Men in Black International
A few weeks ago, I watched Men in Black International on Hulu. It was a good film with decent acting, plot, and overall premise. I would indeed recommend this film to people who liked the previous movies. Well, that wrapped up this topic… Until I came across this YouTube video that examined the film in detail:
I had no idea a single move could contain so many significant flaws, and to make matters worse, I missed them when I watched it. So now what? I no longer recommend watching the film. Well, that wrapped up this topic again… Until I started thinking about the flaws. They revealed a new problem, but to explain it, I need to discuss the review.
This YouTube video took a deep dive into plot logic and character motivation. Specifically, there are inconsistencies, missing narrative driving goals, incomplete objectives, and a lack of emotional investment. The review revealed the problems resulted from script rewrites and production issues.
A core problem was the main character’s motivation from an incomprehensible flashback. This meant the moviegoer never understood why the main character spent her entire life pursuing the career goal of becoming a Men in Black agent. Plus, this goal lacked any urgency or timeline.
Two review quotes: “This is want versus need conundrum without any reward for success.” “The main character is a passive reactive passenger who is swept along the movie.” The review pointed out that this logic to explain the action was used many times, “The universe has a way of leading you where you are supposed to be at the moment you are supposed to be there.” Wait a minute. The universe wanted her to be a Men in Black agent? What a mess.
What did this have to do with me? I had a revelation about a book I am editing. The plot revolves around a lead character’s epic journey to locate a woman. What are the timeline, goals, and motivation behind this epic quest? Is he a “passive reactive character who is swept along the plot?” Umm, err, yes. Dang, that hit close to home!!!
I read over my outline and saw the complete absence of motivation. So, I brooded about this issue for a few days and re-read the section where the character decided to undertake his journey. Readers would be confused and leave angry reviews.
Another part of this problem was that I subconsciously omitted the motivation for a reason. My concept was that an unidentified person is manipulating the main character. In other words, he never finds out who is forcing him on their journey. Yet, he still consciously chose to undertake the journey, which is far different from being forced. I think this is the same idea the creators of Men in Black International had, but like me, they failed to consider the bigger picture.
The movie review forced me to reconsider my plot choices, and I spent three days tweaking the outline. When I felt confident, I added four paragraphs in the second chapter, which clearly explained the option to go on the epic journey, and updated two at the end to reflect upon making the choice. While not a substantial word count change, the result read far better. Yet, I was disappointed. I liked the mysterious plot, but the review clarified that readers do not welcome this type of mystery.
I now understand that I fell for a classic trap. My readers must understand what is going on inside my bonkers head. The good news is that I uncovered this mistake before publishing.
I want to thank the creator of this video. Tearing down something special that another person created is a tough road to travel, but the result saves time for readers and viewers. (Side note: The movie Thin Red Line is awful. Please do not watch it.) But that is not why I am thanking them. This is the first time I gained new tools from reading a bad review. So, in the future, I will pay more attention to negative reviews to gain insight into what readers dislike.
You’re the best -Bill
December 03, 2019 Updated October 26, 2024
This YouTube video took a deep dive into plot logic and character motivation. Specifically, there are inconsistencies, missing narrative driving goals, incomplete objectives, and a lack of emotional investment. The review revealed the problems resulted from script rewrites and production issues.
A core problem was the main character’s motivation from an incomprehensible flashback. This meant the moviegoer never understood why the main character spent her entire life pursuing the career goal of becoming a Men in Black agent. Plus, this goal lacked any urgency or timeline.
Two review quotes: “This is want versus need conundrum without any reward for success.” “The main character is a passive reactive passenger who is swept along the movie.” The review pointed out that this logic to explain the action was used many times, “The universe has a way of leading you where you are supposed to be at the moment you are supposed to be there.” Wait a minute. The universe wanted her to be a Men in Black agent? What a mess.
What did this have to do with me? I had a revelation about a book I am editing. The plot revolves around a lead character’s epic journey to locate a woman. What are the timeline, goals, and motivation behind this epic quest? Is he a “passive reactive character who is swept along the plot?” Umm, err, yes. Dang, that hit close to home!!!
I read over my outline and saw the complete absence of motivation. So, I brooded about this issue for a few days and re-read the section where the character decided to undertake his journey. Readers would be confused and leave angry reviews.
Another part of this problem was that I subconsciously omitted the motivation for a reason. My concept was that an unidentified person is manipulating the main character. In other words, he never finds out who is forcing him on their journey. Yet, he still consciously chose to undertake the journey, which is far different from being forced. I think this is the same idea the creators of Men in Black International had, but like me, they failed to consider the bigger picture.
The movie review forced me to reconsider my plot choices, and I spent three days tweaking the outline. When I felt confident, I added four paragraphs in the second chapter, which clearly explained the option to go on the epic journey, and updated two at the end to reflect upon making the choice. While not a substantial word count change, the result read far better. Yet, I was disappointed. I liked the mysterious plot, but the review clarified that readers do not welcome this type of mystery.
I now understand that I fell for a classic trap. My readers must understand what is going on inside my bonkers head. The good news is that I uncovered this mistake before publishing.
I want to thank the creator of this video. Tearing down something special that another person created is a tough road to travel, but the result saves time for readers and viewers. (Side note: The movie Thin Red Line is awful. Please do not watch it.) But that is not why I am thanking them. This is the first time I gained new tools from reading a bad review. So, in the future, I will pay more attention to negative reviews to gain insight into what readers dislike.
You’re the best -Bill
December 03, 2019 Updated October 26, 2024
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