AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
2018 | Dir. Anthony and Joe Russo | 149 Minutes
"Perfectly balanced, as all things should be."
Immediately following the events of Thor: Ragnarok, and picking up the storythreads from all previous MCU movies, Avengers: Infinity War jumps right into the action, offering virtually nothing in the way of exposition. Its biggest flaw as a film is that it simply doesn't work as a stand alone story, but this is hardly a problem for viewers who are already deeply invested in Marvel Studio's shared-universe saga, as this latest chapter of the series was definitely crafted just for such viewers. Taking an astonishing and surprisingly compelling narrative choice, the filmmakers place the heart of the movie in Thanos and his belief that his motivations are purely altruistic, convinced that he is saving the universe in his quest to wipe out half of its population. After only briefly appearing as a vague threat to the heroes for years since the first Avengers movie, this picture is undeniably Thanos' story. While it isn't necessarily the most thought-provoking plot, there's a certain tragic quality to it even taking into consideration the cruel and violent actions taken by him and his underlings. The heaviest theme of this installment as a whole is sacrifice, a theme that is highlighted many times over.
The feature is an action-packed visual smorgasbord. Its lead character, the giant menacing CGI-rendered Thanos built around Josh Brolin's brilliant voice over and motion capture work, struggles to suppress his emotions in order to do what he believes needs to be done. Thanos shows off the unique powers of each Infinity Stone in some truly flashy ways. Though thin in characterization, Thanos' four children voiced are visually distinct and extremely exciting to watch in action as they take on the Avengers and their allies. The creepy Ebony Maw played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Proxima Midnight played by Carrie Coon are particularly notable. Traversing more worlds than any single Marvel Studios picture before, the feature truly feels like a universe-spanning story. The plentiful fight sequences throughout the movie are expertly choreographed, escalating the stakes to near-unbearable levels. The massive multi-front climactic battle, intercutting between several far-off locations, is particularly breathtaking.
Tonally, the picture demonstrates the full range of Marvel Studios' entire eclectic catalogue, occasionally shifting gears rather rapidly. From the first scene and onwards, Thor's journey in this movie is utterly heartbreaking and yet he spends much of his screen time humorously interacting with Rocket and Groot. Tony Stark's frustration in dealing with tag-along Peter Parker, the no-nonsense Doctor Strange, and the all-nonsense Peter Quill undercuts the astronomically high odds against them as they prepare to face the most powerful being in the universe. The tension remains high but the quips and one-liners seldom let up. This may possibly be jarring to some viewers, but it's perfectly consistent with the shared universe's bathos-laden storytelling.
Above all, the filmmakers impressively balance and shuffle the sizable cast of characters. Each hero not only gets their own opportunities to shine but they interact with each other in amusing and surprising ways, too. In no universe would Tony Stark and Stephen Strange ever get along. Peter Quill's intense jealously over his crew fawning over pirate-angel Thor is priceless. When Shuri meets Bruce Banner, she immediately demonstrates that she is brighter than him and all his PhDs. Bucky teaming up with Rocket is a surefire recipe for laughs. Natasha, Okoye, and Wanda form a magnificently formidable trio. While most of the heroes aren't afforded complete character arcs - the story for this one remains focused on Thanos after all - these moments are pure magic just as they were in the first Avengers film.
Epic. There is no other word that adequately describes it. Culminating ten years of multiple shared-universe storylines, Avengers: Infinity War is Marvel Studios' biggest, most ambitious movie yet. It should prove to be an extremely rewarding experience for all longtime fans of the massive multi-picture ongoing cinematic narrative -- and absolutely confounding to everyone else.
POST-CREDITS STINGER
In a moment of desperation, Nick Fury pages an old friend.
STAN LEE CAMEO
Stan the Man is a school bus driver.
FRAGMENTS
- A blue Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development appears in Taneleer Tivan's collection
- Ludwig Göransson's theme for Wakanda from his Oscar-winning Black Panther score plays when we first see Wakanda in this film
SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF
- Video: Alan Silvestri "Forge"
007 CONNECTIONS
- Benicio del Toro (Dario in Licence to Kill)
- Dave Bautista (Mr. Hinx in Spectre)
