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Review of Men in Black: International (Danny Elfman/Chris Bacon)

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... if you desire a predictably likeable addendum to Danny Elfman's highly unique work for the concept.

Avoid it... if that faithful extension of the same themes and general style of franchise's music is no longer sufficient for you.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Men in Black: International: (Danny Elfman/Chris Bacon) Someone should have erased the memories of the executives responsible for 2019's ill-fated Men in Black: International before it could tarnish an otherwise admired franchise. The director tried to quit several times. The producer assembled a different cut of the film from that of the director. The script was changing so rapidly that the main actors had to hire their own writers. The sociopolitical message of the film, one involving immigration, was garbled in the process. The two stars of the franchise are gone, leaving this fourth entry as a bastard child of the concept, residing somewhere between spin-off and reboot territory. Two new agents of the Men in Black organization, the spy network protecting Earth from the hassle of alien inhabitants mixed among native humans, chase down a plot supported by a traitor within the agency to bring a hive of dangerous alien species to our planet. With only a few secondary character connections to the first three films in the franchise, Men in Black: International is a badly orphaned and unnecessary addition, the presence of Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson really the only highlights. One member of the crew not anxious to flee for the exits was composer Danny Elfman, who confesses that he loves returning to his franchises to rework them in sequels, and the Men in Black film in particular, which, amazingly, netted the composer his first Oscar nomination, is a source of much affection for the composer. He remains a strong supporter of thematic and stylistic continuity in the music of franchises, so he viewed his involvement with Men in Black: International as a welcome opportunity to provide movie-goers with familiar tunes to coincide with the new characters. It's hard to blame Elfman for remaining attached to this series of films in particular, even as its quality diminishes overall, for it offers him the chance to continue developing a highly unique blend of 1960's caper heroics, modern electronic grooves, and skittish orchestral mannerisms in a way you really don't hear anywhere else. Aside from the humorous ethnic diversion in "Riding a Bike," the expected equation is followed closely here, with even a few moments of vintage Elfman mystery and fantasy thrown in for good measure. Joining Elfman in this endeavor is Chris Bacon, who formerly credited himself wonderfully as "Chris P. Bacon" before endeavoring to be taken seriously in his career; Bacon has written additional material for several Elfman scores of the 2010's.

Elfman's approach to Men in Black: International is largely the same as that for Men in Black 3, which entails a predictable result. He remains intensely loyal to his original set of themes for the concept, the underlying chopping string motif, the accompanying electric base accents, and the octave-hopping brass theme over the top joined by hip percussion and ultra-cool electric guitar performances. The opening and closing cues of Men in Black: International in particular offer several well-rendered performances of the main thematic core of the franchise. Elfman rarely develops these ideas outside of their expected arrangements, the latter half of "Red Button" presenting the closing crescendo of the idea incredibly faithfully. The idea is exercised by an especially wide range of funky synthetic noises in the opening "Logos." The score concludes on a Mars Attacks!-sized finale for the main theme in "End Credits." There is no theremin in this entry, but the choir is back as always, and you'll often hear it exhaling away with the beat of the main theme. Outward fantasy occasionally prevails, most prominently in "Like a Son." The secondary theme for agents "J" and "K" from the previous films returns here as well, functioning as the sentimental interlude on acoustic guitar for the two new agents in "I Found You" and "Promotions." The fully orchestral performance of the theme to close out the latter is a familiar but nice touch. Unlike the previous entry, Elfman did decide to add a single new theme for Molly Wright ("Agent M") in this film since she is the ultimate newcomer. Don't expect the fresh material in Men in Black: International to overwhelm you, however. The only really impact presence of the new thematic exploration comes in the solo boy expression of the theme in the tested Elfman technique that reaches back to Beetlejuice. You can hear this idea at the opening of "Here Comes Trouble," substantially in "Blue Giant," on woodwinds in "Ah, Paris," and at the end of "The Truth." On the negative side, Elfman infuses some truly insufferable action and character cues into Men in Black: International, led by the trio of "Viper Room," "Twins," and "Who's That Guy?" By the end of "Where's the Weapon?," it seems that Elfman has attempted to channel the techno atmosphere of David Arnold's Die Another Day. Still, there are enough pleasant non-surprises in Men in Black: International to recommend the score to fans of Elfman's prior work for the franchise. The album does suffer from a terribly flat and dry recording mix, but that's in line with the predecessors. The work is a sufficiently competent and enjoyable supplement with about fifteen minutes of truly worthwhile material.  ***

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 54:26

• 1. Logos (1:28) • 2. L Train (2:49) • 3. Seeing is Believing (4:45) • 4. Job Interview (0:55) • 5. I Found You (1:59) • 6. Viper Room (1:56) • 7. Twins (1:09) • 8. Who's That Guy? (1:23) • 9. VR Room (1:37) • 10. Too Much (1:31) • 11. Vungus Aftermath (1:50) • 12. Here Comes Trouble (1:45) • 13. Riding a Bike (2:57)

• 14. Blue Giant (2:04) • 15. Pink Trousers (3:58) • 16. Flying Fists (3:36) • 17. Kabla (2:26) • 18. Demise (1:31) • 19. Where's the Weapon? (2:32) • 20. Ah, Paris (1:29) • 21. The Truth (2:36) • 22. Portal (2:09) • 23. Like a Son (0:59) • 24. Promotions (2:56) • 25. Red Button (1:12) • 26. End Credits (1:04)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The insert includes a list of performers but no extra information about the score or film.

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