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Movie Review: 'Avengers: Infinity War' Slightly Alters Superhero Formula

by Todd A. Smith


(Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures) 


Going Against the Formula 



In 1989, Dallas born rapper The D.O.C. collaborated with producer Dr. Dre of N.W.A to release the classic song, “The Formula.”

As one can guess the song detailed the formula it took to make a hit rap record.

The D.O.C. rapped, “Originality is a must when I bust a funky composition, it’s crush and I trust that you know it when you hear a funky record with potential, me gettin’ hype cause Dre rockin’ the instrumental.”

The key word in the above verse is originality.

However, the plots of many superhero movies have become anything but original.

However, in “Avengers: Infinity War,” Marvel Studios finally puts a spin on the superhero genre because if fans believe they know the outcome of the film based on previous superhero movies, they will be pleasantly surprised.

Nevertheless, “Avengers: Infinity War” starts off in grand fashion, but still begins like any other superhero movie.

The good guys find themselves in a heck of a predicament when the bad guys begin their epic quest to take over the world and subject the innocent people of the galaxy to their oppressive and tyrannical rule.

The fate of the world rests with the power of the six infinity stones.

The space stone is better known as the Tesseract, which allows people to teleport anywhere in the galaxy at any time.

The reality stone is known as Aether.

The power stone, which gives the person possessing it enormous power, is known as Orb.

The superhero Loki (Tom Hiddleston) possesses the vision or mind stone, which allows him to control the mind of all of his enemies.

The soul stone allows the possessor to trap someone’s soul inside another world.

And the time stone allows someone to visit the future and change the events of the past.

If any one person or entity gets their hands on all six stones, they would control the vast universe and everyone and everything in it.

The giant and evil Thanos (Josh Brolin) has desires to capture all six stones because he is disgusted with the state of the universe and believes that only by destroying many people and planets can he restore order to the galaxies.

While the Avengers, collectively, have thus far been able to save the world from threats both big and small, Thanos is so powerful that the entire universe of superheroes might not be heroic enough to stave off his twisted plans for the world.

There might be only one way for the Avengers and their new friends to take out Thanos. But as the old folks would say it is not wise to put all of your eggs in one basket.

But if the Avengers and crew only have one basket, what can they do but hope that their plan to stop Thanos holds up?

If it does not hold up, the world as they knew it might cease to exist, permanently.

In some ways, Marvel Studios sticks to the formula in “Avengers: Infinity War” and rightfully so.

In “Avengers: Infinity War,” Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland) bring the comedy relief in another well-written Marvel screenplay.

Thor’s word choice and voice are great as usual.

Peter Parker is still desperate for acceptance from Tony Stark.

Tony Stark is his usual off beat self and his interaction with the “wizard,” Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is hilarious.

But the way Marvel continues to weave more and more superhero franchises into one without having too much going on in the script is amazing.

To combine millions of fans’ favorite superheroes and their location into one coherent storyline epitomizes writing talent and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely should take a well-deserved bow.

Furthermore, directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo do a great job of bringing those stories together visually to make a succinct motion picture.

However, in comparing recent Marvel movies, “Avengers: Infinity War,” still falls behind the phenomenon which is “Black Panther.”

The film adaptation of “Black Panther” has to rank as the best Marvel picture in the last five years.

And while the crew from Wakanda makes an appearance in “Avengers: Infinity War,” the latest Marvel installment cannot match the cultural importance and visual beauty of “Black Panther.”

Furthermore, the film “Dr. Strange” ranks a little bit higher than “Avengers: Infinity War.”

However, “Avengers: Infinity War” ranks a little bit higher than “Thor: Ragnarok” because it seems a little bit more mature than “Ragnarok.”

“Avengers: Infinity War” gives just enough of Thor’s affable personality, while “Ragnarok” gave a little bit too much.

Many fans will probably marvel (pun intended) at the epic fight scene in Wakanda that combines the best elements of all previous Marvel franchise into one monumental showdown for world supremacy.

In “Black Panther,” T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) decided to open the reclusive and technologically advanced nation of Wakanda to the outside world for the first time.

But when that inclusivity results in an epic battle, Okoye (Danai Gurira) informs T’Challa that when he said he wanted to invite the outside world into Wakanda, she thought T’Challa meant opening up a Starbucks or hosting the Olympics, not opening the country up to more battles.

However, fighting and battles for supremacy is the formula for a great superhero movie.

And “Avengers: Infinity War” is a great superhero movie because it sticks to the formula when it benefits the film and alters the formula slightly to set it apart from other films in the genre.

As The D.O.C rapped in “The Formula,” “High energy flowin’ with the wisdom, sense of a rich man, knowledge and the rhythm, this is what I’m using to come up with a style so I’ll interact altogether better with the crowd.”

Marvel Studios already has the style to give their crowd what they want in a superhero flick.

But sometimes, even successful people and companies have to alter the formula a little bit to keep their fans on their toes.

In doing so, Marvel continues to perfect the formula with “Avengers: Infinity War.”









This article was published on Thursday 26 April, 2018.
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