Alright! Today I'm reviewing the 19th film and peak of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Infinity War. The result of ten years of intricate plotting and with nearly 40 named characters, the film is the epitome of the superhero genre and the peak of the MCU, setting the bar so high that it might be impossible to reach again.
The movie's opening is absolutely fantastic, coldly introducing the big bad Thanos and killing off two established characters to define the stakes. It boldly confirms that there will be "No resurrections this time." Any and all unnecessary Marvel-brand humor is absent and the tone, scale, and villain are all introduced in the most iconically epic ways possible. It's tearjerking right off the bat, destroying what's been established while also establishing a new precedent.
One of the greatest things about Infinity War was how well it handled a massive roster of characters. Although Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok, and Guardians of the Galaxy do the heavy lifting in setting up these characters and getting them to their starting places, Infinity War not only serves as a perfect continuation of all their storylines but also as a direct sequel to Avengers: Age of Ultron. The Russo Brothers weave interconnectivity into the storyline with unbelievable ease. It truly feels like the culmination of the previous 18 films, the end of the path that Iron Man started us on.
Speaking of Iron Man, rewatching Infinity War made me really miss RDJ's take on the character. His arrogance, quips, and dynamics with Strange, the Guardians, and Spidey reinforce his hold on "the" Iron Man. He simply is Iron Man. It’s a shame he’s canonically no longer around, I miss seeing him pop up in these movies. The rewatch also made me really miss Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther. The man exuded royalty and stoic confidence, perfectly portraying one of my favorite superheroes of all time. From the days of my youth watching Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Boseman was exactly how I imagined him to be. He was and is the Black Panther.
However, it’s not just those two characters that make the film special. The film smartly divides its roster into specific groups whose unexpected team-ups are not only hilarious but also all relevant - Thor with Rocket and Groot, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange with the remaining Guardians, the refugee Avengers going to Wakanda, later joined by the government-approved Avengers, and all of whom have run-ins with Thanos that are downright epic. Their team-ups are hilarious but also showcase the characters - all forty of them, mind you - at their peaks before deconstructing the mythos that had come before.
The movie also has fantastic CGI and musical score, the best Marvel has ever had to offer. Aside from one floating Mark Ruffalo head and nanotech helmet, the movie is a visual marvel. The Hulk is also the one thing the movie misses - the deleted Smart Hulk introduction would have been a powerful moment in the final battle, unfortunately, cut for a dab joke in Avengers: Endgame. Most everything else is terrific - the pacing is pitch-perfect, and the scale and weight of the movie was unmatched by anything Marvel had ever put out before.
My favorite part of Infinity War is the emotional weight it carries. Aside from the unbelievable cliffhanger ending, the biggest since Empire Strikes Back, the gravitas behind it are welcome. While there are still a number of quips and MCU signature name jokes, the opening of the film, Wanda and Vision's final moment, and Spider-Man's death marked the first time eighth-grade me had ever cried during a movie. I also love how the ending sets the stage for them to truly earn the name "The Avengers."
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| The quintessential Marvel film... absent Hawkeye and Ant-Man, of course. |
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