What’s not so fortunate for INHUMANS is the horrible timing of this release. There is so much negativity surrounding INHUMANS right now that only diehard fans of Marvel or the characters involved in the show have the proper incentive to attend one of these showings. Just about every review or piece of coverage for INHUMANS has shouted, “AVOID!” to all those inclined.
In Chicago, on the opening night of its IMAX release, I was joined in my screening by four other people, each who seemed as if they had wandered into a movie without fully knowing what was about to happen. When other series plan any type of theatrical release of their episodes, they are typically already established shows with formed fan bases ready to attend. INHUMANS, with the confidence of the Marvel brand backing it, decided to go ahead with an IMAX release with only limited advertisements and news circulations to spread the word.
This is where my excitement built. There are so many ways to interpret the bad press that INHUMANS has been receiving, seeing it as the show being genuinely as terrible as its portrayed or even as a bandwagon of hatred for people to jump onto without sufficient reason. Once the ball of negative publicity starts rolling on a show, it’s hard to ever stop it. The only way to figure out for sure was to sit down and watch it for myself.
Let me start this off by saying that INHUMANS is a spectacle. Honestly, as much as I was anticipating the opposite, the IMAX portions of the show shine through the moment the series begins on the big screen. It’s shot incredibly well, and has set designs and location shots that accentuate both the royal Inhuman home of Attlian and the gorgeous areas of Hawaii where the Inhumans find themselves on. If you’re someone who goes to the movie theater specifically for the grand spectacle that it presents over home viewing, then INHUMANS may be a sure fire homerun for the pretty penny you’re going to spend on a ticket.
What accompanies the grand spectacle are the characters who inhabit this off-kilter world. The characters, each competing in a “Who Can Wear the Most Leather” competition, seem to be designed to be more modernly influenced versions of their comic book forms rather than direct adaptations. Black Bolt is probably the character who this is most visible on, because his traditional mask and tuning fork are absent from his wardrobe. Rather, he’s a carbon copy of a rugged white guy whose main purpose is to stand around looking confused and demanding obedience when he’s doing nothing to deserve it.
Honestly, it’s surprising that someone hadn’t overthrown Black Bolt before the start of the series. However Maximus, Black Bolt’s brother and the one responsibly for dismantling the Royal Family from within, acts as a self-righteous twerp whose only claim to the throne is through the blood that runs through his veins. Throughout all of his uncomfortable speeches and pleas for acceptance, I was left feeling more sorry for the people of Attlian than I was for Maximus, a rogue surrounded by people with immense power. Once Maximus’ grand takeover does start, you're left wondering if there is even a single Inhuman worth ruling over the throne of Attlian.
That’s where the fearsome, yet mighty Medusa comes in. Hands down, Medusa will be the saving grace of this series — besides the giant, lovable teleporting dog Lockjaw, of course. She’s tough, immensely intelligent and all around the right person to lead the Inhumans to both success as a society and a series. What is disappointing is how the negative aspects of the series affect her as a character. The sentient aspects of her hair seem to be on the bottom of the long list of visual effects the series is attempting to create, one which they seem to fully give up on within the first hour. However, just what INHUMANS is begging its audience to do as well, she persists, and moves on confidently and ready to get back what she’s worked for. As the show continues, I’ll be rooting for Medusa to end the slap fight between Black Bolt and Maximus, send them to time out, and take the throne of Attlian.
What sends INHUMANS over the ledge for me is the sheer amount of over-the-top drama. This series feels like Marvel’s venture into a soap opera, where each character’s facial expression is more unnecessarily exaggerated than the last. Though the INHUMANS is a story of a family, it feels more like a character is going to dramatically reveal their memory loss more than any real emotion is going to be felt. Though they advertise themselves are Inhumans, this series needs to be rooted more in its humanity than any of the obviously artificial drama its inciting. For me, I won’t be able to connect with INHUMANS until it feels more natural. Not in the sense that these superhumans living on the moon could be real, but more as if the characters are facing real issues, as if the confrontations had real stakes rather than the characters being flabbergasted at the drop of a pen. Though it may be a tremendous feat to recover INHUMANS from the crater-like hole it’s in, it’s easy to see that if anyone can do it, it’s going to be Marvel.
Written by William Staton, INHUMANS Beat Writer -- Click to read William's posts
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