What If...? (2021)

Watchseries; WHAT IF...? Could have been an intriguing series. If the debut episode is anything to go by, it's yet more evidence why interest in the MCU is dwindling fast.

This show is basically what nerds call alternate universe (AU) fanfiction-- and it isn't a particularly distinguished example. The worst AU fanfiction usually changes key factors of the source material, then copy-pastes the original dialogue and events with the shallowest of changes. Incredibly uninteresting to read-- and to watch..

The first episode of this show is basically just THE FIRST AVENGER on fast-forward. As a result, the development is rushed and none of the intended emotional impacts land at all. The animation style does not help: I like the cel shade look in other media, but the faces here are stiff and oddly inexpressive, tumbling headlong into the uncanny valley. Everything comes off as cheap-- I'm reminded of low-budget kids' shows from the 1970s and 1980s, the kind only designed to sell toys.

To be honest, Phase 4 feels like little more than an unnatural extension of the MCU's shelf life, an attempt to turn it into some perpetual money-making machine. Unfortunately for greedy CEOs, franchise enthusiasm among the mainstream exists in cycles. The original STAR WARS trilogy, while wildly successful, suffered a sharp decline in interest after RETURN OF THE JEDI came out. It took a few years for people to miss it, allowing Lucasfilm to capitalize on renewed interest with the Thrawn trilogy in the early 1990s. If Disney was smart, they would scale back a few years.

Or not.

WHAT IF...? Could have been an intriguing series. If the debut episode is anything to go by, it's yet more evidence why interest in the MCU is dwindling fast.

This show is basically what nerds call alternate universe (AU) fanfiction-- and it isn't a particularly distinguished example. The worst AU fanfiction usually changes key factors of the source material, then copy-pastes the original dialogue and events with the shallowest of changes. Incredibly uninteresting to read-- and to watch..

The first episode of this show is basically just THE FIRST AVENGER on fast-forward. As a result, the development is rushed and none of the intended emotional impacts land at all. The animation style does not help: I like the cel shade look in other media, but the faces here are stiff and oddly inexpressive, tumbling headlong into the uncanny valley. Everything comes off as cheap-- I'm reminded of low-budget kids' shows from the 1970s and 1980s, the kind only designed to sell toys.

To be honest, Phase 4 feels like little more than an unnatural extension of the MCU's shelf life, an attempt to turn it into some perpetual money-making machine. Unfortunately for greedy CEOs, franchise enthusiasm among the mainstream exists in cycles. The original STAR WARS trilogy, while wildly successful, suffered a sharp decline in interest after RETURN OF THE JEDI came out. It took a few years for people to miss it, allowing Lucasfilm to capitalize on renewed interest with the Thrawn trilogy in the early 1990s. If Disney was smart, they would scale back a few years.

Or not.

What If...? watchseries. This episode was so bad. No emotion. How does this have a 7.8 when every review is 1-4.

I thought it will be different plot but its almost the same story but a minor change. I think this series will depend on other episodes plot episode 1 is a mess.

A very straight forward episode of rushing things to set those pieces right into the puzzle. And my facial expressions were also pretty straight watching this episode as there was no thrill or even a logical storytelling, I understand it's an aminated show targetted at children maybe? But only those children who are familiar with all the MCU till now might perhaps be able to enjoy it.

Let's see how the rest of the episodes turn out but I am certainly not very excited about them after this one.

The first episode was very meh, some cringe, unlikely romance, but watchable. The second, I couldn't believe at first, I thought it was some cheese dream somebodies having, but on the 10th minute I give up. It is unbelievably bad. Sooooooo bad, it will become the measuring stick of butchered material, like Green Lantern.

Please, please fire anybody who had anything to do with writing this. And I will re-subscribe to Disney if you slap them a little on the way out.

Cant believe the drop in quality this had compared to marvel's other tv shows. I can understand that they had to replace voices for the characters but how is that an excuse for the incredibly bland and lifeless voices? There's tons of other animations out there for awesome voice acting. Story was just as bad and felt so very rushed through. I almost had to check if i had the video on 2x speed with how quick things were going.

Literally felt like watching a lifeless cartoon. If the rest of the episodes are like this, this will be the worst show out of anything marvel has thrown out in years.