Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Review with SPOILERS
Full disclosure: I have not read any of the comic books so this review is based solely` on the movie itself. This review does contain SPOILERS.
Marvel Studios has been building their Marvel Cinematic Universe for 10 years now and everything has been leading up to this. Avengers Infinity War is a fun, action-packed movie that includes the majority of the characters they’ve introduced over the last 10 years. However for me, the thing that makes Infinity War stand out from the rest of the MCU is it’s dark ending.
To start off, the opening scene of Infinity War sets the tone very well. There was a lot of speculation about which heroes will die in this film, and the Russo brothers wasted no time in answering that question. I really like that right off the bat, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Heimdall (Idris Elba) were killed. These deaths were very effective in establishing the dominance of Thanos (Josh Brolin) and the tone for the movie. I was sad to see these characters go, not only because such respected actors portray them, but also Loki especially, has had a major impact on the MCU.
From there it was a lot of fun watching characters we love meet for the first time, like Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) meeting Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, they all meet under dire circumstances and Thanos’ overwhelming power is always there. The members of the Avengers constantly feel like the underdog, which is a great aspect to establish considering up to this point they have won every fight they have been in. This movie really demonstrates what the Avengers are up against and how hard it will be to defeat Thanos. As an audience we feel for the characters losing people along the way. For example when Star Lord learns that Thanos killed Gamora, or Scarlett Witch watching Thanos kill Vision. I like this film because it humanizes these Gods and Superheroes that we have come to see as mostly all-powerful. Marvel’s problem with weak villains sure seems to be a thing of the past because Thanos actually wins at the end of this film and proves he is the best villain the MCU has had so far.
It is also amazing that the Russos’ could make such a dark movie still be hilarious by using Marvel’s trademark humor. Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Star Lord (Chris Pratt) and Iron Man are fantastic as the comic reliefs of this movie. Even when situations get dark you will find yourself laughing at a one liner. Between Spider—Man’s movie references and Star Lord’s snarky humor, the movie is hilarious.
However, Infinity War is not without its faults. My biggest complaint was the absence of a few characters. First of all, Ant-Man. He got a solo movie (which was fantastic) so I just don’t understand why Marvel didn’t use him in Infinity War. He is a great hero, with cool abilities and he is hilarious. But maybe his absence will be explained in Ant-Man and the Wasp this July. The other one is Hawkeye. I wasn’t a huge fan of his character, but he has been a part of the Avengers since the beginning. There were so many fan theories about why he wasn’t involved in any of the marketing and it is disappointing to find out that it is just because he’s not in the movie. I also miss the Hulk a bit. Mark Ruffalo is in the film as Bruce Banner but he is only the Hulk in one small scene. It was sad to hear the absence of Hawkeye and Ant Man explained in one quick line, but I am hoping they will be in Avengers 4.
Overall, Avengers Infinity War is a blast, especially on first viewing. When Thanos is fighting Captain America and Iron Man, I was on the edge of my seat because I kept thinking one of them would die. It’s agonizing but fantastic to watch the Avengers fighting Thanos and not knowing which of them will survive. Infinity War does a great job of subverting expectations and actually letting the villain win. It ends on a killer cliffhanger with a lot of our favorite heroes disintegrating into dust. With the original Avengers and a few others remaining it leaves you begging for more. And be sure to stay after the credits for a tease of Captain Marvel. Avengers 4 is now tied with Star Wars Episode 9 for my most anticipated movie of 2019. A
Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and Josh Brolin
