had more advantages than disadvantages. Of course, this might not have worked out so well if the script and characters hadn't been well conceived.
In fact, the characters were well-thought-out, have strength and character, and are not far behind those we already knew, especially M and H. The choice of actors was also happy: I liked the work of Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth, and the way as the film avoids the temptation to create some romantic sub-plot between them, which would have been too cliché. Sadly, Emma Thompson has little to do in this film, but what she does is well done. Liam Neeson is an extremely skilled and competent actor and does his job very well, but from the middle of the film, his character is an obvious villain that is handed over to us in an overly simplistic way.
Technically, the film has many qualities, starting with a very good cinematography with good lighting and an intelligent and elegant use of colors. The camera does a dynamic job and follows the movement, especially in the action scenes. The film strongly bets on a stylized look, in the night scenes, and on the good quality CGI that the green screen allows and that often dispenses with the use of filming on location. Unfortunately, and I've felt this more than once, London and Parisian environments sound too fake and artificial, that is, it's all too evident that it's all done digitally. I liked the generality of the aliens and their look, sometimes original and bizarre. The sets and costumes are generally good, and I liked the way the characters' black suits were, this time, more individualized. As for the soundtrack, which inherits some previous leitmotifs, it is reasonably forgettable.
