Year Released: 2018
Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle
(PG-13, 156 min.)
Genre: Action and Adventure, Science Fiction and Fantasy

Painting by the numbers. That ’s what it has come down to for the motley Avengers crew

What was once fresh is now bloated and manipulative. Less is more, folks, but that hasn’t registered on Disney and the virtue-signaling cast, who seem content to phone it in, lecturing us l on gun violence while mowing down everything in sight on screen.

Sorry, no longer a fan. What was once bold is now an orchestrated attempt to separate a fool from his money. And sadly enough, they seem to be doing that quite well. It’s almost as bad as when Bob Dylan went electric.

The original Avengers was released in 2012, back in the days when the boys in the band had their act together. A dysfunctional family of super heroes, and the biggest gathering of prima donnas since Zeus first gaveled in the Council at Olympus.

But now it is other franchises – Harry Potter , for instance, that come to mind. Overly complex and geared to diehard fans who probably have the lines already committed to memory, spicing up their tawdry lives with fandom campouts at the bookstore for the latest new edition. Or should I say Comic Con events, where they venture forth from their mother’s basement in tights, doing their best to become Spidey or the Great Green Hulk for a brief moment in time.

Sorry to be cruel, fans, but everyone, from the once brave iconoclast Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to Mark Ruffalo’s increasingly neurotic Hulk, seems to be going through the motions to cash their very substantial paychecks. Ka Ching. But can we really blame them, given this is more cameo pageant than a real movie, as we certainly remembered in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Now even the one-liners seem contrived.

It’s become a formula rather than a franchise, cynically dumbed down verbally to keep the foreign box office cash cow beefed up.

So that is all I have to say. Despite its excessive running time (156 minutes) – it sometimes felt like infinity for real – this film doesn’t merit the full treatment. You’ll have to settle for a mini review, which is all Avengers: Infinity War merits. No quote, just a brief recipe intro and link, and no trailer either. You’ve probably already seen enough of them by now.

You can tell that the lame Avengers: Infinity War has left Different Drummer feeling foul. Yes, this review is a rant, but I’m loving writing it. Which is exactly the opposite of what I felt watching the thing. But who knows, you may enjoy it like everyone here, and around the world, where it has scored the biggest box office opening ever.

Go figure.

–Kathy Borich
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Here is what Patty Holliday says about her Thanos Cocktail;

Marvel Avengers Cocktails are perfect for the movie watching parties you’re planning. What can we say about Thanos- other than he’s the worst father in the entire universe? After watching Avengers: Infinity War this week, I felt like I needed a drink. Or two. While this one is non-alcoholic, you can make this a vodka or chambord cocktail easily! Check out this Marvel Avengers Cocktail inspired by the biggest bad guy of all: Thanos. The Thanos cocktail is non-alcoholic fun for all ages.

Recipe Name: The Thanos Cocktail