SPOILER TALK: The Avengers: Infinity War

[Jurassic Shark 12,008]

Yeah, of course. Too bad Ms. Trox didn't elaborate on that...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Of course, maybe I misinterpreted what he meant!

[Jurassic Shark 12,008]

Or maybe he meant something completely different. There's no certainties when it comes to the Trox!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

We must consult the Oracle!  The word of Strox must be divined!

[Jurassic Shark 12,008]

I guess for my interpretation to be valid, the Trox would have to be a soda addict who couldn't stand watching the latter half of the film without soda.

[Bilbo 3,709]

4 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

We must consult the Oracle!  The word of Strox must be divined!

 

I did my MA dissertation in Roman divination. Cut him open and we’ll see if we can figure this out. 

[Jurassic Shark 12,008]

You want to measure the amount of soda in his system?

[Bilbo 3,709]

Of course not!

 

We’ll poke around in his entrails and see what the gods are telling us. 

 

[Pellaeon 593]

I always go to the bathroom during action scenes. Everyone knows nothing happens during action scenes, and they go on forever.

[Jurassic Shark 12,008]

54 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

Of course not!

 

We’ll poke around in his entrails and see what the gods are telling us. 

 

Beware of his nipple... 

[Bilbo 3,709]

Just now, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Beware of his nipple... 

Won’t be making that mistake again!

[Jurassic Shark 12,008]

You won't have to, cause you can never unsee it.

 

[leeallen01 2,133]

Based on Ragnarok and Thor's brilliant scenes with the Guardians throughout Infinity War, I think it would be very wise of Marvel to have Thor join the Guardians of the Galaxy cast for future Guardians films.

 

Depending on if any Guardians or Thor are dead or not, I would be very entertained with a future Guardians cast adding Valkyrie and Korg too.

[stewdog1 50]

Got to see this a second time the other night.  It really holds up well and was probably more enjoyable the second time around.  To me, the Black Panther movie did not hold up well the second time around.

 

There's just something crazy about the bad guy ending the movie like the end of Gladiator.  At peace looking out to the sunset.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, stewdog1 said:

There's just something crazy about the bad guy ending the movie like the end of Gladiator.  At peace looking out to the sunset.

 

How do you mean crazy?  It's a very effective emotional ending for the most interesting character in the movie.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's the perfect ending!

 

And it's actually a shame we already know it will be undone in the next one. There's something wonderfully purposeful about Thanos in this film. 

Is it OK to root for him?

[stewdog1 50]

2 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

How do you mean crazy?  It's a very effective emotional ending for the most interesting character in the movie.

Yeah, I agree.  It's crazy that it is the bad guy as opposed to the good guy.  

1 minute ago, Stefancos said:

It's the perfect ending!

 

And it's actually a shame we already know it will be undone in the next one. There's something wonderfully purposeful about Thanos in this film. 

Is it OK to root for him?

Totally agree!

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Just saw it.

 

Well that was Marvel on steroids. Actually the boss bad guy looked like he was on some monster steroid there. Everyone whinging about tone, pacing, and too many characters, like seriously? Put the pseudo film theory crap away and just ride along. While watching this, I thought it was everything I wanted Independence Day Resurgence to be but it completely failed to be. Isn't the next one supposed to be Ant-Man and the Wasp? Will half the cast have disappeared too?

 

Oh another thing, was this the first Marvel movie whose end titles wasn't a novelty CGI thingamabob and just regular names and titles? Reminds me of Deathly Hallows when they decided to just make it basic again following a slew of films that made it cutesy CGI thingy that reflected the theme of the film.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It also doesnt have a mid-credits sequence.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Ahh right I noticed that too. More of a mournful affair, this one.

 

Yeah I really dig this movie.

 

Maybe my only complaint is not enough Iron Man, but that's not much to whinge about.

[crocodile 7,973]

What did you think of Silvestri? The album preferences aside (it is too long), the score in the film was great!

 

Karol

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I didn't mind it. Felt a bit anonymous but even he seemed overwhelmed by the magnitude of this movie.

 

Oh and did anyone else think of erectile dysfunction whenever Bruce Banner had problems getting his Hulk up? That was touching.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yes, very relatable right?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

And realistic!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

If it can happen to the Hulk it can happen to anyone!

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I was expecting him to rise to the occasion as soon as he saw Black Widow, he would have been Bruce Boner, but nope.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Only Buffy the Vampire Slayer can save the Avengers.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

OK yes here I am again blah blah who cares.

 

I liked Infinity War a lot on a recent second viewing.  But I still have discomfort with the film's portrayal of Thanos (as I alluded to in this thread last year).  I'm open to novel, "empathetic" approaches to portraying big bad comic book villains, and I think the humanizing approach was the right choice; it helped to make the overblown cosmic fantasy aspect feel more "down to earth" and relatable.  But in taking this approach I think it's open to more scrutiny of exactly how it treats that character's emotions.  Long story short, if Endgame doesn't seriously inspect allowing Thanos to define his relationship with Gamorra as "love" I will be disappointed.  I think it's very true to the nature of possessive, narcissistic abusers that Thanos thinks what he feels is love but, for me, a better story would be clearer in showing that it's a gross corruption of actual generous, selfless love.  Infinity War is obviously only half the story, so I'm withholding my own judgment for now.  To be clear, I don't think a film MUST have moral clarity to be worthy or good.  But this particular instance of lacking clarity just bothers me.  It's certainly something of an achievement that a Marvel movie inspired this much reflection at all, though.

[Jay 37,249]

It took the MCU to bring Stu back to JWfan, now, at the turn of the tide

[Holko 9,491]

Disco who?

[Jay 37,249]

Disco Stu doesn't advertise

[mstrox 6,637]

Clearly Thanos believes that he loves Gamora and acts out of love toward her, but are you saying you think the movie approves of this or confirms it?  I would think that most abusers would say that they love the people they abuse.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

3 minutes ago, mstrox said:

would think that most abusers would say that they love the people they abuse

 

Having been in an abusive relationship and doing research, I would say this is very true, and the opposite is often the case, too (the abused saying both that they love the abuser, and that the abuser loves them).

[Disco Stu 15,495]

4 minutes ago, mstrox said:

Clearly Thanos believes that he loves Gamora and acts out of love toward her, but are you saying you think the movie approves of this or confirms it?  I would think that most abusers would say that they love the people they abuse.

 

Indeed!  I said as much

 

28 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

I think it's very true to the nature of possessive, narcissistic abusers that Thanos thinks what he feels is love

 

But for me, the movie lets him "get away with it."  And yes, in general the movie lets him get away with everything, the nature of the cliffhanger ending.   And I will totally own up that this bothers me for personal reasons.  I think the story could achieve something special if it more clearly denounces this definition of love.

[mstrox 6,637]

Well, if any "big franchise" will attempt to make such a statement, I think Marvel has a pretty good track record of such.  I guess I never read the movie's lack of a statement on it as a tacit approval because even though he's the focus character, I can't consider Thanos as anything except "the bad guy."

[Disco Stu 15,495]

6 minutes ago, mstrox said:

Well, if any "big franchise" will attempt to make such a statement, I think Marvel has a pretty good track record of such.  I guess I never read the movie's lack of a statement on it as a tacit approval because even though he's the focus character, I can't consider Thanos as anything except "the bad guy."

 

Maybe I get just a little weirded out by how many people say they identify with Thanos or find him empathetic as a character.  Like it's novel to treat genocidal mania like this, but my reaction was not "Gosh what a breath of fresh air!"  It was interesting but also kind of gross.

[TheUlyssesian 2,473]

I am honestly not that interested in the moral alignment of the film but more in the structural architectural construction of it.

 

I was delighted by the clean elegant design of Infinity War. It blended the various parts harmoniously for the most part.

 

I'd like to see them do the same in Endgame. A necessity for me would be to address the Dr. Stange conceit. I think that one line from Strange essentially creates the premise for this film. So I would be sad if that is not explored in greater detail or referred to again.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

"clean elegant design"?  "harmonious"? Very Thanos-esque language here!

 

I enjoy the mechanical aspects of the plotting as well and I'm very curious how they resolve what was set up by Doctor Strange as the only outcome of 30 bajillion or whatever where they win.  I do like this movie despite this one aspect not sitting well with me.

[mstrox 6,637]

9 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Maybe I get just a little weirded out by how many people say they identify with Thanos or find him empathetic as a character.

 

People did the same thing with Walter White on Breaking Bad, which I always found a very interesting phenomenon.

[TheUlyssesian 2,473]

I don't think this movie or your blockbusters really put you in any moral quandary.

 

Take movies like Dogville - that is a movie which takes you to some very reprehensible places. The lead character instigates a massacre at the end (including the murder of children) and von Trier makes the audience complicit in it and makes them root for it and wish for it and cheer it on. That's a moral dilemma. I doubt this movie will have anything approaching that kind of a thing.

[John 2,032]

There are plenty of movies out there that focus on characters that are essentially evil. That doesn’t mean you need to sympathize with them to understand their motivations 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

7 minutes ago, TheUlyssesian said:

Take movies like Dogville - that is a movie which takes you to some very reprehensible places. The lead character instigates a massacre at the end (including the murder of children) and von Trier makes the audience complicit in it and makes them root for it and wish for it and cheer it on. That's a moral dilemma. I doubt this movie will have anything approaching that kind of a thing.

 

Well that's the thing.  I'm not the biggest von Trier fan, but while watching Dogville I could at least tell that he knew exactly what he was doing.  It was coming from a specific place to challenge a moral outlook.  I'm not sure the Russos and Markus/McFeely really knew what they were doing beyond "Oh this will be shocking and unexpected!"

 

This isn't keeping me up at night or anything.  It's just the cultural phenomenon of the moment so it's on my mind.

 

3 minutes ago, John said:

There are plenty of movies that focus on characters that would be considered by most as evil. That doesn’t mean you need to sympathize with them to understand their motivations 

 

I agree completely.  But like I say above, I think it takes a sure hand, a good writer or filmmaker who knows exactly what they're doing.  I just don't get that sense from the Russos.  But hey, I'll enjoy the end result either way as a piece of entertainment.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Recently watched the first Infinity War on Netflix.  It's entertaining in the moment but pretty hollow overall (surprise surprise).  It's basically a series of "big important scenes" strewn together without a satisfying sense of narrative.  It was cool seeing the Marvel heroes meet terrible (albeit temporary) ends but even that doesn't have the emotional impact the film wants it too.  

But it has a "dark gritty" ending so all the film bros of the internet love it.

[John 2,032]

I thought it had a lot of genuine dramatic weight, and much more emotional resonance than most other Marvel flicks. It’s the type of movie that gets better the more I think about it. 

[Fabulin 3,506]

.

[TheUlyssesian 2,473]

14 minutes ago, Fabulin said:

It's impressive the same way Stonehenge is. Or a big termite mound

 

or the Taj Mahal

[John 2,032]

[Nick Parker 3,040]

@Disco Stu You're one of the people that convinced Ira Behr and Ronald Moore to turn Dukat into an insufferably superficial, evil character that eliminated everything interesting about him!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Nuh uh.  The narrative here is not going to be "Disco Stu thinks characters should have no ambiguity or gray area."  My issue is with this specific action by this specific character in this specific movie.

 

And yes, I agree that Dukat got less interesting over time.  Its portrayal of Cardassian society was DS9 at its best.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

7 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

And yes, I agree that Dukat got less interesting over time.  Its portrayal of Cardassian society was DS9 at its best.

 

It was great all the way up to that one episode where the writers apparently didn't want fans to continue sympathizing, empathizing, or liking him, and chicken-jerked his neck into a totally different character.