There seems to be a lot of praise surrounding "Avengers: Infinity War," Marvel's newest movie to feature earth's mightiest heroes. After all, it's the biggest gathering yet and all the favorites are present and accounted for, but as I sat there watching, I caught myself thinking of things other than the movie that was playing in front of me. For me, there were too few surprises, and too much of the scripted Marvel formula that I've, unfortunately, come to expect.
Let's get something straight right away: I'm a huge Marvel fan. I've been following the Movies since the release of the very first "Iron Man," and I had been into comics for years prior to the movies.
I find it a bit difficult to be in a position in which I feel compelled to speak negatively about such a huge Marvel film.
There were, in my opinion, quite a few problems with the movie. Problems that made it feel contrived and at times, labored. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
The film has so many heroes that it feels cluttered and confused
I get it, they're facing one of the baddest guys in the universe. It takes quite a force to bring down a villain like Thanos, but even with the characters largely split up throughout the movie, it felt like there was just too much going on. It felt to me as though much of the movie's plot was forced, due to the necessity to split up such a large group.
The familiar bickering between allies, which once added humor and personality to our heroes, now seems overdone and lacks spontaneity.
It's difficult to have so many headliners on one stage and give them each limited curtain time. None of it felt organic or interesting to me.
Marvel uses the same decade-old tricks in the same ways
One of our heroes or heroines is in trouble, battling a foe that they should be able to dispatch with ease, yet inexplicably seem unable to do so.
Just when things look to be at their most dire, an ally appears from the shadows or swoops in from on high to save the day. I totally saw that coming. Its been a major tool for Marvel in the majority of the films, and frankly, it's predictable and I just don't get excited about it anymore.
The one-liners that once held a lot of comedic value are now equally contrived and predictable.
They don't seem necessary for the most part, and do very little to add to the value of the movie -- especially when I know they're coming before they're delivered. There are some genuinely funny bits, but overall they've just tried too hard to fit them in.
The ending made the whole movie feel like it was for nothing
Superheroes die in the comics all the time, it happens, and it's a great way to spur sales. They usually end up coming back in some form, if not in a completely unchanged state. In the movies, we expect a little more finality regarding the final moments of our protagonists, but we don't get it here.
So, Thanos wipes out half of the Avengers, most of the Guardians, and half of all life in the universe.
Many of our leading ladies and gents perish in the end, but we know one thing for sure: while they may be dead, they most likely won't be staying that way. We know this because that's just not how it works, and because several sequels are already slated for future release involving many of the deceased. How was I supposed to feel about the ending? I'm not sure what was intended, but what I felt was cheated. I know it's all going to be undone, and that just made it seem like a waste of time.
Overall, I was sorely disappointed with "Avengers: Infinity War." I went into the theater full of excitement and ready to love it. That just didn't happen. Marvel used too many of the old tricks, cheesy one-liners, and left me feeling scattered and a bit cheated. For those who loved it, I'm glad to hear it -- and a bit jealous. For me, it wildly missed the mark and left me hoping for a better show next year.
