Avengers: Infinity Wha-a-a-a-a?
Avengers: Infinity War is a good film. From beginning to end, every character is given something to do and gets a chance to shine. The action is nonstop and there’s no telling where its final destination is. Go see it and learn why Marvel has been at the top of the movie game for the last 10 years.
The spoilers start after the trailer and the ad. Do not scroll any lower if you haven’t seen the film yet…
The spoilers start after the trailer and the ad. Do not scroll any lower if you haven’t seen the film yet…
We left the film shell-shocked and dazed. Did that really just happen? How is Marvel going to write itself out of that? Did Sony agree to this use of its Spider-Man, arguably the best Spider-Man since Tobey MacGuire? Seriously, T’challa? Wha-a-a-a-a-a? What did we just watch? This wasn’t your typically uplifting Marvel film. What happened?
When you spend 10 years and 18+ movies with certain characters, you get emotionally attached. When one character dies in the first couple of minutes of the film, you feel a little relieved and glad they got it out of the way. You knew it was going to happen. It had been forecast for months in headlines across Geek News Band: Which Marvel Character Dies in the Next Avengers? You can shake it off and relax a little.
When the second character dies, it’s not too bad because you can rationalize it. The writers/directors wanted to go for shock value. They knew you were expecting one death, but two? That’ll get the audience. Again, you can relax because, surely, no one else you care about is going to die.
You’d be wrong, and don’t call me Shirley.
When a dozen or more characters disappear from the universe, even in cameo, the film becomes emotionally heavy. Marvel films aren’t supposed to be emotionally heavy. They’re supposed to be light-hearted, popcorn fun. By the end of the film, all of the wrapper movement and popcorn eating had ended whether by coincidence because people had gone through their stashes or because of the emotional impact of the film is hard to say.
The problem is that we were all misled from the beginning. The title of the film is “Avengers: Infinity War,” but this isn’t the story of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, or Spider-Man. This is the story of Thanos. That’s what makes it different from every other Marvel film before it. Thanos, like the best bad guy of any universe, believes himself to be the hero of his own story. His methods are correct and his cause is noble from his viewpoint (and in the view of people since at least Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” and Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”). He is no less a hero than Tony Stark who wants to lead the way to a better energy source when he’s not building cool Iron Man tech. Both “heroes” are heroes in their own minds whether or not reality and facts will back them up.
Yes, the bad guy is the hero in his own narrative, and that’s the narrative the Russo Brothers give us. It is rich, delicious, and a little hard to swallow. And Thanos changes everything.
I’m not sure how “Ant-Man and Wasp” or “Agents of SHIELD” (IS it still on the air or has it gone on hiatus?) will handle the implications of Thanos’ story. Though “Captain Marvel” is set before “Infinity War,” she will have something to do with it at some point. The biggest question is “How will Marvel write itself out of this one?”
Theoretically, they could just, like Cher wished she could do, turn back time. There’s a stone for that. However, such a move would negate this epic film. A “Dallas” like dream sequence, minus Bobby Ewing in the shower, would be unacceptable. We all want these beloved characters back, and by Marvel’s movie slate, they are coming back. Do we want them back in such a way that it destroys the previous narrative with some sort of copout move that has been used in shows as diverse as “Twin Peaks” and the aforementioned “Dallas?” Or do we want them back in such a way that all the movies become prequels or happen in a timeline that doesn’t feature this film? In the comic book world, it happens. Storylines get reset and recycled. But that doesn’t make it more acceptable. We may want these characters back, but do we need them back?
I mean, CRAAAAP! And yet…
Now, I’m going to go mourn with a cup of coffee, orange juice and potato pancakes. Bold move, Marvel. Can’t wait to see what your Endgame is.
When you spend 10 years and 18+ movies with certain characters, you get emotionally attached. When one character dies in the first couple of minutes of the film, you feel a little relieved and glad they got it out of the way. You knew it was going to happen. It had been forecast for months in headlines across Geek News Band: Which Marvel Character Dies in the Next Avengers? You can shake it off and relax a little.
When the second character dies, it’s not too bad because you can rationalize it. The writers/directors wanted to go for shock value. They knew you were expecting one death, but two? That’ll get the audience. Again, you can relax because, surely, no one else you care about is going to die.
You’d be wrong, and don’t call me Shirley.
When a dozen or more characters disappear from the universe, even in cameo, the film becomes emotionally heavy. Marvel films aren’t supposed to be emotionally heavy. They’re supposed to be light-hearted, popcorn fun. By the end of the film, all of the wrapper movement and popcorn eating had ended whether by coincidence because people had gone through their stashes or because of the emotional impact of the film is hard to say.
The problem is that we were all misled from the beginning. The title of the film is “Avengers: Infinity War,” but this isn’t the story of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, or Spider-Man. This is the story of Thanos. That’s what makes it different from every other Marvel film before it. Thanos, like the best bad guy of any universe, believes himself to be the hero of his own story. His methods are correct and his cause is noble from his viewpoint (and in the view of people since at least Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” and Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”). He is no less a hero than Tony Stark who wants to lead the way to a better energy source when he’s not building cool Iron Man tech. Both “heroes” are heroes in their own minds whether or not reality and facts will back them up.
Yes, the bad guy is the hero in his own narrative, and that’s the narrative the Russo Brothers give us. It is rich, delicious, and a little hard to swallow. And Thanos changes everything.
I’m not sure how “Ant-Man and Wasp” or “Agents of SHIELD” (IS it still on the air or has it gone on hiatus?) will handle the implications of Thanos’ story. Though “Captain Marvel” is set before “Infinity War,” she will have something to do with it at some point. The biggest question is “How will Marvel write itself out of this one?”
Theoretically, they could just, like Cher wished she could do, turn back time. There’s a stone for that. However, such a move would negate this epic film. A “Dallas” like dream sequence, minus Bobby Ewing in the shower, would be unacceptable. We all want these beloved characters back, and by Marvel’s movie slate, they are coming back. Do we want them back in such a way that it destroys the previous narrative with some sort of copout move that has been used in shows as diverse as “Twin Peaks” and the aforementioned “Dallas?” Or do we want them back in such a way that all the movies become prequels or happen in a timeline that doesn’t feature this film? In the comic book world, it happens. Storylines get reset and recycled. But that doesn’t make it more acceptable. We may want these characters back, but do we need them back?
I mean, CRAAAAP! And yet…
Now, I’m going to go mourn with a cup of coffee, orange juice and potato pancakes. Bold move, Marvel. Can’t wait to see what your Endgame is.