Inhumanely bad.
Marvel’s Inhumans is the latest entry in the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe, but this new TV show doesn’t live up to the usual Marvel standard. The Inhumans are a secret society of superpowered people who live on the moon, and while that is admittedly a weird concept, it’s not what holds the show back. It’s the crummy costumes, wooden dialogue and all-around dull delivery of the material.
The story follows the Inhuman royal family of Black Bolt, Medusa, and the rest as they rule Attilan - a hidden city on the moon - until a military coup forces to them go on the run to Earth down below. This might sound like the MCU’s version of Game of Thrones, and it certainly had the potential to be with its superhero monarchy and plays for power, but the show is a disappointment on every level. The costumes and makeup look like a group of friends decided to do Inhumans cosplay the day before Comic-Con. The royal palace, a main setting, looks like a warehouse on the outside and is full of bland, forgettable spaces on the inside. The clunky dialogue sounds like a first draft, not the sharp material you’d expect from the MCU. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the show that first introduced the idea of an Inhuman and which this new show has the thinnest of connections, earned its fans with a quick wit and some slick spy high jinks, whereas Inhumans has no firm tone or personality, it just globs along from one scene to the next.
Marvel and ABC are going big for the launch of Inhumans, releasing the first two episodes in IMAX theaters cut together as a feature-length movie, and then those episodes will air on TV as part of a two-part premiere. The theatrical and TV version will have some differences, although they are reportedly minimal; it seems the biggest change is one storyline is cut out from the IMAX version. This review is based on the IMAX presentation, and will stand as IGN’s review of the first two episodes. That said, if there’s something that makes us reevaluate this score in the TV version, I’ll make note of it here and adjust the score accordingly.
Unfortunately, launching Inhumans as an IMAX movie does more harm than good. The story simply doesn’t have the scope, scale, or polish to make use of such a bold format, and it shows. When the Inhumans flee to Earth, they go to Hawaii - a setting assumedly chosen so they’d have a beautiful place to show off in those super-sized frames. And yes, sure, Hawaii is gorgeous, but it adds nothing to the story, making those big establishing shots feel like something that would be more at home on the Discovery Channel rather than in Marvel’s latest superhero tale. And on top of all that, even though the IMAX version is supposed to be presented as a movie, it still includes episode recap flashbacks halfway through, making me wonder if the editor didn’t get the memo.
The cast includes some talented actors, but they’re buried beneath the show’s glaring flaws, making it impossible to get invested in anyone enough to want to see what happens next. Ken Leung’s Karnak earns the premiere’s only real laughs by always saying what’s on his over-analytical mind, but the confusing first demonstration of his powers will leave you scratching your head. Iwan Rheon’s Maximus is Diet Loki, the jealous, scheming brother of King Black Bolt, but he's given such insidious dialogue and direction that his motivations are immediately obvious. (Also, there’s one scene in particular where it seems no one on set pointed out that Rheon’s accent was coming through.) The writers just didn't know when to quit putting Serinda Swan’s Queen Medusa through the dramatic grinder, resulting in a scene that is unintentionally cringe-worthy. The few action scenes we find the characters in are filled with unimpressive visual effects and tepid choreography. Not even Lockjaw, the obscenely cute, giant, teleporting dog is enough to make you want to sit through another episode.
Showrunner Scott Buck’s previous Marvel credit was Netflix’s Iron Fist, which speaks volumes as to why Inhumans is just as misguided in its approach and execution. Yes, the source material for Inhumans involves a lot of out-there characters and concepts, but ever since Guardians of the Galaxy knocked it out of the park with a talking a raccoon and his tree friend, that can no longer be used as an excuse for why an adaptation didn’t turn out well. It’s clear the show was influenced by the classic Inhumans comic by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, but the dark, complex and gripping elements that made it great are nowhere to be seen. Even the lighter, more modern Inhumans comics of the past few years feel like they were flipped through without taking the time to truly understand their appeal.
But let me be clear: Inhumans isn’t bad because it’s not a loyal adaptation of the comics. Inhumans is bad because it’s a slog to get through.
The Verdict
Inhumans is bad from top to bottom. Try as it might, the show does not live up to the Marvel brand. It is most definitely not worth seeing in IMAX, and I wouldn’t recommend catching it on TV either.
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