They both come out on the same day, you see. Both have their points; I want to see both, but realistically I’m not going to see both. The MiB franchise is shaky (to be polite about it); this latest Shaft offering may be a little too deferential to the modern era’s sensibilities. Or maybe not (do not click that link to the trailer at work, or in front of small children, or your mother).
Crud: I had half-talked myself into MiB International while writing this. Now I’m back on the damn fence again. Maybe I should be trying to figure out how to finesse this…
Go to MiB. In my opinion, the only bad one is 2…3 sent out the franchise on a surprisingly graceful note. Plus, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson reunited again.
Haven’t seen MI3 yet, but I actually enjoyed 2 so there’s that. So, I Will probably enjoy International too, even with low expectations.
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That said, any chance to watch Sam Jackson be glib and kickass is what I’d call a Premium Movie Experiance.
I think it comes down to how you are feeling on the day. If you feel like watching a CG-heavy shoot-em-up with a likable lead, go with Men in Black. If you want to watch Samuel L. Jackson chew some scenery in a non-CG-heavy shoot-em-up, go with Shaft.
I tend to lean toward Shaft because of the Richard Roundtree nostalgia angle, and Samuel L.Jackson’s screen presence. Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more difficult to escape the tentacles of Social Justice in today’s entertainment, so you either have to accept its presence or go back to watching episodes of “I Dream of Jeanie”. (Which is not a bad thing. Barbara Eden was a looker, and no mistake.)