Why didn’t I go to Rampage?
If only the time stone were real, I could roll back to the moment I saw that The Infinity Wars had sold out and picked a different movie. But that’s not what happened. Instead, I opted to go to the next available showing.
I don’t think it spoils anything to say that this two-and-a-half-hour movie is unfinished. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so ticked at the end if I’d known it was originally supposed to be called The Infinity Wars, Part 1. Evidently someone didn’t want to be bound to calling the second movie Part 2, so the movie executives decided not to label their ongoing saga in any way that would clue us in. Unless that “Infinity” was a hint, but I truly hope it doesn’t take that long to find a resolution.
Or maybe the way it ended was the resolution. I can’t say anything here because I don’t want to give it away, but if this is the case, then the movie truly was awful.
Nothing Like Tolkien
Sitting there as the credits rolled (and hoping that the final scene eased the annoyed feeling growing in the pit of my stomach—it didn’t, btw), I was reminded of another time I sat in a theatre with a bunch of unhappy movie goers. It was The Fellowship of the Ring, and the guy sitting behind me didn’t realize it was the first of a trilogy. I won’t repeat what he said, but I now understand the feeling.
However, I think I have a bigger gripe. Marvel is a far cry from Tolkein, and some things did get wrapped up at the end of The Fellowship. That’s not the case with Infinity Wars, unless that truly was the ending (see paragraph 3 above).
The movie did make me laugh out loud several times. That’s something. My favorite line is when Peter Parker meets Dr. Strange.
But still, I think awful ending trumps funny jokes.
And I’m not even going to get into the unnecessary biblical references and mocking tone. I wouldn’t want to detract from the fact that this movie IS NOT COMPLETE. Don’t get me wrong. I totally get two-parters, sequels, unfinished storylines. I understand those. What I don’t understand is how you write a two-and-a-half-hour movie and not give your viewers at least one thing that is resolved.
A Few Suggestions
I’m not asking for much. Possibly a subplot about a traitor who gets discovered or someone finally professes their true love or perchance a thread about why they hadn’t called out every super hero possible would have offered clarity and meaning (especially to the final scene).
I don’t know Maybe the movie really needed to be done in two parts. Perhaps “that was the only way,” but I dare say the reasoning might lie more with the box office than the story.
I’ll never know. I won’t see the next one.
PS – I didn’t really mention my beef with the biblical allusions. They paled in comparison to my dislike of the ending. In my research, I did find an interesting blog post on the I am statements in Marvel (of which there was one in Infinity Wars too). To read it, click here.
Check out my short story “The Door” on page 41.
Thanks a bunch!