Men in black: International (2019)
Genre: Fantasy
Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson
Duration: 114 minutes
Class: 12A
KRS Releasing Ltd

Music video-turned-feature film director F. Gary Gray, known for such films as The Negotiator (1998), The Italian Job (2003) and Straight Outta Compton (2015), has turned to the fantasy genre with the fourth film in the Men in Black franchise.

The new story sees how the Men in Black have expanded to cover the globe. But so have the villains of the universe.

To keep everyone safe, decorated Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) and determined rookie M (Tessa Thompson) join forces.

When aliens that can take the form of any human land on earth, H and M embark on a globe-trotting adventure to save the agency and the world from their evil plans.

The film received average reviews. Jeffrey M. Anderson of Common Sense Media wrote: “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.”

Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal was less forgiving, calling it “an industrial product recycled from the remnants of an exhausted franchise”.

And the critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “Amiable yet forgettable, the film grinds its stars’ substantial chemistry through the gears of a franchise running low on reasons to continue.”

The $110 million-budget film has grossed $103 million since opening last weekend.

Ratings
IMDB: 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 25%
Empire: 3 stars

Emma Thompson is very credible as a talk show host in Late Night.

Late Night (2019)
Genre: Comedy, drama
Directors: Nisha Ganatra
Starring: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Hugh Dancy, John Lithgow, Max Casella, Denis O’Hare
Duration: 108 minutes
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd

Legendary late-night talk show host Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson) has a reputation for being cut-throat behind the scenes of her long-running show.

But with news that she may soon be replaced turning her life upside down, Katherine hires Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling, who also wrote the script) as the first woman in her all-male writer’s room, hoping to boost her declining popularity. 

Critics received mostly positive reviews, especially for its satire and Thompson’s and Kaling’s performances. Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote: “Thompson truly seems like a born talk-show host. Even when she’s just riffing, she grounds Late Night in something real. Yet the movie, while it races forward with snappish energy, is telegraphed and a bit scattershot.” 

“Late Night lights up when Kaling puts her female warriors in the center ring and lets them rip,” said Peter Travers of Rolling Stone.

The film, also released last weekend in the US, has so far grossed a mere $6 million worldwide.

Ratings
IMDB: 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Empire: 3 stars