Any character that anyone cares about has sequels planned or in production (Black Panther, Spider-Man, Guardians, etc) so you know even before going in to this film that they're not going to die. The deaths are therefore cheap and meaningless.
shareYou entirely missed the point of the ending. Go watch a Transformers movie.
sharePlease enlighten me.
shareFor starters, while you and I know there's a Black Panther sequel lined up, those in the movie don't. The deaths provide gravitas, and provide an utterly believable reason for the characters to feel utter despair and hopelessness. They haven't just lost a battle, or a city. Half of humanity is gone. Their loved ones are gone. And the way it was filmed is haunting and horrifying, even to the viewer who knows a happy ending can still happen. They didn't just die, they dissipated into nothingness while the survivors looked in in powerless horror.
On another level, though, those characters did die, and are gone forever. As a self-contained, single, film, Infinity War is complete. Just because more films will come, and more stories will be told, you can watch this as the story of Thanos' quest, and success. He won. View this film as its own entity and it's a dark, grimly satisfying ending.
We instinctively see the Avengers as the heroes of the film, but Thanos is every bit as much a hero from a different perspective. If anything, he's the only character that fits the role of hero in the classic, epic, sense of the word. We see the battle, Thor seems poised to save the day for his side, but Thanos prevails. He achieves his goal. We see "our" side destroyed, we witness their despair, then we cut to Thanos, viewing his sunrise (or was it a sunset?).
Ok, so no, I didn't miss the point of the ending, it just didn't have any emotional impact for me. No one is watching this film as a self contained single entity. Everyone knows more is coming, it's part of an ever expanding universe, in which all the films are connected and continue on from one another, so the deaths have no emotional impact as we all know those particular Avengers are absolutely coming back.
shareIf it had no emotional impact for you, then so be it. For me, and I'd wager the majority of viewers, the emotional impact didn't come from the death of a particular character, but from the emotional response of the surviving characters to the death.
If you think about it, no one really dies in a film. It's acting. The emotional response to an acted death comes from our understanding of what real death is, and how it affects those who didn't die. That you are unaffected by an acted death because you suspect another film will be made in which that character is resurrected seems, to me, the same as being unaffected by an acted death because you know the actor didn't really die.
The end of Infinity War was as emotionally powerful an ending to any action/comic book film I've ever seen. Not only were the deaths deeply meaningful, but they were presented in a horrifying manner that haunts the viewer for days after leaving the theater. The directors made a bold, unexpected choice to allow the perceived villain to kill the perceived heroes, and to end the movie with him savoring his victory. If Avengers 4 resurrects some or all of the dead, well, that's another story. Just as I didn't leave The Empire Strikes Back thinking, "meh, they'll bring Han Solo back." I left thinking "wow, what a movie, what an ending!" I left Infinity War in numbed shock, slowly processing what I'd just seen.
There are multiple ways to watch a film or a tv series. One is to watch it though the characters' POV meaning follow their story and figure things out from what they know and who they are. Then there is the way ShinyMcShine watches shows. Shiny would look at a clock, see the show has 10 minutes left and say "That's the killer"
I tend to watch shows from the characters's POV. I empathise with them and so while I know that some characters will somehow comeback that does not prevent me from feeling the loss of them for the other characters. I feel and understand the emotions that are going through Peter Parker when he just saw Drax disintegrate then to feel himself going. I also feel and understand Iron Man's emotions as he see this young kid die in front of him.
If Shiny can't do this or, more likely, chooses not to because he wants seem smarter than others then that is on him. It does not make the ending mean nothing.
Ok
shareYea even though we know several of the "snap" victims have films in the pipeline, the manner of their deaths was horrifying. Spiderman's terror, feeling him self go was the hardest scene to see. With iron man holding him like a protective father. That was very emotional for me. Anyway the best way to accept the deaths is to try to assume all the forthcoming films occur BEFORE this event.
shareWhile I see your point and even somewhat agree, Ironically, their deaths had the exact opposite effect has what I'm sure was original intended, I'm sure the deaths of SpiderMan, B Panther and Star Lord were meant to shock and awe fans, From what I've read, instead gave them comfort, because first they seen Bucky die, then others and the HORROR was setting in that OMG they are dying, Marvels really doing it, they are killing off a bunch of Key characters, with the Deaths of Bucky, S Witch, and others, at the point, You were horrified and somewhat believed OMG they are really dying, but THE SECOND you saw Black Panther go to ash, I(and from almost everything I read) everyone felt universal relief, because they instantly knew they werent going to stay dead, Then you saw, Spider-Man go, then Star Lord, Drax, Groot...and instead of the Shock and awe, really you felt Relief because you 100% know for sure they are coming back
while I dont feel its pointless, because The ending still has deep meaning and Is incredibly powerful, Haunting and unexpected, I do at least understand where you coming from
I also think you should wait until Avengers 4 to call it meaningless....Because I'm pretty sure to bring them back, Its going to take the sacrifice of The Original Avengers....I think Cap, Tony, Thor, Scarjo, and others may have to sacrifice themselves to bring them back...if this is the case, Then their deaths have MASSIVE Meaning...
this fits in perfectly with Evans, Hemsworths, RDJ and Scarjo contracts expiring....its been known for 2 years now that whatever happen in these 2 Avengers movies, Its going to have to end With a clear setup for a new Avengers lineup to take over...
Marvel Studios has Chris Pratt, Boseman, Cumberpatch, Holland, Brea Larson and others under 3 to 6 picture contracts...
Its clear the next 2 or 3 Avengers movies after Avengers 4 is going to be headlined by Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Star Lord, and other like Drax, Rocket, Bucky, War Machine, S Witch, Ant-Man, Wasp and others...
The Point being....Its clear, The Original Avengers are pretty much done after Avengers 4...Evans, Hemsworth are on record that they are not coming back...
it makes Zero sense Business wise for Marvel Studios to ever make another Avengers movies with RDJ,Hemsworth, Scarjo or Evans....They would have to pay them upwards of 15 to 20 each and 50 Million to RDJ....
not when they've got Pratt,Boseman,Larson,Holland,Cumberpatch and other locked into minimum contracts that are 3 to 6 picture deals that can headline the next 3 Avengers films for a combined total of less than 20 M...
It makes perfect sense The Original Avengers are going to die in Avengers 4 leading the way for a new lineup...I think they are going to have to sacrifice themselves to bring back the others!
which will then makes Avengers IWs ending even more powerful and all their death extremely meaningful!
Or maybe they confirmed the sequels to throw off everyone and make their deaths in Infinity War a little more shocking. Also, Avengers 4 is done filming. Sure there is a possibility that they'll go back and do re-shoots to maybe reverse deaths (mainly Black Panther) since there is still a year to go until Avengers 4, but Avengers 4 is now in post-production. And Infinity War was pretty much in the final stages of post-production when Black Panther was released in theaters, so by the time Black Panther came out, they didn't know how successful the movie would be. They probably thought Black Panther was an expendable character at the time Infinity War started filming. And maybe the plans pre-Black Panther's success with Avengers 4 is to keep him dead or maybe bring him back but kill him off once more.
shareOne thing you need to remember above all is that this is a business. There is no way they're going to pass up the profits of a Black Panther sequel, not to mention all the others.
shareSo what?
The good guys always win in superhero movies.
In Infinity War 2 all will be made right and all our favourite Marvel Heroes will wink back into existence.
We'll laugh we'll cry we'll have a great time watching it. Then watch the one after that and the one after that.
To be fair black widow's movie is rumored to be a prequel, but general i agree with the OP, most of those characters aren't going to stay dead. This would be different if it was The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones lol.
shareLife meanz nuttin
shareYes that is true but not everyone that see's these movies have a lot of film knowledge or even know what movies are coming next. So, it's a movie made for the fanboys in regards to the fact that most of us know that those characters are safe but general audiences/people who don't know much about comics or the movies won't know and will freak out about the "deaths".
shareIt's more about the journey than the destination.
And we still have no idea about Iron Man or Cap.