For this 197th Marvel movie, that subplot that only dorks cared about in which Thanos the purple spaceman collects magic rocks so he can take over the universe finally comes to a head. Not to say that it isn’t welcome. We don’t need any more boring debates about superhero ethics between Captain America and Iron Man in the middle of action scenes in which they punch each other over and over again through concrete walls. What we need in these movies are more aliens. Also, spaceships and other planets. A bunch of sci-fi magic wizard shit is cool, as well. And that’s what we get here. It’s the sort of cosmic action spectacular that I can get behind.
Like all modern superhero movies, it’s so long that I felt like I was in the theater for three days, but you already know that going in. It’s a given. The art of the lean, 100-minute action movie is a dead one right now. All of these things go over two hours. Two-and-a-half hours or more when it’s a really big deal.
Think about it a little more though, and this is pretty much just a 70s disaster movie in superhero clothes and with mega-slick CGI. Airport. The Towering Inferno. Avengers: Infinity War. It fits right in if you squint and you’re drunk. The disaster is very unique sort of apocalypse and the villain has the upper hand much of the time. The heroes often lose. As in any classic disaster movie, everything is going to shit in a way that requires extra massive production values. While the studio is already spending big money, they also bring in a star-studded cast, which is one of the hallmarks of a true disaster movie (here, pretty much the WHOLE Marvel cavalcade shows up, with the exception of Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, who has his own movie coming out later in the summer). And if the producers are going big in every other aspect of the film, they may as well also go long. Audiences should be stumbling out of the theater with ears ringing and numb butts.
Does anyone know what I’m talking about? Am I crazy?
Bottom line: This isn’t a masterpiece, but it wallops you good in the way that will appeal to anyone who generally likes the other Marvel movies. Also, no spoilers, but it ends on a fun cliffhanger that already has me hooked into the next installment.