Avengers: Infinity War shouldn’t work.
But yet, it all comes together beautifully. Infinity War is a reward for everyone who has experienced ten years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is the movie’s greatest strength…and lone weakness. If you haven’t been watching the franchise, you may feel lost walking into this.
Equal parts thrilling, hilarious and heartbreaking, the film is the ultimate popcorn blockbuster. Heroes and characters we have come to love are brought together to take on a threat that the previous films brilliantly hinted at for years. Josh Brolin’s Thanos is both a great villain and the surprising heart of the film. His crazed quest not only forms the plot of the film, but it allows Infinity War to explore the meaning of sacrifice and the fallout from those sacrifices. This movie is a roller coaster of emotion, but rarely is a movie this rewarding.
Avengers Assemble
The scattered Avengers and their allies are brought together as the ultimate threat to the universe finally emerges from the shadows…the “Mad Titan” known as Thanos. A powerful alien bent on wiping out half of all life in the universe, he is determined to gain control of the powerful Infinity Stones, artifacts that will allow him to complete his quest. “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” scramble around Thanos’ vast army…and their own conflicts…to get to those stones first.
Infinity War seemingly does the impossible. It brings Marvel’s greatest (cinematic) heroes together and still manages to create a cohesive narrative. Granted, it is a simple one: See Villain, stop villain. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and the Guardians of the Galaxy (Among others) are literally thrown together as the movie hits the ground running.
But the Marvel Universe has always valued character above all. The movie wisely splits the multiple characters into smaller groups, allowing the story to breath a bit. So we have the sarcastic Tony Stark teaming with his protege Spider-Man, the grim Dr. Strange and the wise ass Star Lord (Chris Pratt). Or Thor (Chris Hemsworth) teaming with the grouchy Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper). The dynamics between the different groups work extremely well, making each groups’ quest fun…even if it really isn’t when you think about it.
As with any movie of this size, some characters get short changed in terms of things to do. Some of the choices are surprising. Captain America, Black Panther and Black Widow are close to glorified cameos. That said, we do have moments for them to shine. Scarlett Johansson’s Widow is still a physical presence and Chadwick Boseman oozes royalty as T’Challa. Evans’ Rogers has one powerful moment regarding a particular sacrifice that perfectly epitomizes the character’s great nobility.
We have ten years of film to draw on…we know these characters, so this shortchanging can be excused to a point. But if you are new to this franchise and stepping in now, you will be completely lost. A newcomer may not understand that Captain America moment, as well as several other callbacks.
Some surprising characters are pushed forward in lieu of the more established heroes…and both are female. Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany’s cyborg Vision are in one of the more believable and touching romances in the MCU since Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter from Captain America: The First Avenger. It works so well because of both actors, but Olsen truly stands out.
Zoe Saldana’s Gamora of the Guardians of the Galaxy is very close to being the movie’s female lead. Saldana always felt a bit underutilized in the the Guardians movies so it is a welcome surprise to see the talented actress have some great moments here. Of all the characters, she may have some of the most emotional scenes.
In terms of action, Infinity War brings both devastating beat downs of beloved characters and crowd pleasing moments of triumph. The physicality of Thanos, Thor’s thunderous powers, Spider-Man’s amazing agility…all of it is on full display throughout. These scenes are perfectly complimented by Alan Silvestri’s score, with the welcome return of the Avengers theme at key moments.
The trademark humor of the Marvel universe returns, with Dave Bautista’s Drax getting some incredibly hilarious moments. Like the other Marvel movies, sometimes the humorous lines and moments feel a little long or out of place, but never jarringly so. With the fate of the universe on the line, you need a break from the dire circumstances.
No Drax, The Real Question is “Why is Thanos?”
Beyond the spectacle and humor of Infinity War is a single man with a dogged determination to achieve his goal. This man wants to bring peace to a galaxy full chaos…and his name is Thanos. Brolin’s villain is possibly the deepest character in the movie, and the narrative really follows him.
Thanos isn’t a villain that is evil for evil’s sake. He is a broken man, one who has let cold calculus overcome any sense of compassion he may have. The movie does an interesting thing…they give him some traces of compassion. To elaborate would be going into spoiler territory, but know that these moments are both surprising…and extremely effective.
Thanos is not a sympathetic villain, though. Unlike the MCU’s other great villain, Killmonger from Black Panther, who had a sympathetic motive behind his plotting, the Mad Titan is…well, mad. Killing half the universe is a little…extreme. The movie contrasts this well with our heroes. Thanos will do anything, sacrifice all, to get what he wants. Our very human heroes will not. While this attitude does cost the heroes in the movie at certain points, it shows just how heroic they are because they haven’t forgotten their compassion. It’s the reason why they are heroes and the movie does a great job making this very clear.
This conflict leads to an amazing ending. I can’t elaborate…even a little…because to do so would go into spoiler territory. Just know that it is possibly the best ending that Marvel has ever produced.
A Hard Act to Follow
While Marvel didn’t reinvent the blockbuster with Infinity War, it may have changed the way studios will tell their stories. By any standard, the Marvel Cinematic Universe shouldn’t have worked. Ten years of building with a dizzying number of characters should have been impossible. Yet here we are.
Here’s the thing…I don’t believe it can be replicated. A cinematic pay off like this will probably never happen again. It may be once in a lifetime.
Well, until next year anyway.
SCORE: 9 OUT OF 10