I really wanted Men in Black: International to work, but this reboot of the franchise has changed much of the stuff that made 1 to 3 so enjoyable. I longed for preposterous plots with K and J, but instead got tired spy drama with H and M.

In the original, aliens tried to blend with humans, never quite getting it, although they enjoyed simple pleasures on earth: pierogis, Twister, pastrami sandwiches, et al. Now, swashbuckling agents track suave aliens and banter back and forth as if trapped in a rough cut of Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy.

Chris Hemsworth does make for a likeably irrepressible hunk while Tessa Thompson wins us over as a more nerdy buff making good. Meanwhile, her sidekick Pawny overdoes the cutesy critter routine, making us wish a flyswatter were handy.

Barry Sonnenfeld was the genius behind the original franchise and although he serves as Executive Producer, allows director F. Gary Gray and the new franchise to get bogged down in clumsy suspense and brain-wracking plot. The deadpan dialogue keeps those born before 1990 listening more intently, but has funny moments if you’re patient.

Still, not nearly enough fun, even if Europe is harder to make fun of than New York City. Plenty could have been made of it, but wasn’t.