For the past ten years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been steadily building a world in which superheroes and supervillains could live in. In that time, audiences have seen these heroes put their lives on the line in order to save the world, over and over again. These heroes have grown and matured right before the eyes of audiences who have done the same. Fans of the MCU have invested countless hours watching and debating the events of every film within this cinematic universe. Now, a decade and 18 films later, Avengers: Infinity War is here to tie every single one of those films together. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Infinity War isn’t just a culmination of everything that Marvel has done, it is its most daring film to date. The MCU has gone beyond the physical world, having proven that these characters can travel across time, space and even different dimensions. This is the first time, however, where they attempt to bring all of that into one film. All the while, they had to balance an incredible number of characters. It appears to have been a Herculean task, but the Russo Brothers managed to deliver an epic emotional rollercoaster unlike anything else that has ever been done in the MCU before.
Despite having almost every single MCU character in this film, Infinity War really is Guardians of the Galaxy films, the audience is told that Gamora was always Thanos’ favorite daughter. Infinity War furthers that idea and uses Gamora as a tether between Thanos’ humanity and his monstrosity. It is a powerful and moving relationship that gives a real depth to Thanos. Josh Brolin deserves praise for his performance as The Mad Titan. It is an exceptional performance that delivers one of the MCU’s most frightening villains. Between Black Panther’s Killmonger, and now Thanos, 2018 has been a spectacular year for MCU villains.
Opposing Thanos on his quest to collect all six of the infinity stones are the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Infinity War brings a plethora of storylines, both old and new. This is where the film stumbles a bit. The audience is forced to follow multiple groups across the galaxy at a breakneck pace and it doesn’t allow for their storylines to be fully developed. As result, the end-product feels like it just barely scratches the surface of what could have been bigger storylines. Simply put, the film spreads itself too thin. Avengers: Infinity War often feels like more of a set-up for the next film rather than being its own story. For a film that is 156 minutes long, that shouldn’t be the case, but that is the risk that comes with trying to put together a film of this scope.
The action pieces in this film are nothing short of excellent. The enemy is formidable and the danger that they present to the heroes is felt throughout the entire film. This is in part due to the terrific way in which the film opens. It is an opening that brutally portrays how ruthless and powerful Thanos can be. Thanos’ team, the Black Order, proves to be quiet fearsome, as well. They are tasked with retrieving the infinity stones for Thanos and they truly go to any length in order to do so. One of Avengers: Infinity War’s best qualities is that it constantly makes the audience feel like the heroes are in real danger. There is a dreadful feeling that no one is safe and that makes every single fight feel important.
There are certain characters and relationships that stand out as highlights of the film. Wanda and Vision’s relationship is equal parts beautiful and tragic. It is a relationship that has been built up through Age of Ultron and Civil War, and it fully blossoms in this film. Their relationship is charming and it is the kind that you cheer on right from the start. This is made even better by the fact that the film sees the female figure having to protect the male figure, and not the other way around which would be the stereotypical way to go. Iron Man and Spider-Man’s mentor-mentee relationship continues to grow in an amusing manner, especially when Doctor Strange is thrown into the equation. Lastly, Thor is truly an all-star in Infinity War. The arc he has had in the MCU comes full circle here and the payoff is outstanding.
Tonally, Avengers: Infinity War is one of the darkest and most bleak films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is plenty of humor to help ease the tension, but make no mistake, this is a shockingly devastating film. It has a third act that will knock its audience senseless. As a whole, this is a very strong entry into the MCU and one that was well worth the 10-year build-up. Infinity Waroffers up so many different ideas that it is difficult to make sense of it all with a single viewing. Luckily, despite its hefty 156-minute runtime, Avengers: Infinity War is a film that audiences will want to see over and over again.
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