Avengers: Infinity War Discussion, Part 4

Warning: We will be going over plot for the most part here, so there will be spoilers once again throughout the entire post.

The plot of the film is solid.  It is the villain’s journey, which I felt the franchise needed at this point.  If the focus of the story had been on the huge cast of superheroes, I feel like the coherence of the plot would have been lost slightly.  Because it focuses on Thanos and his quest, it centralizes the plots of all the characters together into a cohesive story that I don’t think would have happened otherwise.

The film starts off showing that Thanos is a difficult enemy.  For a movie of this scale, with so many heroes on one side, a powerful and difficult enemy was needed to try to balance the equation in the viewers’ minds.  Thanos fit that perfectly.  Even with all the Avengers and their friends on one side, Thanos felt powerful enough that you felt he could win.  The film reinforces that thought by killing Loki and Heimdall at the outset.  Knowing that’s where Thanos starts in terms of power and knowing that he is supposed to increase that power almost infinitely, Thanos comes across as a legitimate threat to the entire cast of the Avengers.  This is something that Marvel does well and this is no exception.

Throughout the film, Thanos is given purpose, motive, and opportunity.  While this is happening, the Avengers are starting to unite in a way that has not happened in several films.  It all builds up to a big climactic fight at the end and I think they deliver on that fight well.

Along the way, though, there are complications.  I feel like when the Guardians of the Galaxy have their initial split, it sends Star Lord’s character down a path that is not necessarily good for him.  Of all the characters, I feel like Star Lord is the one that loses himself the most.  Granted, it is because his love, Gamora, was stolen by Thanos, but it still feels like Star Lord does not quite act like himself after a certain point in the film.

Gamora’s journey through the plot shows her as being unable to see the big picture at points.  That random cameo by the Red Skull and her interactions during the Soul Stone part of the quest show that she doesn’t really understand what is going on around her.  I felt she came across as naive and spiteful then when she really did not need to seem that way for the plot.

The way that the heroes join forces is also realistic given what has happened in past films.  It was rare for any one character to randomly show up where you did not think they should be or react in a way that was out of character when told about the dangers of Thanos.  That is, except for Wong, Star Lord, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man.

I think it’s finally time to start talking about the ending.

The big battle on Titan is the one part where I got annoyed.  There were adequate forces to win taking on Thanos.  You knew Thanos would survive this confrontation, since not everyone was together yet, but the way it played out is probably my biggest complaint about the film, although it is a minor one.  The battling itself was done well.  The combinations of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Mantis, Drax, and Star Lord proved to be quite formidable, and I liked the way it played out.  They teased an Iron Man death that I honestly thought they would fulfill, but ultimately Star Lord is the reason they lost here.  Seeing that, it raises questions about Dr. Strange and his motivations when he knew this was all going to happen in advance.

The battle in Wakanda was also done really well.  It felt like a full war.  The only absence I can think of were the rhinos, which I would have loved to see.  The forces got together well to take on an alien army and everyone got a small chance to shine.

Ultimately, though, Thanos did win.  Dr. Strange surrenders the Time Stone and he takes the Mind Stone out of the Vision despite the Scarlet Witch’s choice to destroy it.  Going into the movie, I had thought at least one major death was going to happen.  With a villain like Thanos and the set up they’ve had going into the film, I figured someone was bound to die.  I was expecting Iron Man or Captain America to be the one to go.  Obviously, it did not go the way it did.

So, Thanos succeeds, destroying half the population of the universe.  We don’t get a complete list of who lives and who dies, so I won’t list them here, but a lot of the characters’ fate are shown on screen.  What struck me was that the older Avengers tended to live while the newer ones disappeared.

My first thought was that the movie would have to continue until this was all resolved.  But, no, the movie stops right there.  It felt like a premature ending, like it stopped two thirds of the way through.  My next thought was that this was a big risk for Marvel and a way for them to shake things up.  On further thought, I think this is not that big of a risk for them.  The people that watched this movie were already going to watch the next one.  Having a downer of an ending won’t change that.  If anything, this will create a buzz, which it has, that will last until the next movie comes out.

As I continued thinking about it, though, it feels like the ending, although different, is just a postponement of a normal ending.  I think we all know this will be undone.  It also feels like the MCU is being put on hiatus while this is resolved.  The only TV show in the MCU I watch is Agents of SHIELD and the only episode so far since this movie has not addressed the ending at all.  It feels like the decision to split the story into two movies was a late one.  With Ant-Man and Wasp coming out soon, I can’t imagine it takes place during this point at which half the population has been destroyed, even though that’s when the film is due to release.

This also means that other successful hero films cannot get a sequel until this is finished.  Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Dr. Strange come to mind.  These characters cannot have a sequel until Infinity War has been concluded properly.  Any announcement of a sequel for someone that disappeared also gives away the ending for the next Avengers movie.  It’s a strange place for Marvel to be in.

With that said, though, my thoughts about what was going to happen going into the film have not changed.  I still think Iron Man and Captain America could die in the film, just in the part that we have not seen yet.  I still feel Marvel is trying to move forward to the next set of Avengers and the older ones are on the way out.  I feel like this is a last stand and one big mission for the older Avengers that will result in, if not their death, a reason for them to leave it all behind.

When it comes to this film, the thing that people want to talk about the most is the ending, which is understandable.  It is a big shock to see it happen and then not see it resolved by the end of the film.  However, I still think that the ending we all expected will come in the next movie.  With the heroes that they have set up with one movie, you can’t expect Marvel to let those characters die off without coming back for a sequel or two.

So, where does this leave us for the film as a whole?  The best I could compare it to would be a film in the middle of a series, something like The Two Towers for Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  Both of them I feel are good films, one clearly better than the other in my mind, though, but neither tell the full story.  So, ultimately, it has to be seen as part of a larger whole.  I can’t really say how good this film is until I see the next one.  As it stands right now, though, I think it was a great film, possibly one of the best in the MCU, that ended before the story finished.  That’s probably where I’ll leave it until Captain Marvel (which is what the after credits scene teased) and the next Avengers movie are released.  It’s a great set up, but I just need to know where it goes before I can make a final statement.

Avengers: Infinity War Discussion, Part 3

Warning: This entire post will contain spoilers, not just for this movie, but for the movies leading up to this one as well.

Next up, we have Captain America, the final big superhero in the original Avengers.  Captain America takes a bit of a back seat in this movie as well.  It felt like his story was more or less resolved by this point.  He might have one more story to tell, but if it ended here, I don’t think anyone would really be surprised.  He does help organize, but his leadership is pretty clear cut and not particularly interesting.  He meets up with Bucky Barnes, giving him the robot arm back, and helps organize the battle in Wakanda.  He takes the lead in the fight, which he does without his shield and with a couple small weapons attached to the back of his hands.  Ultimately, though, Captain America is not a major part of the film.  He has a couple moments, including a couple heartfelt moments when he reunites, but he’s just kind of there to go along with the ride.

Another character that seems to just go to the side is Black Widow.  She’s never truly been a huge part of the series, but even her reuniting with the Hulk does not seem to be as heartfelt as it could have been.  It feels like there’s more to talk about there, but it’s just not really done as well as it could have been.  I assume that’s due to time constraints.

Completely absent from the film is Hawkeye and Ant-Man.  I’m not entirely sure why they weren’t included in at least a small part.  There was a small one-off line writing them out of the film, but they just aren’t present when they really should have been.  Given the magnitude of the situation, there really was no excuse for them not to come and it seemed like only one small attempt was ever made.

As I mentioned before, Bucky Barnes makes a small comeback in the movie.  He tries to redeem himself to some extent, but I think there’s a lot more still to prove by the end of the movie.  He’s a good guy in one fight, but there’s not too much more than that.

Spider-Man plays quite a large role in the movie, and I think he deserves it.  He’s a fun character that is always eager to help.  He gets an upgrade that is most definitely a nod to the comic book fans, which makes sense considering Iron Man has more or less taken Spider-Man under his wing.  He has some great lines in the film and makes a significant difference in the fight against Thanos.  Of the newer characters in the MCU, Spider-Man is among my favorites and not only did this film do nothing to change that, it may have made me like him more.

The Vision and Scarlet Witch also play a key part in the film.  With the Vision having, as part of his own person, one of the very objects needed for Thanos’ quest, it was bound to cause a conflict.  There is a debate as to whether the Vision is a sum of parts or something larger than that.  He is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the universe.  It’s really the Scarlet Witch that is holding that back.  By the time the ultimate decision is made, it is too late, but the emotion is there for these two.  Although I never really felt the love between the two, it was definitely an emotional scene when it mattered the most.  I do also find it strange that the Scarlet Witch is somehow able to destroy the Infinity stones that helped create the universe, but that’s there as well.

Then, there’s the characters from Wakanda.  It’s hard to separate them one from another, really.  Although the Black Panther should be the star, he does not really stand out from the other Wakandan warriors.  I’m honestly not sure how to feel about that.  I think that the focus on Wakanda was well-deserved.  I loved Black Panther and the idea behind Wakanda, so it is great to see the entire nation represented on screen.  At the same time, though, the focus is shifted away from the Black Panther to a much more minor role than it could have been.

While there are other minor characters that deserve discussion, I think the only one that especially deserves some mention is Wong (the temple guardian that is with Dr. Strange).  Shown what Earth is up against, Wong backs out.  He sees the might that Thanos possesses, is more than capable of providing at least some help, and he decides that guarding the temple is more important than saving the universe.  It’s hard to understand this decision other than either shock or cowardice.  Definitely not something admirable.

The final main character I wanted to discuss is Dr. Strange.  Possibly more than any other character (even Star Lord), Dr. Strange upset me.  Here is a man that is capable of seeing possible futures and choosing the best course of action.  Therein lies the problem.  If he can see the future, or at least possible futures, why was there no warning about Thanos?  Then, why was there no plan?  When he finally came up with a plan, he basically abandoned everyone to do it.  Did the acting and dialogue do well?  Sure.  He also did some great things in the fight that were imaginative and damaging to Thanos.  But, it’s just too hard for me to overlook the combined arrogance and helplessness that Dr. Strange showed throughout the film.  We are left to just trust that he knows what’s best and did what needed to be done without explanation.  He gave up the time stone without ever using it and said it was the only way.  It’s a tough pill to take.

I think that’s good enough for now.  I think I will be able to wrap up my thoughts next time when we move away from the individual characters and start going over the actual plot itself.

Avengers: Infinity War Discussion, Part 2

This whole post will contain spoilers, not just for Infinity War, but for all the movies that led up to Infinity War.  This is your warning.

Starting with Thor seemed the best way to start, since the huge ramifications of his character were made clear at the start.  But, as the film went on, Thor does play a major part of the fight against Thanos.  He had some great moments, including some comedy.  This movie does have a lot of comedy and Thor is not excluded from it.  His big moment comes when he chooses to create the weapon that is capable of defeating Thanos and has to risk sacrificing himself and survive the full force of a star in order to do it.

While this was a great moment for Thor, I never truly believed he would fail.  I think the film wanted me to think that Thor could die during the creation of the axe, but that was not the impression I had.  In my eyes, Thor could not die there, leaving the weapon to Rocket Raccoon to take back to Earth or however that would have worked.  Thor had to survive this ordeal and get the weapon that could end the war against Thanos.  As a result, this moment had some of its impact taken away, although it was still a cool moment.

Then, there’s the Guardians of the Galaxy.  Even among a huge cast of characters that have comic relief moments, I feel like the Guardians of the Galaxy stood out as comic relief done well.  Each character brought something unique and interesting to the story and Star Lord had some of my favorite lines in the early part of the film.  Drax also had some great lines throughout the film that made me laugh out loud, which is not common for me.  Rocket Raccoon and Groot were also funny at points, and they do well as side characters for the main story.  They play their part and they do it well.  This time, they were helping Thor, which helped create a new dynamic for the pair and helped make them stand out more than they would have if they were still with the rest of the Guardians.

Gamora ended up taking a major role in the story, being the daughter and most loved one of Thanos.  When she was taken by Thanos, it marked a big split in the Guardians of the Galaxy that they never really recovered from.  While I think they would have recovered from Rocket Raccoon and Groot going with Thor, I think that Gamora getting kidnapped set the Guardians on a path that would ultimately last throughout the rest of the film.  While she did have a lot of screen time, though, her role in the film seemed to be purely about her relationships with Thanos and Star Lord.  While this did have a lot about her backstory, I felt it was too reliant on relationships and not enough about her personally.

Then there’s Iron Man.  As always, Iron Man exudes cool and calm in most of the scenes he’s in, shooting out sarcasm as easily as anyone else.  That’s why it’s so profound when he gets upset, almost to the point of rage.  Iron showed his full development in all the previous movies in this film.  With another upgrade for his suit, another problem with Pepper as he goes against her wishes, and another responsibility he feels is thrown into his lap, Iron Man plays one of the lead roles, if not the lead role in the fight against Thanos, and that’s really no surprise.  He takes that onto himself.

It’s late in the film that you start to realize that the fear and anxiety that has been plaguing Iron Man since the first Avengers film is finally coming to the forefront.  He has been scared of this confrontation for years and it’s finally going to come to an end.  Thanos has been the object of his fear, whether he realized it or not.  While he did not develop as a character much this film, I think the film does a good job showcasing the growth that he has made throughout the entire franchise.

On a slightly more negative side, there’s the Hulk.  The Hulk does not play a major part of the movie.  He comes out to fight Thanos near the beginning, finds out he is not the strongest, and refuses to come out for the rest of the movie.  Bruce Banner takes over the role as the concerned scientist, and, unfortunately, this issue with the Hulk chickening out of any and all fights does not get resolved before the end of the film.  As a result, the Hulk comes across like a minor character.  In a franchise that only recently gave the Hulk some depth, it felt like a step back for him with the potential for growth in the future.

More to come.  There’s still a lot to talk about with this movie, with even more spoilers.

Avengers: Infinity War Discussion, Part 1

This movie was a roller coaster ride for me.  It’s hard to talk about without talking about spoilers, so don’t be surprised if a good portion of this discussion contains spoilers.

For now, though, let’s just talk about the movie in general and things that I felt going into the movie.  There was a lot of hype going into this movie.  The advertisements and the discussion around it made it feel like the climax of everything that had happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe up to this point.  I think the movie lived up to that.  While watching the movie, I definitely got the urge to binge all the MCU movies again.

One of the main reasons for that is that the movie does so well at keeping the characters distinct.  Despite having dozens of characters, including a double digit number of superheroes, the movie does a great job at keeping each character distinct from one another where a lesser film would have muddled them together.  The interactions between the characters were new and unique even when compared to other movies.  The movie kept me laughing, kept me interested, and kept me wondering what would happen next.  If you are a fan of the MCU, you probably have either watched it or are going to watch it, so me telling you to watch it probably isn’t going to change much.  But, I do recommend the movie, but only if you have at least moderately been keeping up with the movies to this point.

With that said, let’s get into specifics about the plot, which means spoilers.

The movie starts off well.  We start with a confrontation between the Asgardians and Thanos’ forces.  From the beginning, we get a sense of how powerful Thanos is and that the movie will not hesitate to kill big name characters.  Thanos is the perfect villain to take on the entire cast of the MCU to this point and they show that from the start.

I honestly think that Thanos is ultimately the main character in the movie.  I don’t have any math, since I just saw it once, but I think he gets more screen time than any one other character.  That’s at least the impression that I got leaving the movie.  The journey that we follow in the film is Thanos’ while he attempts to get all the infinity stones.  It is not the Avengers or the Guardians of the Galaxy’s journey to stop him, although that does play a part as well.

For the movie to follow the villain around instead of the heroes, you need a villain that has motivation, opportunity, and the means to accomplish his goal.  In other words, you need a fleshed-out villain.  Marvel tends to do this well, but I feel that Thanos is probably the best example to date (with the possible exception of Killmonger) of a villain whose path to power has purpose and is an understandable goal for him to want to achieve.  Of course, I don’t think his plan will ultimately work out well, but it’s at least understandable that he would want to do it.  He thinks he is the good guy and like Spider-Man said in Civil War, that makes him dangerous.

As the movie continues, Thanos continues to grow in power and the heroes begin to get together to form a cohesive team.  Of course, there are complications.  Each one is believable, though, given that the heroes were not unified when the movie started.  This movie takes the entire universe into account well.

The movie also humanizes Thor in a way that I don’t feel any other movie in the MCU had done to this point.  You felt his pain and frustration with Loki before, but this movie made you feel the cumulative weight of the movies on Thor, with the death of his father, his brother, his best friend, his sister, and the loss of Asgard, in a way that not even Ragnarok was able to do.  In this movie, Thor because one of my lesser-liked superheroes to one that I genuinely rooted for in every scene he was in.  His journey throughout the MCU was on full display in this film.

We’ll have to pick up from here next time.  There’s just too much to talk about in one post.  We still haven’t even really gotten to the big impacts yet.