(Originally written on May 7, 2018)
So this is what it’s come to. Ten years and eighteen movies later, we’ve arrived at a culmination of sorts that brings together all the characters and foreshadowing in a story that puts the universe at stake. Does Avengers: Infinity War live up to the hype? Short answer is yes, but let’s expand on this.
As a fan of Marvel Studios and having kept up with all the movies they’ve released up to this point, Infinity War is a great payoff. All the stories, characters, interactions, references and callbacks fit into the narrative (as they should). It still amazes me how they’ve been able to maintain such a cohesive universe, and with all these actors and actresses to boot!
However, this doesn’t mean the movie is without flaws. For instance, given the nature of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) as a whole, going into this movie without any prior knowledge of some key things that came before will undoubtedly leave you with questions, making it difficult for many to fully appreciate everything this film offers. Aside from that, the movie still delivers in a number of ways.
Let’s begin with the positives, with the biggest one (like, actually) being the villain. It’s no surprise that Marvel Studios has had a sort of villain problem in a majority of their films, with the focus skewed more towards the heroes while leaving the villains rather underdeveloped (though this has changed in the last few movies).
This is not the case with Thanos. In fact, Infinity War does the opposite and pulls focus toward the purple titan, his backstory and him wanting to wipe out half the universe. A great deal of the movie is spent with Thanos as we come to understand the motivation behind his actions and the sacrifices he must make in order to achieve his goal.
The production team (with the CGI) and Josh Brolin deserve much credit because whenever Thanos is on screen, his presence demands your attention. He is one of the more well-rounded villains (in my opinion) as we are shown different layers of his personality. He can be emotional in one moment, then ruthless in another. As for everything in between….you’ll have to watch the movie if you haven’t seen it yet!
Another thing I liked is how they put certain characters together. The different dynamics from our heroes create moments of tension and entertainment. I especially enjoyed the clashing of egos between Stephen Strange and Tony Stark. And as with any movie where heroes are brought together, there are also incredible action sequences (which you’ll have to see rather than have me try to explain them). I also appreciated how the film sprinkles in moments of levity in an otherwise very serious plot. The last thing I really like about Infinity War is how the stakes are extremely high. It’s clear Marvel Studios and the directors had a plan with Thanos, and they followed through.
That being said, I still have one very minor gripe with the movie. It’s how certain characters are given more moments of development over others. Granted, I understand there are many characters and how balancing everything is a monumental task. As well, I do get how and why these particular characters are more connected with all that is going on. -sigh- Perhaps this minor frustration should just cause me to be excited for what’s to come in the next ‘Avengers’ film.
Overall, I feel Avengers: Infinity War delivers on action and giving us a compelling villain. A combination of thrills, humour, action and loss. Just seeing all these characters in the same movie was enough for me to enjoy it. It’s such a marvel (pun intended) to see how far the studio has come and I’m excited for what we will see in the future.
- A. Shin
