It's weird to think that 10 whole years of wonderful movies have passed, but a decade ago there I was, enjoying Iron Man with a friend and leaving the cinema in awe (and absolutely not a clue about everything that would unfold afterwards). Now here we are, at what feels like the culmination of so many stories.
I have been to the cinema to watch Infinity War twice now and could not be happier with it. One of my biggest surprises was how much of a protagonist Thanos is. Despite the fact that we have dozens of characters scattered, there are a lot of moments where they take their time to show us who Thanos is, explain his motivations and particularly show us his relationship with Gamora without it feeling like it detracts from everything else.
In fact, I felt like every single character involved here had a moment to shine. Inevitably with a cast this massive, some of them had a more considerable relevance in moving the main plot (Gamora, Thor, Strange, Stark, Vision) while others were more there as "support", but even then, we were treated to brilliant interactions, such as Groot and Rocket being instrumental in the creation of Thor's new weapon. The fact that not just characters, but whole plot elements come from the other movies helps in making the experience much richer, like the banter between Stark and Parker coming straight from Spider-Man, or the Wanda/Vision romance following up from Civil War.
(That is making me ask myself whether you need to watch a whopping 18 movies in order to enjoy this one properly. If you do, there is great reward, but if you don't I can see how the amount of characters could be odd. At the very least one should watch the two preceding Avengers films, Civil War and maybe the first Guardians... I do wonder what a casual movie goer would say.)
(Speaking of other movies, it dawned on me that this one makes Thor: Ragnarok really sad... guess we have to look at it as the calm before the storm!)
In any case, we have reached a point where the MCU is so big, we literally have eyes on a huge battle on Earth, a fight in Titan and the creation of a legendary axe elsewhere in the universe all at the same time, which makes me reflect on the dimensions of it all. Regarding visuals, what can one say, really... very likely the best superhero combat scenes I've ever seen, Marvel or otherwise. Definitely the most "comic book" ones for sure. The moment I single out as the absolute best was the fight in Titan. Seeing Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Spider-Man and half the Guardians combine all they can do best against the Mad Titan was so incredibly awesome. Strange's portals, Spidey's webs, then ALL of them restraining Thanos... just thinking about it makes me want to run to the cinema again.
I was trying to choose a MVP of the film, which seems impossible... after some deliberating, I'm thinking Doctor Strange just for how useful he was in all aspects. I liked him so much in this that I feel the urge to rewatch his film, which will happen soon. Other than him... Mantis, just because of "like Kevin Bacon?" and "kicking names and taking ass." All of the Guardians working with everyone else was just all I wanted and more.
Beyond the awesome and the funny... are the tragedies. Minutes into the film we already lose two characters, which is effective in making us realise we should be very worried about Thanos. There's the question of how definitive the deaths were (I'm referring to the ones before the final scenes). Gamora's was dramatically sad, especially when you see Thanos himself cries, but the one that gutted me was Vision. The way it was done, how after Wanda's intense effort Thanos simply reverts things and yanks out the stone without a second thought, what a scene.
The ending is shocking, impressive and will puzzle a lot of people that don't know a thing about the comics. Visually I think they nailed the right effect for the fading away, all of a sudden but also gradual and one after another, with the gut wrenching reaction of the ones seeing it all unfold. I'm not even frustrated about the long wait to see what happens, because the "to be continued" is what allowed for such an unforgettable conclusion, with Thanos triumphant.
That's my biased rant. I expected it to be great, was impressed by how much it surprised me. Here's to another 10 years of films, hopefully! Next up, Ant-Man and Wasp.
[8.8/10] Before Joss Whedon made 2012’s The Avengers and changed the caped crossover game forever, he made an incredible television series with a disarming title called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Despite its gothic overtones, Buffy had the rhythms of a superhero story, with special abilities, recurring villains, and powerful deaths and resurrections. And in its fifth season finale [spoilers for a 15-year-old episode of television], Whedon presented his protagonist with a choice: save someone you love or save the universe.
The stakes were similar to Avengers: Infinity War’s, even if the contours were a little different. A mad god was on the loose, threatening to destroy all of creation. To complete this universal destruction, she needed Buffy’s sister, Dawn, who was, through some magical meddling, the key to this grand undoing. When the crisis became eminent, friend and foe alike advised Buffy to make a hard choice and sacrifice her sister for the good of the world. But Buffy, undeterred, chose to find a different option, to rally her allies and fight this evil rather than give into it.
It’s the kind of noble choice that characters in all kinds of stories make in these situations. There’s some kind of no-win scenario, and the resourceful, occasionally Kirkian hero finds a way to overcome the odds, protect those closest to them, and slay whatever dragon is threatening their village of choice. In that episode, it was meant as a tribute to Buffy’s steadfastness and loyalty, of her devotion to her sister, and her determination to never give up and never stop fighting as long as there’s a glimmer of hope.
The only problem was that I was yelling at my T.V., “To hell with your sister! The whole universe is hanging in the balance here!”
In an odd way, that’s the message, or at least the overarching theme, of Avengers: Infinity War. The film is one giant, bejeweled scavenger hunt, with the long-teased uber-villain Thanos scouring the realms for the six titular infinity stones in order to wipe out half of all life in the universe. It’s a plan with innumerable fault points -- moments in which one hard choice, one sacrifice of someone you love, could have ended this quiet path of horror, or at least prevented the worst of it from coming to pass.
And yet, every step of the way, none of the Avengers are able to make that choice, or at least, make it in time for it to make a difference. Loki, Gamora, Star-Lord, Eitri, Dr. Strange, and Scarlet Witch each have the chance to end Thanos’s quest. But in the end, when the lives of those they care about hang in the balance, they cannot bring themselves to do it.
The arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been, broadly speaking, one of love and connection, where unlikely allies find themselves forging bonds through trying circumstances and achieving greater things through that unity and shared purpose. Infinity War frames those bonds not as the thing that allows our heroes to face the newest, gargantuan threat, but as the thing that keeps them from being able to stop it.
Because they cannot bring themselves to let go of what, and more importantly who, they love. Whether that love is familial or romantic, The Avengers cannot bear to sacrifice it. The one figure in the whole film who can and does is Thanos himself. He is the only soul in Infinity War who faces down that choice -- sacrifice who you love or see your grand plans fall to ruin -- and finds within himself the will to do it. That horrible strength is the one thing he has on our heroes, more than his powers or weapons or ingenuity, that lets him win this war. He is willing to do what none of The Avenger will or even can, and it creates one of the most devastating losses and endings in any superhero film so far.
It also creates a villain worthy of the moment. Until now, Thanos had been one big, vaguely-defined promise. A sinister smile in The Avengers, a minor appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy, and one final tease in Age of Ultron were all Marvel movie fans had to go on. The results amounted to a generic baddie who made the occasional threat and pulled strings behind the scenes, but was still largely a blank slate when it came time for him to step into the spotlight and assume the villain role for the team-up of team-ups.
Thankfully, that gave the directing duo of the Russo Bros. and the film’s writers the chance to fill in those blank spaces with a distinct and interesting character. Rather than the figure of the stentorian, megalomaniacal baddie Thanos has cut up until now, the “Mad Titan” is a quiet, almost contemplative antagonist in Infinity War. There’s a genteel, even empathetic quality to him in the film, one that makes him an unexpectedly subdued but no less effective a challenge to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Some of that comes from his modus operandi. Rather than mere universal domination, Thanos’s goal is to wipe out half of all life in the universe. But rather than tasking him with destruction for destruction’s sake, Infinity War turns Thanos into an acolyte of creative destruction, one who sees himself as a humanitarian. In a universe with limited resources, he wants to slaughter half the population not out of revenge or vindictiveness, but so that the remainder can live and live well, and avoid the devastation that his own planet faced when those resources ran out.
In that, Thanos is the MCU’s Ozymandias -- doing a terrible thing that results in the loss of countless lives, but intending for it to serve the greater good. His perspective is efficiently conveyed and surprisingly heady for a popcorn flick, dealing with notions of the extremes of a utilitarian viewpoint that blend well with Thanos’s own seemingly dispassionate but subtly affected presence in the film.
Much of that owes to Josh Brolin’s performance. There is a wistfulness, almost a sense of resignation in his voice and bearing as Thanos cuts his path across the galaxy. It would be easy for the uber-baddie of the MCU to come off miscalibrated in the attempts to find depths of character and motivation in this big purple goon, but Brolin finds a balance between menace and an unassuming warmth in Thanos that nigh-instantly makes him unique as a villain and interesting enough to justify his position as the would-be final boss of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But much of it also owes to the animators and artists who bring Thanos to life. Much of the action in Infinity War falls victim to the same, weightless CGI maelstrom that afflicts blockbuster movies of all stripes. While individual images of armies of Avengers squaring off against alien attackers, or hollow mechanical ovoids hovering over New York City stand out, too often the film devolves into quick cuts of 3D cartoons smashing into one another, without enough clarity or realism to make them more than a clash of computer-animated piñatas.
Thanos, however, is a consistent exception. More than any other computer-assisted element of the film, his gravitas and impact as a character in the film is dependent on subtle changes in his facial expression that reveal smaller shifts in mood or reaction. As much as for any other fully-CGI character on film, Brolin’s performance is captured in the slight curve of Thanos’s lip, the furrowing of his brow, the squint of his eyes.
Despite his standing as an armor-clad, purple-skinned ruffian, Thanos is a villain with a soul, one conspicuously on display even as he toys with and decimates our heroes. That alone is an achievement of performance, digital artistry, and writing that comes together to craft a villain befitting of the grand finale to a decade’s worth of adventures.
Unfortunately, Infinity War has trouble keeping up with all of the scads of characters who have accumulated on the MCU’s rolls in the course of that decade’s worth of adventures. While the Russo Bros. managed to strike a delicate balance in Captain America: Civil War, servicing a broad set of characters in a single story, they can’t quite manage the same feat for the Avengers writ large.
The opening act of Infinity War is full of throat-clearing. In addition to establishing Thanos as a challenge beyond the everyday (something the film accomplishes by having him kill the bad guy from the first Avengers flick and manhandle The Hulk with ease), the film has to check in with all the major figures from the Marvel movie roster, paying at least lip service to what they’ve been up to since we last saw them and running through reunions and updates galore.
The result is a film that is lopsided and overstuffed. Eventually, the film’s narrative coalesces into a few distinct threads. Thor, Rocket, and Groot go off to forge a weapon to defeat Thanos. Iron Man, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and the remaining Guardians aim to stop Thanos on his own planet. Gamora is dragged along with the mad titan himself. And the remaining, earthbound Avengers, most notably Scarlet Witch and Vision, fend off Thanos’s goons on the homefront. But the parties wax and wane over the course of these challenges, and the movie never quite finds its center as this mass of characters ebbs and flows from one scene to the next.
That extends to the crossover-based excitement promised by the very concept of the film. Some unique pairings work like gangbusters. Thor’s adulation from the Guardians, replete with Star-Lord’s instant jealousy and attempts to puff himself up, are a delight from beginning to end. Others, like the attempt to replicate Tony Stark’s combative chemistry with Steve Rogers by subbing in Dr. Strange, tend to fizzle. And others still, like the complicated dynamic between Thanos and Gamora, become the emotional backbone of Infinity War. But there’s little consistency on that front, and it helps make an already top-heavy film feel more scattered and disjointed in assembling the pieces of its grand finale.
It also tries to maintain the humorous bent of the MCU, to the point where the quipping starts to feel mandatory rather than organic. Calling Thanos “Grimace” is in the proud tradition of Buffy making fun of a bloody-lipped vampire opponent for having “fruit punch mouth.” But eventually, the bon mots start to pile up and feel shoehorned in. Levity is one of the Marvel movies’ strengths, but after a while in Infinity War, the hit rate for the jokes starts to waver, and as the stakes increase, the smart remarks begin to feel like the writers meeting a quota rather than letting the repartee emerge from the situation at hand.
The cumulative effect of all this unevenness is a movie full of tremendous moments in its first couple of acts -- the heart-to-heart between Rocket and Thor, the elaborate head-fake at Knowhere, and badass lines from the likes of Black Panther and Captain America -- but also one that has trouble finding its footing for much of that runtime. There are a ton of moving parts in Infinity War, and oftentimes the movie feels more like a twelve-car pileup than the elegant ballet the Russo Bros. mean to choreograph.
Still, despite the movie ungainliness in places, the unifying force of Infinity War are those same choices faced by different characters across the landscape of the film. Time and again, the movie depicts moments where one person could have stopped all of this (or at least severely hindered it) and cannot bear what it would take to do so. At one point in the film, Captain America tells his compatriot, “we don’t trade lives” and it’s both the philosophy that unites each of the Avengers and, in a way, dooms them.
Loki could keep the Space Gem away from Thanos, but despite all their sibling rivalry, he cannot watch his brother dying at the hands of this brute and do nothing. Gamora could deny her estranged father access to the Soul Stone, but she relents when cannot tolerate seeing her sister, Nebula, being tortured. Eitri could have refused to make Thanos the implement that makes his terrible deeds possible, but is willing to risk the fate of the universe in the futile hope of saving his people’s lives. Time and again, the people who could have prevented Thanos’s plan from coming to fruition are unable to let the ones they care about suffer or perish in order to make that happen.
Even the ones who attempt to make that choice falter or dither until it’s too late. Though Peter Quill seems the only one willing to accede to his loved one’s wishes to kill her rather than let her fall into Thanos’s hands, the Reality Stone sees that his efforts come to nought. And worse yet, it’s the same emotional connection to Gamora that causes Quill, in his grief and anger, to try to hurt Thanos, in a way that thwarts his allies’ attempts to simply stop him for the time being. Once again, that bond, reinforced and cemented here before it’s wiped away, is what causes Star-Lord, and the Avengers more broadly, to fail.
It’s the same thing that keeps Scarlet Witch from being able to quell this threat. Vision is just as direct as Gamora in asking the one he loves to let him die rather than risk the fate of galaxy. But she resists and delays and does everything in her power to hold onto her loved one even with the world in the balance. Eventually she, like Peter, relents and, in a harrowing moment, removes the Mind Stone from Vision and seemingly stops Thanos, but by then, he has the Time Stone, and in the film’s penultimate gut punch, he rewinds the clock and renders her actions moot.
Thanos himself is the only character in the film willing to make that choice and make it without hesitation. In the climax of the film’s second act, a long-absent Red Skull returns to instruct the Mad Titan that in order to obtain the Soul Stone, he must sacrificing something he loves. Upon hearing the news, Gamora believes she’s won the day, because there’s no way the father who treated her as he did, who put her through what he did, could love anything, let alone her. There are tears in Thanos’s eyes, revealing that he is not the monolithic bastion of evil he seemed until now, but someone who knows what must be done, what costs must be borne, to achieve what he believes must be achieved in order to save the galaxy from itself.
So he bears those costs. He throws his own daughter to her death and claims the fruits of the sacrifice. He offers sympathy to Scarlet Witch but undoes her own hard choice to serve his ends. He snaps his fingers and half the world comes to an end, as familiar faces shatter and blow away into nothingness. It as an emotional wallop, for the film’s heroes and its audience, as the one figure in Infinity War who most threatens the galaxy is the one willing to sever those bonds, to go to those lengths, that the Avengers cannot bring themselves to trespass upon.
Predictions are a fool’s game, but there are a few things to remember in the shadow of Infinity War’s devastating ending. First and foremost The heroes lost in this most recent Avengers outing were, largely, the new blood of the MCU. The likes of Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Dr. Strange are far more likely to anchor the next decade of Marvel movies than they are to disappear forever. It won’t take away the shock of power of the moments when they disintegrated before our eyes, but resurrection is the watchword in comic book stories, and Disney is unlikely to let the cornerstones of its next wave of cape flicks linger in oblivion for too long.
But more importantly, Infinity War is a film that seems keenly aware that it is in conversation with 2012’s The Avengers, the film that kicked this uber-franchise into another gear. And as much as the original Avengers flick was about the forging of those bonds between its heroes, it was also about self-sacrifice.
Tony Stark’s arc in the film centered on Steve Rogers’s challenge that Stark is all about himself, and never the sacrifice play. It gave Tony the extra motivation to redirect the nuclear bomb headed for New York City into the portal to another world, with no hope of returning to see Pepper, the person he loves most in the world, ever again. He survives, naturally, but it’s the choice he made that truly mattered -- the choice to put oneself on the chopping block in order to save others, and maybe to save the world.
It’s the same choice that Buffy the Vampire Slayer made in her own fateful finale. When push came to shove, and it became clear that fighting the good fight alone wouldn’t be enough to fell the mad god who threatened all of existence, Buffy still refused to put her sister on the chopping block. Instead, she stepped into that blow in her sister’s place, sacrificing her own life to stop the villain and save all that there was to be saved.
And maybe that portends the path forward for Avengers 4. The Avenger who comes closest to succeeding in Infinity War is Thor, and on the surface, that would seem to support the “connections to others only hold you back” theme of the film. Thor has a quietly harrowing conversation with Rocket where he acknowledges that he’s basically lost everyone. In a movie where every hero is stymied by their unwillingness to let the people they love come to harm in order to save the universe, it’s the one man with no one left who forms the plan and strikes the blow that nearly wins this war for the good guys.
But his is also a choice of sacrifice. When it comes time to forge the weapon that may be able to slay a god, Thor himself must put his life on the line. He has to hold open the mechanism to let the power of a star flow through him and into the enchanted metal that could create the awesome implement. He is severely weakened and wounded by the blast, but succeeds in creating something with the potential to defeat Thanos. And there, perhaps, Infinity War tips it hand.
Because even if The Avengers are not willing to trade lives, they are willing to offer their own. Even Dr. Strange, who seems to be making the same sort of choice that Loki and Gamora and Scarlet Witch did, may be playing the long game. Having glimpsed the lone, possible future where The Avengers succeed, he could be allowing events to come to pass where he disintegrates into nothing, with the hope that it will set the surviving heroes on the path to righting all that’s gone wrong.
That effort may very well require just this sort of ultimate personal sacrifice. There’s been lots of talk about how Infinity War and its successor represent a turning point, a close of one significant chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the beginning of another. It’s conspicuous how many of those who survived the terrible geometry of Thanos’s finger snap are among the original set of Avengers who broke out in Whedon’s 2012 blockbuster.
If, as Infinity War seems to posit, the thing that sets Thanos apart, that allows him to succeed when there are so many chances for him to fail, is that he is willing to give up what he loves in order to achieve his goal, then maybe what sets The Avengers apart is a reciprocal form of devotion. From Captain America letting his plane fall into the ocean, to Iron Man carrying that Nuke away from New York City, countless time our heroes have won the day by placing themselves onto the altar rather than allowing who or what they love to be forced onto it.
No one knows for sure what the next installment of The Avengers mega franchise holds in store. But it’s not hard to imagine the current generation of Avengers collectively making that sort of choice to preserve the next, not to let someone you love go to save the world, but to let yourself go to save them, and the world with it, a form of love that Thanos, however teary-eyed and mournful of prices paid, may not be able to comprehend or, accordingly, defend against.
Infinity War is not simply half a movie. It is, standing alone, a complete and harrowing story of single-minded devotion and loss, of good-hearted, courageous individuals unable to cross the line that could save everything, and suffering unimaginable losses in the process. Despite the movie’s overstuffed roster and uneven quipping, the Russo Bros., Kevin Feige, and Marvel Studios as a whole deserve to be applauded for delivering a film built around such a singular, unifying set of moral choices, that commits to the painful consequences of those actions with a conviction not seen in major franchise filmmaking since The Empire Strikes Back.
Those final moments -- where heroes young and old, and the hope for the future they represent, disintegrate and fall away like ash -- are heart-rending in the best and worst way, accompanied not by maniacal laughs or vainglorious boasts, but instead by impressionistic reflections on whether this fraught endeavor was worth it, and quiet smiles at the sunrise. It transcends popcorn thrills and pre-viz action and becomes art, by whatever definition you’d like to throw at it.
But the film is also a question waiting for an answer, a cinematic dangling participle, that makes the bold choice of leaving the viewer with the images of brave men and women fading to nothing, while implicitly gestures toward an inevitable aftermath. As the shock of those images fades, they reveal a call that demands a response.
Avengers: Infinity War tells the story of a man who will sacrifice what he loves in order to, by his own measure, save the world, when no one else can do the same. But it asks, and leaves open the question, of what the heroes we’ve been watching for ten years will do, the depths of self-sacrifice and lengths to which they will go, when there’s never been more to avenge.
Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of a decade of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, bringing together all of the heroes to face off against the formidable Thanos (Brolin) as he seeks to collect all of the Infinity Stones and gain the power to destroy half of the galaxy. The Russo brothers have managed to pull off an epic, enjoyable, and engaging film despite the daunting task of cramming so much into one movie. While there are pacing issues, some subpar CGI, and characters who are underutilized, the stakes are raised and the film boasts a villain worthy of greatness in Thanos. The performances from Hemsworth, Downey Jr., Saldana, and Brolin are standouts and the action scenes are well-choreographed. The story may feel rushed at times, but the third act delivers in a big way. Despite some flaws, Avengers: Infinity War is an emotional, thrilling, and epic experience that leaves audiences on the edge of their seats.
Avengers: Infinity War es la culminación de una década de películas de Marvel Cinematic Universe, que reúne a todos los héroes para enfrentarse al formidable Thanos (Brolin) mientras busca recolectar todas las Infinity Stones y obtener el poder de destruir la mitad de la galaxia. Los hermanos Russo han logrado realizar una película épica, agradable y atractiva a pesar de la abrumadora tarea de incluir tanto en una película. Si bien hay problemas de ritmo, algunos CGI deficientes y personajes que están infrautilizados, las apuestas aumentan y la película cuenta con un villano digno de grandeza en Thanos. Las actuaciones de Hemsworth, Downey Jr., Saldana y Brolin son sobresalientes y las escenas de acción están bien coreografiadas. La historia puede sentirse apresurada a veces, pero el tercer acto se entrega a lo grande. A pesar de algunos defectos, Avengers: Infinity War es una experiencia emocional, emocionante y épica que deja al público al borde de sus asientos.
"Dread It. Run from it. Destiny still arrives."
10 years of Marvel everyone. No words can describe this, like wow. Thinking back to the first Iron Man and now where things have escalated into, it’s insane. While I can be a bit iffy with superheroes movies, but now I realize how this type of genre played a bigger part in my life than before. But now Infinity War, the film those 10 years have hyped and prepared us for has finally arrived, and...holy sh*t.
The Russo Brothers did the impossible by making every aspect that many people, including myself thought could down vote the movie for the worse, but manage surpass my worries and made a grand spectacle of excitement and sadness. Making sure every hero has they moment to shine and not be pushed to the background. I mean, these characters are so different from each other, especially the movies they originally came from, but not once felt out of place when sharing screen time. However, you can’t watch this has a single film, because you will have no idea what’s going on or who’s who. Please make sure to watch the other movies before this, as there is so many story lines going on in this movie it’s absurd, but at the same time amazes me how well handled it was. This may not be an easy thing to pull off - The Russo Brother did it without a sweat.
The action sequences is wild and beyond epic. The Wakanda battle scene is more crazy than the plot itself. The superhero team ups were all enjoyable, but Thor, Groot, and Rocket Raccoon are the main highlights. Some of the best one liners and dynamic character interactions came from those three. Strangely enough (no pun intended) Doctor Strange was more entertaining and cool in this than his own movie. The back and forward between him and Tony are pure gold. People have pointed out how similar they are, in terms of characterization, in reality are completely different from each other.
Now let's talk about the big guy who’s been hyped up since the first Avengers film - The Mad Titan Thanos. I ain't gonna beat around the bush when I say this - he is one of the best villains in the MCU. You see, Thanos wants to save the universe from extinction by killing half of it, this bringing it into balance. Utterly insane but makes sense. Just how he enters a scene with his eyes scanning the area like predator looking for its prey, stopping in his tracks and a devilish grin suddenly appear on his face, which says a lot without words. The visual effects on Thanos is the most realistic CGI renderization ever. To the point of forgetting you’re watching a CGI character. It's scary good. Also he throws a planet. A PLANET. While his presence is menacing and poetic by the way he speaks, but also the most emotional villain yet, with perfect development and depth. Like when was the last time you saw a villain in these type of movies literally start to cry, and I cried with him. He is given a lot of screen time which helps to flesh out the character. Josh Brolin delivers an excellent performance and brought so much to the table in terms of emotional range.
Marvel track record with previous villains has been pretty bad, but phrase three have shown a lot of improvements. Not just the villains, but the beautiful shots and having this colorful energy finally gives it more style. The film’s runtime is two and a half hours, and not once do you feel it. The pace is always moving and there’s no time to breathe. The stakes are higher and there’s real consequences. You fear for the heroes for once as your not sure how things are gonna turn out.
Of course you should be expecting a lot of deaths, not just supporting characters, main characters. Don’t worry I won’t spoil anything, you’re safe with me. Just be prepared for the emotional punches - however I wasn't expecting how well balanced it was alongside the humor. There’s a lot of humor and don’t let that put you off from thinking it doesn't have it’s dark elements, because it does, just being miserable throughout can sometimes be an empty experience.
My only issues were some effects looked a bit unfinished and some of the humor dragged the pacing down a bit. At times losing focus. Peter Dinklage is a great actor, but he isn't great in this and I have no idea what accent he’s putting on. It’s also weird seeing a dwarfish actor playing a giant, just funny to me.
Other than those issues, this is a real game changer for Marvel and I can’t wait to see what happens next. At the moment, it's my 4th favorite Marvel film. It's exciting and shocking, yet never hopeless.
Overall Rating: That ending...
"Dread It. Run from it. Destiny still arrives."
10 years of Marvel everyone. No words can describe this, like wow. Thinking back to the first Iron Man and now where things have escalated into, it’s insane. While I can be a bit iffy with superheroes movies, but now I realize how this type of genre played a bigger part in my life than before. But now Infinity War, the film those 10 years have hyped and prepared us for has finally arrived, and...holy sh*t.
The Russo Brothers did the impossible by making every aspect that many people, including myself thought could down vote the movie for the worse, but manage surpass my worries and made a grand spectacle of excitement and sadness. Making sure every hero has they moment to shine and not be pushed to the background. I mean, these characters are so different from each other, especially the movies they originally came from, but not once felt out of place when sharing screen time. However, you can’t watch this has a single film, because you will have no idea what’s going on or who’s who. Please make sure to watch the other movies before this, as there is so many story lines going on in this movie it’s absurd, but at the same time amazes me how well handled it was. This may not be an easy thing to pull off - The Russo Brother did it without a sweat.
The action sequences is wild and beyond epic. The Wakanda battle scene is more crazy than the plot itself. The superhero team ups were all enjoyable, but Thor, Groot, and Rocket Raccoon are the main highlights. Some of the best one liners and dynamic character interactions came from those three. Strangely enough (no pun intended) Doctor Strange was more entertaining and cool in this than his own movie. The back and forward between him and Tony are pure gold. People have pointed out how similar they are, in terms of characterization, in reality are completely different from each other.
Now let's talk about the big guy who’s been hyped up since the first Avengers film - The Mad Titan Thanos. I ain't gonna beat around the bush when I say this - he is one of the best villains in the MCU. You see, Thanos wants to save the universe from extinction by killing half of it, this bringing it into balance. Utterly insane but makes sense. Just how he enters a scene with his eyes scanning the area like predator looking for its prey, stopping in his tracks and a devilish grin suddenly appear on his face, which says a lot without words. The visual effects on Thanos is the most realistic CGI renderization ever. To the point of forgetting you’re watching a CGI character. It's scary good. Also he throws a planet. A PLANET. While his presence is menacing and poetic by the way he speaks, but also the most emotional villain yet, with perfect development and depth. Like when was the last time you saw a villain in these type of movies literally start to cry, and I cried with him. He is given a lot of screen time which helps to flesh out the character. Josh Brolin delivers an excellent performance and brought so much to the table in terms of emotional range.
Marvel track record with previous villains has been pretty bad, but phrase three have shown a lot of improvements. Not just the villains, but the beautiful shots and having this colorful energy finally gives it more style. The film’s runtime is two and a half hours, and not once do you feel it. The pace is always moving and there’s no time to breathe. The stakes are higher and there’s real consequences. You fear for the heroes for once as your not sure how things are gonna turn out.
Of course you should be expecting a lot of deaths, not just supporting characters, main characters. Don’t worry I won’t spoil anything, you’re safe with me. Just be prepared for the emotional punches - however I wasn't expecting how well balanced it was alongside the humor. There’s a lot of humor and don’t let that put you off from thinking it doesn't have it’s dark elements, because it does, just being miserable throughout can sometimes be an empty experience.
My only issues were some effects looked a bit unfinished and some of the humor dragged the pacing down a bit. At times losing focus. Peter Dinklage is a great actor, but he isn't great in this and I have no idea what accent he’s putting on. It’s also weird seeing a dwarfish actor playing a giant, just funny to me.
Other than those issues, this is a real game changer for Marvel and I can’t wait to see what happens next. At the moment, it's my 4th favorite Marvel film. It's exciting and shocking, yet never hopeless.
Overall Rating: That ending...
Avoided the first day screenings, as i'd been burned after the disaster of watching back-to-back The Farce Awakens+The Last Jedi in a 7 hours double feature... I went in to Infinity War ... EXTREMELY hesitant that they'd butcher Infinity War or make it mediocre, that Disney would have stepped in to ruin the franchise. It was a very real feeling of disgust i still have.
To be fair, I thought TLJ was mediocre, but in my defense, it was 3am and i gave it a 6/10. How do you rate a movie that kills the franchise and any desire to see another Star Wars film... And Disney's Lucasfilm is part of the same team behind Marvel's juggernaut of success.
So ... Yeah. I didn't give Avengers much of a chance. I just turned up to the cinema, no Hype, no preorders or popcorn, just get it over with. Seeing this on my birthday, I didn't get wholly attached to the characters, but I heard people gasp out loud. More than once at the ending. Subverted Expectations, and everything.
It is hard to think that this movie is going to be compared to Justice League. It's "technically" similar. In as much as Infinity War is similar to Empire Strikes Back's merging of separate character arcs into a 3 act structure , the stretching of a heroic character to facing not horrors beyond imagining, instead, it's epic heroism, facing aliens that are all-too-human, with the powers of Gods. It isn't a realistic or fantastic setting, it's a penultimate fantasy setting. of putting "batman" i.e. the mirror/analogue of an ideal mortal man (which is the platonic or basic hero archetype of batman/iron man/random guy in a cape/suit) against a literal Wizard. or a Literal God. and a God Killer. and holding their own. It's FUN to believe in superheroes, it lifts the bar for EPIC again.
Bravo. You've made me enjoy Epic fantasy stories again, despite how mutilated or deconstructed they've become in other franchises.
I actually missed something in the movie because i turned my head to look at who was crying. (no spoilers, but you can probably guess)
Now, there's flaws in the storytelling, they hit some character HARD with the Nerf-Bat (Strange, Vision, Hulk, Thor), and some characters Spent big on their LootBox upgrades (Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow) etc. It didn't ruin the movie, but it left a lot of What-If/Why-Didn't-They questions lingering where the Jokes begin. I can logically understand why, it was necessary, i.e. they needed the Hawkeye "balance" pass (to borrow from PvP games, where they scale a 'boring' or 'bad' character to be massively overpowered for social reasons or to stop the roster from being too narrow), but also because Hawkeye, and Black Widow are just regular people with SKILLS.
I get that it's not perfect. They had to make a movie with ... 30 heroes in it ? And they had a few on the Bench, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, etc.
So,
I kind of regret not seeing it more than once now. Mostly because it's way too crammed with vignettes and moments, the 2 1/2 hours isn't punishing, (except to the collective bladders, sic. )
but, it was just enthralling from start to finish, like all the Marvel movies. It's not perfect, but it is a Master Work in cinema, this is a kind of benchmark for superhero movies for the next 30 years. For me, this comes up to Fight Club or The Matrix, in sheer spectacle and WOW... It's really that good. It's going to get up there with Dark Night and the Nolan Batman Trilogy.
You can put this back to back with Avengers which just comes up to the 9 out of 10, this goes beyond the 9/10 rating and makes other 9/10 movies look pale by comparison. There are very few PERFECT movies that deliver the essential 10/10 experience. Just as it's hard to go below 5/10, it's hard to go above 9.9/10. It's somewhat similar to the arc for a movie like Empire Strikes back as well,
So yeah, I've thought about it, and changed the 8 to a 10. This is the sort of movie that is the culmination of 10+ years and 6 to 7 seasons of TV, 20+ movies, And I just can't think of any movie that is going to surpass this, apart from Part 2, when they try to turn it around, and bring in --SuperGirl-- Captain Marvel, then, explain the ending, and the aftermath(s) in the next 2 Movies, and the TV shows.
This is one of Marvel Studios’ riskier projects, the hyperlink structure combined with the villain being the main character immediately makes it stand out in the genre. It’s because of those two aspects that the film works as well as it does. Thanos is a great character with an interesting motivation. The animation is so detailed and lifelike that it never fails to bring out the emotion, in fact I’d argue that the scenes between him and Gamora have the most emotional punch (courtesy of Zoe Saldana and Josh Brolin, who both put in a really solid performance). The balancing of all the different plot lines is also quite well done as there’s a relevancy to each one, nor does the tone feel too disjointed at any point. Some transitions or the sudden pop culture riffing during serious scenes can be awkward, but it’s handled about as well as it could. The exposition is handled tastefully and kept to a minimum, it instead chooses to focus on unexpected interactions between characters from different branches of the Marvel universe, which is the more exciting part. I’m less into the action and filmmaking, however. Not a lot about the camerawork or score jumps out to me, I feel like what little vision the Russos brought to their previous MCU projects is completely lost here. The washed out colour palette (which for some reason is slightly more vibrant during scenes in space) and obvious music embellishments don’t evoke all that much. The staging and editing of the action is a little too quick for my liking, the moments that are meant to be memorable don’t leave much of an impression because the editing doesn’t take its time to punctuate the stunts properly. Some of the CGI also feels a little weightless, for example Stark’s suit looks and feels like its made from paper. The resulting scenes, such as the final battle on Titan, feel more like small scale, digital mush than the big epic scenes they’re aiming for. Once the film decides to slow down for the dramatic conclusion, I find its intent to be manipulative and disingenuous. I felt that way after watching it the first time in the cinema, and after every ‘death’ in this movie having been retconned in one way or another, it turns out I was right. Even in its riskier films, Marvel will find ways to take most of the edges off. Overall, it’s still decent but it’s lost a lot of its flavour for me over the years.
6/10
OK the excellent reviews from all over the internet including trakt here are more than enough and I don’t want to rehash something in an overall sense. I have already given a TLDR review on trakt.
I went to see it for the third time and I want to give a different kind of Character by Character review.
this movie is 11/10 for me. fan boy alert. I will speak nothing but praise for this movie and it might irritate some realistic people. So, avoid reading :) in that case.
even after seeing it for the third time. it was as magical as first. (which happens very very less even with the most awesome-est movies)
there will be spoilers ahead. I have hidden most of them. But there could be some I may think not spoiler-y enough. Also, you really should manage to see this movie by now, sorry….
Characters:
Tony Stark/Iron Man: Evergreen as ever. Nails his acting throughout. And iron man action. unbelievable. the new "bleeding edge" armor actually made me worry at first because now the transformation is too quick and smooth instead of the robotic assembly in all previous films. but that is so much delivering in battles. especially in the end before thanos stabs him. how he plants his feet on ground. including one time on thanos's hand. and "creates" shields and when his armor is damaged he is actually pulling nanomachines from the leg to compensate while shooting plasmas or whatever" mind blowing throughout
Thor: thor ragnarok fans won’t be disappointed!! Half of his time is spent on his quest for his new weapon against thanos and that allows him to team up with rocket and groot for some excellent humour. and when he lands in Wakanda with stormbreaker. I know I screamed along with the whole theatre.
Bruce Banner: I love ruffalo’s acting. And he also delivers (yes, I’m gonna be praising almost everyone here). His inability to hulk is amazing. And its actually so cute. It was a slightly lighter version of him than previous ones. He worried more. He had fun more in the hulkbuster.
Hulk: yes, I’m writing this separate because he is a different personality from bruce banner. he came in the beginning and got his ass kicked after a couple of minutes. . Although those couple of minutes were decent action. But hulk fans will surely be disappointed. He is not as much as one would want. The best theory is “smart hulk” coming in avengers 4. His 1 second appearance at the end while resisting transformation were cute and hilarious. NOOOOO
Captain America: the new “nomad” look is great. And he is still a confident personality all set to fight thanos as soon as he realises his threat. Not too many standout action moments I’ll say. He isn’t having that many moments at all rather but its fine. But on Wakanda when they begin battle. Him and black panther running towards enemies the fastest was really goosebumpy. It’s the small details like this which makes the movie great. I really missed his usual circle shield as it allowed some cool action especially when used as a projectile. His new “shields” are practically fancy gauntlet kind of things. And definitely can’t be thrown.
Black Widow: again, not much to do here. Blonde btw so that’s a major change in looks. She and banner could have had some moments. But nothing is really done. Decent action alongside Okoye and Scarlet Witch against Proxima. The feminism thing landed well here.
Doctor Strange: my personal favourite. Fans WON’T be disappointed. And will probably have tears. His signature comic book moves are used. Along with him bringing the mirror dimensions once. And his cape usage!! Oh God. Each and every second of his presence is golden. His interactions with Stark are satisfying. He and Thanos also get an verbal interaction. His actions scenes are probably the coolest and shiniest. Not to mention his conjuring helps a lot like quill jumping on his shields and portals for Spiderman and mantis.
War Machine: decent presence. The big bang scenes for him. He really blows stuff up on Wakanda and its badass. has decent interactions with captain black widow and bruce.
Spiderman: I don’t have any other words yet again. Fans won’t be disappointed. Cute and chit chattyness is back. And still remains formidable. His interactions with stark are really cool with the great mentor ward relationship shown. He is the youngest and it shows. got you… and you … sorry I can’t remember everyone’s names. And his death should hit you the hardest.
Black Panther: I love black panther so much (yes like everyone… I know). his walk is amazing. I don’t know whether it’s the camera work. But his walk is so much vertical. His first shot came from the behind while that cool African music. His leadership and bravery are there for everyone to see on Wakanda. And how he runs head first with captain in the battle. Amazing!!
Vision: being a stone bearer he had to be come a plot point and thus is very underpowered here. But it works fine. his sacrifices are emotional and moving. His chemistry with Wanda is believable. Really vulnerable here compared to previous powerful appearances.
Scarlet Witch: again, good chemistry with vision. How she protects vision after corvus stabs him had some cool moments before captain and team show up to save him. It was full of fear and ultimately tragic for her. But she had great action moments on Wakanda alongside Okoye and black widow being extremely powerful of course.
Falcon: not much dialogue. But great action presence. Russo brothers are truly the master of actions. I am running out of complimentary words for the scenes. The flying kicking shooting combo was great both when saving vision and on Wakanda.
Winter Soldier: decent acting and small action. again, he is just a good soldier who can shoot. But he has a really cute moment with rocket. he is referred to as “white wolf” now btw.
Loki: the first and quickest death of the movie :’( totally redeems himself after everything. Great acting, he actually finally refers to himself as odinson at the end.
Heimdall: again, not much role here. dies really quick along with Loki at the start. One dialogue and that’s it. Idris alba is great as always
Eitri: new entry played by Dinklage. I think he was fine. and had a good failed dwarf presence. 0 action in case anyone not seen is wondering. But provides decent acting and helps thor build stormbreaker.
Wong: present in act1 alongside Doctor Strange, banner and stark. He is a good actor and compliments Doctor strange all the time. Has decent action throughout act1 and pulls a cool portal hand cut move with cull obsidian.
Mantis: really awesome. More cuter than guardian2 whenever speaking. And helps fight thanos at the end too.
Nebula: did not have much to do here. But there were cool moments here and there. when she lands on titan to fight thanos she boomerangs her knife. That was really a cool shot
Drax: shines!! Truest to the character. Impulsive jumping on everything everywhere. And “speaking literally” everywhere. Why is gamora is probably one of the best jokes of infinity war if not THE best.
Gamora: acted really well emotionally. She was a plot point here, being thanos’s daughter. Her pain and frustration were visible. Her interactions with thanos throughout were golden.
Groot: groot fans rejoice. and then cry. They have really done awesome work with groot. His “I am groot” is different every time. And u can always tell or take a good guess what he is saying. This time a teenager. And he kicks decent ass on Wakanda. And his moment when he provides the handle for stormbreaker made the theatre go wild. james gunn recently revealed that his last “I am groot” before dying was “dad”. Need…. Towel…. :’(
Rocket: hilarious rocket is at it again. This time sticking with thor and landing on Wakanda later with him. His interactions with him are good. And his obsession for artificial body parts continues and is hilarious as ever.
Potts: she is.. there. @ tony’s introduction. And then getting angry at him when he is on the spaceship. Nothing much here. No comments.
Collector: also there. Just for moments. Nothing to comment.
Thanos: yes, the main lead of the movie. If you are not careful you will start sympathising with him and take his side actually. Brolin’s acting kicks major ass. And his cg work is amazing too. He is kicking every avenger’s ass throughout. And its not just mindlessly. He is motivated. Adamant to wipe out 50% of everything. And his love for gamora, the interactions with her. Both adult and young. and ultimately having to kill her while having tears in his eyes. it brought tears to MY eyes and I was cheering for him… ahem… must check self for genocidal tendencies…
Star Lord: amazing comedy. Really. it’s evident Gunn was involved. How he scolds groot. Interacts with rocket, Drax. And love for gamora. Amazing. And I don’t care what half the internet is saying. it’s a story. And his impulsiveness caused thanos to win after almost losing. He is like that!!. He shot Ego literally 2 seconds after he told him about his mother. Where as it took tony stark time to sink in, in civil war after hearing similar news. People are different. And quill is like that. So, he started punching thanos mindlessly. He lost the girl his love. Enjoy the memes but he was amazing in my opinion.
Okoye: has some decent cute lines to say and kicks major ass when fighting on Wakanda!! Great acting
Shuri: good expositional dialogue and is there to help vision. Not really much but good.
Ross: he is there to still whine about captain America. Nothing much
M’Baku: again, after BP he is there to kick ass on Wakanda. And his presence is fierce!!!. Good acting
Ned: yes, he is there for 5 seconds but it was hilarious. Spiderman asks him to distract and gets what he wants because of his natural behaviour. Hilarious
Nick Fury: there at the end to call captain’s marvel. Before dying like others. Few seconds of role. It was almost like he knew what’s going on or something. He almost said mother**** .
Maria Hill: along with fury. Before dying
Proxima Midnight: I will admit I don’t know the children of thanos from the comics. So, I might not know if something wasn’t done right. But in the movie, all were great. Proxima had good facial animation shown in interactions with cap+black widow. And good voice acting.
Cull Obsidian: the physical hulk counterpart I guess… although hulk never came as we know. he was bulky and well designed. Kicks good ass. No voice acting here.
Corvus Glaive: great action against vision. Not much voice acting here.
Ebony Maw: probably the best of “children of thanos”. the most unexpected. He is formidable against Doctor Strange and has good interactions with him. And then good small banter with iron man. His action moments were great. As he is also a wizard of some kind. Stands tall and thin and simply waves hand to avoid “projectiles” thrown at him etc. very “elegant” and “sophisticated” action.
I hope I covered everyone. I want to add few things about the ending:
they killed half of everything. Which was really unexpected. But one beautiful thing was how they did it. Subverting expectations at almost every finger snap death. I may mess up/forget the order in the following, but you’ll get what I mean.
It starts with Bucky. Then few Wakanda army soldiers. Fine
Then black panther comes to help out Okoye. All expecting Okoye to vanish, but it turns out to be black panther. Okoye’s face horror reflects the audience.
Then its scarlet witch. one would think ok vision is gone. Scarlet witch will remain to “avenge” etc. but nope. Too much tragedy for her and to top it off. Gone
Then its groot and rocket. Audience: they killed groot already. its time for rocket yeahh. Obviously not our groot.
Nope its groot!!
Then its falcon while war machine looks for him. He goes unnoticed completely. Every death was horrific.
Back on titan. It starts with mantis I think. After that Drax.
At that point we are like. not quill obviously. c’mon that’s like 3 guardians already. But nope. quill too. bye bye. Cry more
Nebula remains.
Doctor strange’s close up. And he says to stark. this was the only way…..
He is telling a dialogue like he knows something. so c’mon obviously not him. Nope he is gone too!!!
Oh, u stopped crying. How dare u? MORE!!!
Then its Spiderman. C’mon 4 deaths already there. Its enough right.
Nope time for the death of Spiderman. The young one. done a bit more dramatically to hammer it all in.
He dies in tony’s arm. To everyone’s horror including tony’s. while saying “sorry”….
The movie’s writing is awesome and perfect.
First of all, I avoided ALL spoilers. Didn't see even one trailer. Never saw ANY art concept before viewing the movie. It made everything more impactful. Been doing this since Ant-Man, and it really changed my experience in the theatre.
Oh, only in the MCU. The rest are inconsequential, doesn't really matter (I'm looking at you DC with your shitty movies and at you Star Wars).
Now about the underused characters someone mentioned:
half of the heroes are dead, most of the ones that are alive now are the characters that have a trilogy (Tony, Thor and Steve) and/or are essential to the continuation of the Universe. The ones that are dead now, probably will continue the Marvel Universe when the old heroes die or retire in the next movie (more die than retire imo, and can you imagine they killing Spidey for real?).. My guess is that Tony, Cap, Thor and Doc (he saw that 1/14000000 win possibility, remember?), together with Cap Marvel (and even Gamorra's sister who knows) will work together to bring the dead back to life in the majority of the movie then, maybe 40-50 minutes of a might battle royale with the deaths of our favourites heroes and a ending sad enough to make everyone cry buckets.
Gonna be even more epic.
Initial Reaction
The Good
• So, this movie has extremely good pacing.
• The massive amounts of characters are all given the time needed to make an impact on screen. However, they count on you to watch every movie leading up to this.
• Emotionally, it's almost spot on. The uplifts and the downs.
• The one-liners are fantastic and as quotable as the first Avengers.
• Thanos is an outstanding villain. I'd say, better than Loki in the first instalment. He has such a sense of being involved with all his self. Since he is tied in with everyone. They really were able to capture the dread of the coming of Thanos.
• The imagery, colour and cinematography were beautiful to watch. It has its own blend of orange and purple that makes it so unique and distinct. Truly an epic movie with an epic style to match.
• The music, had me from beginning to end. I think it might be the best in any Marvel movie for its mood and tone.
• The humour was also really well done. Jokes are mixed with dramatic moments and emotional ones that make you feel more with characters.
The Bad
• Some characters might be underused. But that for me just made it easier to focus on the strong plot here.
• Thanos' plan isn't the typical bad guy plan. It has motive and thought put into it. But, the lack of visually telling over vocally hurts the plot a bit.
• It tries to set up relationships that haven't previously been too deep emotionally than Marvel wanted. Leaving a kind of empty feeling when put at risk.
Conclusion
I think this is one of the best movies Marvel has put out. I had faith in the Russo brothers to make this movie the best and rise above Captain America: The Winter Soldier (My second favourite Marvel movie behind Black Panther). They really did deliver on all notes. But a warning to parents or the faint-hearted. This isn't a typical Marvel film. It's darker than anything else from the MCU.
The way Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 had you in tears. This movie will as well.
Easily the biggest superhero movie ever made. Every… single… one… of your favorite Marvel movie heroes come together to battle a villain bigger than they’ve ever faced before. Can any movie live up to this level of anticipation?
Well, speaking as a comic book nerd, when I finished this movie the word that kept going through my mind was “WOW.” What directors Joe and Anthony Russo have managed to pull off with this movie is remarkable. “INFINITY WAR” is the culmination of 10 years and EIGHTEEN other movies, with everything coming to a head in this film as the powerful purple bad-guy Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) attempts to gather all the infinity stones, (which if you didn’t know, are powerful gems that will allow him to wipe out half of the universe’s population.) All the superheroes, including the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange and even Spider-Man will try and stop him. Needless to say, there’s a LOT going on. But, to avoid spoiling anything (and there are MAJOR story points that can be spoiled), I’ll stop there.
Here are some things I liked: I LOVED seeing all the heroes in the same movie. I was impressed with how the directors were able to get everyone at least a moment, and most of them get meaningful moments, in my opinion. But what’s even better is that each cool moment actually seemed to fit naturally as part of the story--nothing really felt forced. In this movie, the team-ups and character interactions are very often hilarious, sometimes emotional, but always in service of the story, something very important in a movie that is as long as this one is because you can’t waste screen time. "Infinity War" was very entertaining and had me feeling lots of different emotions. Finally, they really have a great villain in Thanos. He’s not a mustache twirling old-time bad guy. He has his reasons for what he’s doing and they are compellingly presented—plus, he’s powerful enough to raise the stakes to a level that justifies bringing all the heroes into the same movie.
But, there are a few things I should warn you some of you about… especially if you have younger kids. The questions I’ve been asked most often since seeing the movie is “Does someone die? And who?”. Obviously I’m not going to answer that second question, but the answer to question 1 is YES. And if you planned on taking younger kids, you need to be aware of that. Remember, we’ve spent years getting to know these characters, so if something bad happens to any of them it will be emotional for those of us who are invested in them. So be prepared. And the flip side of having all those heroes & actors in the movie, is that it makes it run longer, in this case 2 & 1/2 hours! Keep that in mind because you don’t want to miss the end of this movie--so plan your soda intake accordingly. And finally, you can’t just jump into the series in this chapter like you can with several earlier Marvel movies. You HAVE to watch at least some of the other Marvel movies…and the more the better. And finally, not everything is resolved by the end of the movie--it kind of leaves you feeling like you did the first time you saw "Empire Strikes Back" (but I mean that in a good way).
But those warnings aside, I LOVED “Avengers: Infinity War”. It was fun, funny, exciting, shocking and emotional. It was an epic payoff for all the time and investment I’ve put into the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the past decade. If you are excited about this movie at all, I believe you will leave the theater satisfied. I give this 4 out of 4 stars for Marvel movie fans. For everyone else… well, it really doesn’t matter because you can’t (and honestly, probably WON’T) see this movie without having watched other Marvel movies first.
And a suggestion: Go see it as soon as possible to avoid having the best moments spoiled for you—accidentally or otherwise.
I was mighty hard on Avengers: Infinity War the first time I saw it, and some of the points still stand. It's a bit boring, and some of the actors seem bored too. I still think they could have done better when it came to the story as well, but it has grown on me a little this second time around. It certainly didn't make me want to abandon the whole thing like the first time around.
Avengers: Infinity War will never be up there with the best of the MCU, but it still has a place. Easier to see that when you don't have to wait so long between MCU movies.
Let's call Avengers: Infinity War for what it is...a wasted opportunity.
Yes, Yes... it has an epic feel, and the effects are rather nice. Does that help much when you get bored 10 minutes in?
The MCU has gone downhill lately and the new(ish) Avengers bout is not an exception. The actors look somewhat bored, the action is...weird, and it makes the cardinal sin of any action movies...it's bland and boring.
If it hadn't been for the MCU continuity, I probably wouldn't have finished this one. Let's get back to origin stories and the likes. Leave the space stuff for some other Disney franchise (NOT that they've been doing better with those lately).
Anyway...I've got a couple of MCU movies I haven't seen yet. Maybe those are better. Avengers: Infinity War gets a big MEH from me...
"Infinity War" shares directors with the last couple of Captain America movies. "Winter Soldier" was an interesting attempt at making something darker and mature, but didn't feel much like a superhero movie. "Civil War" had a stronger superhero taste and a bigger sense of scale, but struggled at managing such a vast cast and finding internal coherence. "Infinity War" learned the lesson from both movies, and despite the action sequences in the second half feeling a little too overblown for my taste, I think they finally found the right coordinates for this kind of fanservice crossovers.
The plot has its obvious limits with many choices of the characters not making sense, but it manages to bring together radically different worlds without getting too convoluted. It's obviously meant to resonate with fans who have spent the last ten years following the saga, but it should be easy enough to follow for newcomers as well. You just have to accept that the power balance can't be consistent with what we have been seeing up to this point. Invincible heroes like Vision or Hulk are often put on the same level as everyone else, powers that the characters used in previous movies get conveniently forgotten, etc.
Thanos is definitely the most threatening presence in the saga so far, but that's mostly due to the mediocre competition rather than his own merits. His internal conflicts and ideology are fascinating, but I'm not sure his plan actually made sense in the first place.
BRAVO BRAVO THIS MASTERPIECE IS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME AMAZING PHENOMENAL FANTASTIC SPECTACULAR AND SOMETHING VERY VERY SPECIAL INDEED AND IT'S A PRIVILEGE AND A HONOUR TO HAVE HAD IT SET UP AND CREATED IN MY LIFETIME.
WOW...JUST...WOW....
IT'S ICONIC AND IT'S EPIC ON EVERY LEVEL AND THEN SOME. THIS IS DEFINITELY THE SECOND BEST MOVIE EVER MADE WITH ONLY
AVENGERS ENDGAME
TO TOP IT AND TAKE FIRST PLACE. THESE 2 EPIC MASTERPIECES ARE NOT JUST THE BEST EVER MCU MOVIES EVER MADE BUT THE 2 BEST MOVIES EVER MADE PERIOD.
THIS UNDERTAKING HAS NEVER BEEN ATTEMPTED ON SCREEN BEFORE AND DISNEY MARVEL PULLS IT OFF PERFECTLY. EVERY SINGLE HERO GETS THERE TIME TO SHINE AND NOBODY IS LEFT OUT ARE PUSHED TO THE SIDE. THIS MOVIE IS OPERATING ON A HOLE OTHER LEVEL, HONESTLY I'M IN AWE FROM START TO FINISH AND TO SAY IT'S A 2H 40M MOVIE YOU DO NOT FEEL ANY OF IT ON THE CLOCK.
NO WORDS CAN GIVE IT ENOUGH CREDIT ON
HOW SUPER AWESOME THIS MOVIE IS AND EVERYONE INVOLVED DESERVES A DAMN OSCAR.
I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT I WILL SAY TO FINISH GOD I LOVE THIS UNIVERSE SO MUCH AND HOW EVERY SINGLE THING IS CONNECTED.
AND IT CONTINUES TO EXPAND
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO RATE THIS
SO I WILL END IT WITH A
INFINITY/10
MORE THAN :a: FAN
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ANTMAN AND THE WASP
This is exactly the sorta thing I want from an Avengers film! Full blown, no punches pulled action. In that regard, it's an outstanding watch!
Despite knowing practically little about the MCU up until a few weeks ago, I still knew this was a film that was going to see - so to speak - excrement hit the fan... and boy did it! It's a great ride.
Like 'Captain America: Civil War' did, 'Avengers: Infinity War' does an incredible job at juggling the gargantuan number of characters. It's ridiculous, but totally awesome, how many faces we see appear again. I thought they got the screen time for all, more or less, down to a T. Not an easy job, that.
Speaking of the cast, it's Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Josh Brolin who stand out most in my memory. Them three are excellent, especially the latter. Away from those lot, it's very cool to see all the other worlds - including from 'Doctor Strange' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy' - come together into one film. As for new additions, there aren't many - Peter Dinklage being the pick.
There are many references that I had already become aware of just via the internet, so it was quite amusing seeing them all unfold here and there. The effects looked great to me, as they have basically all the way up until this point of the MCU. The comedy is good again, also.
Needless to say, I can't wait to see 'Avengers: Endgame'!
THE WACPINE OF 'AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR'
WRITING: 8
ATMOSPHERE: 9
CHARACTERS: 10
PRODUCTION: 10
INTRIGUE: 10
NOVELTY: 9
ENJOYMENT: 9
The Good:
You know you’re in for a good ride when the Russo brothers give us the film’s main villain in a fistfight with the Hulk and Thor within the opening minutes of the feature.
Josh Brolin steals the show here. Even with so many amazing performances from the entire cast, Josh Brolin kills it with his iconic, menacing and memorable turn as Thanos, one of the finest film villains in history. He is also the main character of this film.
Infinity War expertly utilizes its broad roster of heroes and villains in a series of exhilarating action sequences, without forgetting all the banter, humour and drama in between. Unlike Endgame, however, which is truly deep superhero drama, this one is the ultimate Avengers action film. The action set pieces are the eye candy of this feature in every possible way.
The Russo brothers have taken the comic book storytelling approach and translated that well onto film, juggling between different parallel storylines and groups of characters with a steady hand.
Infinity War does not forget to develop its characters and their relationships. Bruce continues to deal with his personality problem, Cap and Tony have to settle their arguments and Gamora has to overcome her daddy and sister issues.
The scene where Gamora asks Peter to shoot her instead of Thanos feels so much more powerful now when you know what that moment means for Gamora.
I like the tonal shifts in the film. We begin with a dark and menacing scene, before moving onto something much more typical MCU and then slowly descending deeper into darkness and depression until the breathtaking climax and the shocking cliffhanger.
The battle on Titan is my all-time favourite superhero battle. It’s visually stunning and both inventive and exciting.
What makes Infinity War so compelling is the fact that our heroes are finally faced by a threat who is completely overpowered. Even when it seems that Thanos has been defeated we immediately learn that he still has the upper hand.
The Bad:
There is sometimes quite a long gap between different plot strands, so you almost forget where the script left of the character last you saw them.
I can't help but think that this is just one overlong introduction to the main event that is the gigantic Endgame.
Thor's plot feels like it barely goes anywhere and the Wakanda sequences feel very tacked ion, just to include Black Panther and the Wakandan army in the film.
The Ugly:
Oh, snap!
WACPINE RATING: 9.29 / 10 = 4,5 stars
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh this film is so damn awesome, the build-up to the character of Thanos played by Josh Brolin was perfect as the moment he comes on screen in this movie you know that this is gonna be one of the darkest MCU films and what I liked about this film is I didn't find it super predictable as the trailers barely gave away anything and it does differ from the comics for sure. Don't really know what to say about this film without spoiling things, I will say that I really liked the dynamic between all of the characters as some of these characters have never been on screen together but when they are I feel like the chemistry just flows so perfectly.
Picking out a favourite scene in this film is almost impossible as there are just so many to chose from, one thing I did love is with each stone there is a toll which characters involved with protecting it had to pay with some of them almost making you want to cry. Marvel what can I say, you actually pulled off the impossible as no-one thought the build-up would have been this worth it and visually this film is just so spectacular. If I had to pick out an action sequence that stands out it has to be the Wakanda scenes which are just mind-blowingly amazing.
Also if you have been watching these films since the start then I promise you that you will get emotional for sure.
Everyone's seen this movie already, so my thoughts really don't matter. I saw this out of obligation, not 'cause I was on the edge of my seat in roaring anticipation if my flavor of the month favorite character would live. All I can say, this is the best Marvel Studios movie, just on the basis it feels like a... movie. Yeah, with a story, a character to follow, and a real artistic production value behind it. Granted, it still falls short because of the studio mandating and tiresome quips, some of the jokes land, but most don't. The real protagonist of the film is actually Thanos. From the start, you follow him, like he was written with the hero's journey in mind, and he has a clear set up and pay off. He's the best written character in this entire goddamn universe because he is interesting; he has purpose, and I can say that since I've seen over 13 of these released products. As vengeful and heinous as his "overpopulation" removal solution may be, he actually gives solid reason for his actions and you almost end up feeling for him over any of the other disposable and rather annoying superheroes. Who the hell even is Bruce Banner anymore? What does he do? What is his job? Why does he not contribute anything more to this universe other than babble around and turn into the Hulk every once in a while? He's the most useless character in all of this. Thankfully, the Russos' actually attempt to demonstrate the consequences this time around, and use basic human emotions to tell the story. Because of Peter's sudden lack of judgment and losing control of his anger, Thanos gets the gauntlet back and dooms the entire universe. Gamora is given a decent backstory that comes into fruition, she's the adopted daughter (little one) of Thanos, and it works emotionally whenever the two are together. When certain characters are given proper screen time, this works. Other times, some are throw in purely for fan service and have no overall impact on the story. This movie should've just involved Gamora, Quill, Strange, Stark, and Parker, the rest of the cast is there to make this the Infinity War. I really hate Black Panther. This movie isn't bad. I still like Batman v Superman more, yeah, sue me. (I know we shouldn't compare the two, just throwing that out there)
A decade's worth of intertwined superhero adventures culminates in one staggering, towering behemoth of a film. It sounds like a tall order - and, clearly, it is - but Marvel's been doing this for quite a while now and seem to have a firm grasp of the essentials. Effectively juggling so many competing stars, flavors, themes and aesthetics was my largest concern, especially ones as disparate as Captain America and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and obviously that was a core focus for Infinity War's producers. Not only does each scene retain the characteristic tone and identity of its unique featured franchise, it also mixes fluidly with those of another, creating an unexpected blend that works almost effortlessly and moves in exciting new directions. This is really the essence of the Marvel universe, particularly so from a long-term reader's perspective, and it's something I've yet to grow tired of seeing on the big screen. Creating a great cast is step one, but watching them grow and interact with the unfamiliar is where the real magic happens. Each subsequent installment in the Avengers franchise ups that ante just a little bit further.
No doubt, I would've been content to just watch these familiar faces bounce around in the same enclosed space, trading zingers and butting heads, but there's an underlying reason for all this, and the film (somehow) doesn't shortchange that, either. Thanos, the big wrinkle-chinned monster who's been hinted at and referenced for years, has finally come to town with a destructive cause in mind. Well-rounded villains have not been a strength for the MCU thus far, but in this case they make amends. Thanos is quickly and efficiently established as a galactic-level threat, far and away the most powerful creature we've seen so far, and then unexpectedly fleshed out as a fully-realized three dimensional character. We may not agree with his means, but his motivation is certainly understandable. That's a new thing, a clearly addressed criticism, and it makes the film far stronger.
So, yes, I enjoyed myself. The new Avengers is a big deal, it takes big risks, and judging from the box office numbers, it's reaped big rewards. There are also several little flaws for those interested in picking. Most glaringly, it falls into the trap of being merely half a movie. After the better part of three hours, I left the theater with the feeling I'd just binge-watched an entire season of an expensive TV series and been left hanging with a "tune in next time.” Its story is obviously incomplete, and while that's played for maximum effect in the stunning conclusion (the first time I've ever seen an entire theater sit through a credit roll in complete silence), that stuck in my craw. My other complaints can be largely brushed away as inconsequential - inexplicably missing characters, too many guest spots, a not-insignificant barrier of entry - but that's a relatively big one and something that I keep revisiting. Having cleared my chest of that, though, I'll strongly recommend it as a fundamental bit of summer blockbuster history, even if it isn't quite summer yet. Potential viewers should already know what to expect (Infinity War is just another refinement in the well-worn Marvel formula) and whether or not that's remotely up their alley. If so, by all means, go see it more than once. This is the best entry yet. And maybe, just maybe, it'll shine even more brightly as a Lord of the Rings style all-day anthology. Once the story is actually complete, that is.
As I have noted before I am not a Marvel Comic Book or film fan. I’m not invested in the stories or characters and I do not look forward to the latest instalment of the franchises whatever they may be. I will watch the films and I will not dislike them for the sake of disliking them and being contra-cool.
I do have to say that explosions, leaping and punching for an hour of running time bores me rigid but this film, story and franchise clearly is not aimed at me.
Infinity War is the penultimate film in this huge rambling series. The final instalment coming up, it’s on my list, is Avengers: End Game. Which knowing this, even when Infinity War was first released into the cinema means that no matter what happens in this film you just know it’s not the ‘end’ and also the next film, no matter what happens there, is also not the end. There is a lot of money to make producing these films, superhero style piles of money. No film company is going to put a stop to this regardless what does or does not happen to the characters.
So for me there are problems, so many characters to fit in, even for a few minutes that it felt like appeasement to fans at times, the story rambling all over the place, with things that happened seemingly plotted to make the running time longer. Logic in the storyline goes out the window early on and then flies to the trees and stays there. It would be churlish to point out all the points that make little to no sense but once you give a single character the power to alter time, reality and all points in between you had better make sure your story is watertight otherwise it sinks in a sea of gooey contradictions really quickly. Avengers: Infinity War does this.
Having said this the film for most of the running time is entertaining and my attention did not wonder too much. The big battle scene in Wakanda, like the last one in Black Panther, lacked tension or thrills and bored me as it seemed to be interminable, the same with the big fight with Thanos, who was so powerful and able to control most of what was going on that it was easy to ask how was there ever fight in the first place? But I fully understand big flashy, non-stop noisy fighting scenes are what makes a Marvel world and it works for youngsters whose eyes and brains perhaps are tuned better than mine to this. I honestly find it boring if goes on beyond the actual endurance of real people.
Like all Marvel films the running time is too long, at least half an hour of bagginess and what on the surface seems exciting depth in character and motivation proves on proper examination to be slight and at times a bit silly. As an example Thanos’ motivation seems initially ‘wow I could see why he might do that’ then in the cold light of day it becomes ‘wait a minute…’ and this is the overall pervading feeling I had. Of course I’m aware I was watching a complete fantasy and just escapism but also the Marvel Comics have always been defended as more ‘adult than you think’ and covering ‘modern hard-hitting topics’. Well they skim the surface but they are just comic-book stories no matter what anyone might like them to be.
The acting throughout is good albeit with some people getting two minutes of screen time and at least Samuel L Jackson gets the best line in the whole film that made me laugh. The visual and special effects are better than usual with a feel of heft and reality to most heavy-laden scenes, which cannot always be said of a Marvel Universe film but any sense of peril or real danger, even at the very end of the film was just missing for me. These characters are expensive commodities and are laying some very big golden eggs. Everyone one of them will return in some form or another.
Usual Marvel fare, well produced, explosion infested and definitely slanted to fans but for me the same, it was okay, but I will not be going out of my way to watch it again.
Engrossing, Epic, Emotional. Those are the three E's that define this movie. The latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise is at its very best, culminating ten years of marvel adventure and spectacle with the biggest and most boldest movie in the superhero genre. So let's start with Anthony and Joe Russo, the geniuses that made this beast of a movie. After announcing that they will be directing the next two Avengers movies, Marvel fans knew at once that this will be the darkest Avengers movie yet. Yes, it was very dark with more of a serious tone. More than Winter Soldier and Civil War (previous marvel movies directed by the Russo Bothers) combined but they also had what the other Avengers movies had as well, the humor and it was not at all tasteless. Nobody really cared if it was necessary or not because the humor worked along with the edgy parts of the movie. This is by far the Russo brothers best work among the Marvel movies completely raising the bar of superhero movies to it's highest. Praise to Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for writing the amazing script (they also wrote the scripts of Captain America, The Avengers, Winter Soldier, Age of Ultron and Civil War also known to be the best marvel movies). Now, the characters and story. Practically everyone that you've seen in the previous marvel movies that aren't dead, are in this movie. Everyone had the chance to shine even if it's the smallest way possible. There were so many character arcs in this movie and none of them were cut short or boring. Every scene is in the movie was worth digesting and deciphering, along with the surprises and the twists and turns that will get audiences on the edge of their seat. Everything from character development to the pacing of the storyline, makes you jump, scream, gasp or cry. And of course, the one and only, Thanos. The villain that has been teased one too many times is finally here and he delivers. Josh Brolin officially portrays the best villain in the MCU, completely pissing on Marvel's villain problem. He brings all out on the table with everything he's got. Not only will you hate Thanos by the end of the movie, but you will understand him and maybe even feel sorry for him for a few seconds. They brought layers into him that no one has seen in a movie portrayal of a Marvel villain. They made him scary and strong at the same time vulnerable and understandable. The motivation of his doing and his character development made him the best character in the movie, making the movie all about him. I cannot tell you anymore about this movie because then I would be spoiling. All I have to say is that whether you're a marvel fan or not, and if you at least know what has been going on in the previous marvel movies, GO AND WATCH IT. It will not be a waste of your time or money. Digest this to prepare for what's to come.
Well… this movie was certainly something big. I will commend the writers for managing to juggle such a great amount of characters and not ending up with a confusing soup of a plot. Not even kidding at one point we have around 5 different storylines running at the same time but somehow, they made them all followable and had them all merge back as it separated initially, leaving you with a satisfactory feeling along with some great action and character development.
Speaking of that let’s talk about Gamora’s story because I had no clue that was the story I wanted to see in the MCU, such a heartbreaking story of a little girl that’s forcibly removed from her home world by it’s attacker only to be trained to be his successor. You assume that Thanos was just being selfish and took her as a trophy from that planet and even Gamora herself believes that but my god that scene on Vormir when she realizes that Thanos did indeed love her as a daughter ( even if he ended up sacrificing her to forward his plan ) was gut-wrenching.
Which brings me to my next point, I’ve been somewhat critical of Marvel’s use (and sometimes overuse) of comedy which really takes away from certain scenes that actually benefit from some seriousness but to this movie’s credit it managed to hit some nice humorous bits without being overwhelming like Thor: Ragnarok and actually allowed itself to have some goddamn emotion. As I said before the action scenes were pretty impressive it was nice to see all of the heroes with such different powers all battling it out at once. The CGI was actually pretty good and nothing was noticeably bad (I watched the film on IMAX). There’s also some nice references and reappearances of characters recognizable to those who have watched most if not all of the MCU.
But what is a good movie without some drawbacks, for one, Banner. Why did they even bother having him in the movie if he was just gonna be ‘not Hulk’ most of the movie? So in various parts he just seemed out of place. Also I don’t particularly care too much about the Wanda x Vision love story but if you’re a fan of that I guess it had some nice development as well but I guess since it wasn’t too overbearing it doesn’t dock too much score in my opinion.
All in all, a very solid movie that pays off the MCU in a way that feels pleasing to long time followers and fans of the MCU. Fantastic Visuals, Character development and Action. The score is good but not amazing. Leaves you wanting more in a way that’s not too cheesy even though it was a nearly 3 hour movie. 8.5/10
Review by J Lucas CBlockedParent2018-08-01T20:11:36Z
There is one feeling after watching this movie and it sums up with the following statement: This would be my favorite hero movie of all times if they do not resurrect everyone. Saying this, it is expected of them to come up with a solution to do exactly that, unless they really surprise us in the second installment of Infinity War. Still, if one analysis Infinity War just in itself and do not connect to past movies or the ones that will follow, Infinity War would deserve to be in everybody's top 10 superhero movies of all time.
The best superhero stories don't necessarily need the villain to win, but it is "realistic" (aka better and it feels more satisfying) when the villain's strategy is better and/or they are stronger than the heroes and they get to win because of that. It is even more satisfying when the reasoning of the villain kind of makes sense while their logic is flawed somewhere (showing the weakness of the villain), especially if the superhero and the villain agree on something but their approach is quite different to solve the problem.
There is room to argue that Thanos is one of the great villains since he has a purpose beyond just being a villain for the sake of villainy.