The Avengers: Infinity Wars

I've been pissed off about the Avengers movie since watching it, but I was having trouble figuring out why exactly it bothered me so, other than it felt like no more than a 2.5 hour setup for movie 2 and shallow as all hell because nothing in it mattered - I didn't even cry once during this movie.

This review does a good job of putting my angst into words. Read on at your own peril for spoilers if you haven't gone to see it yet. If you haven't gone, don't bother - go re-watch Black Panther instead and save this crap for right before Infinity War 2.


The worst part of 'Avengers: Infinity War' was all the superhero bullsh**
By Jess Joho
May 1, 2018

This sanctimonious heroic bullsh** is getting old

Show of hands: How many times did you yell at the heroes of Infinity War for repeatedly losing stone after stone to Thanos because of an aggressively simple-minded and selfish moral compass?

Yes, I know Cap: "We don't trade lives." That's the summary of this entire movie's conflict. Thanos believes in sacrificing half the universe's population for a greater good, while the Avengers think they shouldn't have to sacrifice anything at all to save half of the universe's population.

That's not only a really narrow definition of heroism, but also astoundingly unsophisticated ethics.

Avengers' morality is tired, outdated, and underdeveloped. Sacrifice is part of the superhero job description. Heroes do trade lives. Just ask 9/11 first responders, or other everyday people risking their lives for others. Hell, ask Groot!

It'll be increasingly hard for us to care about another two hours of dudes in tights fighting when we know the good guy wins, almost always without consequence.

And THAT'S why I'm so pissed about this movie.

More spoilers about some of the villains...
'Avengers: Infinity War' really let down the Children of Thanos
By Adam Rosenberg
May 1, 2018

Cull Obsidian, the big, Hulk-like alien with his hammer-whip-thing. Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight, sci-fi staff-wielding acrobats that exude skill and menace in equal measures. Ebony Maw — creepy AF, hyper-intelligent, clearly the most sadistic member of the group.

Together, the four of them deliver the first real supervillain team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And by the time the credits roll, they're all dead.

Lame. The MCU has often struggled to create strong villains in the past. For every Loki there's a Yellowjacket and a Whiplash and an Abomination. (Can you even remember which movies each of those came from off the top of your head?)

Hela was great. Vulture was great. Killmonger was extra great. All the rest (minus Loki, of course)... meh.

The unjust murders of the Children of Thanos become especially distressing if you know anything about their comic book selves, where they're collectively known as the Black Order.