To name a few things I enjoyed about the film: most of the scenes with Chris Pratt are entertaining, and there are some effective bits of drama throughout the film as well. But, overall, the film feels bland, and the storytelling lacks motivation. 

I rarely find myself compelled by the plastic, plot-driven characters on display. Seriously, for the epic scale this film asserts, the stakes may be high, but if there’s no emotion or soul going into its story, why should I care what happens? At this point, I’ve kind of lost interest in the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’ve felt this way many times before, and I was caught by surprise with Homecoming and Ragnarok from last year, but maybe I just found them more enjoyable and satisfying to watch than the darker or more “politically complex” films (think The Winter Soldier and Civil War), which appears to be what Infinity War aims for. Although it’s not always a bad thing to put heroes at stake at the hands of a strong Marvel villain, it fails to be intriguing. And, I know it’s not just my having a problem with more serious matters (I love The Dark Knight); Marvel succeeds when it takes a hold of the fact that it’s just a movie, and it can’t half expect its audience to take everything so seriously. Just look at the overwrought technology and downright complexity of its universe, which may fascinate some but only bores me. 

All in all, Infinity War is one of Marvel’s most ambitious feats but is still nothing short of a disappointment.