Avengers: Infinity War Review

Avengers: Infinity War
Directors: Joe Russo and Anthony Russo
Cast Headliners: Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Hero Ever At Once Including: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr, Benedict Cumberbatch, Josh Brolin, Scarlet Johnnsson, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Elizabeth Olsen, so many many more!!
Original Release Date: April 27th, 2018



It's astounding to think of (aside from the fact how quickly that time seems to have flown!) the things Marvel has accomplished with their MCU universe over the past 10 years.  Each different superhero introduced seemed to build on the world of the others and expand the scope from just a bit more than our reality to the supernatural and cosmic and so on. The first Avengers film as a monumental cinematic achievement of mixing worlds. Then more came and the second Avengers film was somehow even crazier. This has blended into other films and new faces becoming wilder in all kinds of locations, colors, shapes, time periods and galaxies. All of this has lead to Avengers: Infinity War as the third roundup of characters. It's with amazing pleasure to say that this is the biggest superhero crossover film of history and raises the epic stakes in all the ways wanted. 
If this was television, it would be the first episode of a “two part season finale” if not even series finale. So it really, really helps to have seen all or at least most of the previous films in this one besides a few exceptions. But who would be seeing this without that, or moreso reading this. Without having done that!! This picks up on...nearly everything ever over the past few years, and quite stunningly so.
Specifically, the movie starts (uniquely for MCU immediately) in the midst of ultimate universe trekking villain overlord Thanos (Josh Brolin)'s attack on the remaining Asgardian's ship led by the likes of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Heimdall (Idris Elba) and the Bruce Banner /  Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as he searches for the godlike-power granting infinity stones for his gauntlet which have been spread across places (And films). This sequence is a chilling microcosm of the whole experience... many actors , exciting action, and darkness in one. This is just the tip of the iceberg that ultimately does what fans have been wanting and the film has been hinting at for years.. the fusing of the MCU's space-based cosmic side and its  Earth-based characters. Thanos' conquests bring (nearly. totally..sorry Korg, Kraglin, Valkyrie, and (what may be the penultimate chance for) TV characters etc as they're passed over here but it's fine as there's so much else exciting things going on !) everything, everyone, everywhere to a culmination that is what one would want.
This means there's a tapestry of tapestries, an Avengers of Avengers of groups and characters at play... seriously a record for spectacle and quantity. But it works almost with a single hitch.  The attacks soon reach Earth in multiple places. The film smartly divides up various heroes into groups, often times with both heartwarming reunions or intriguing and/or. first meetings across the planet and galaxy with their own quests before throwing things together when need be. Although one hopes in the future some more of these combinations come together for something even crazier the situation here calls for it.
Groups vary in what they do and who they meet to at times wildly different but fun results that feel ripped out of a comic book special event as the film goes on a journey through the MCU's theme park map of greatest hits.   Tony Stark / Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Peter Parker / Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and for the first largest time to him Stephen / Dr.Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) contend with the likes of some of the alien “Children of Thanos” in Ebony Maw ( Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) and Cull Obsidian(Terry Notary) in New York. Elsewhere in Scotland Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) , Vision (Paul Bettany), Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanov (Scarlet Johansson), and Sam Wilson / Falcon (Anthony Mackie) content with the other minions Proxima Midnight (Carrie Coon) and Corvus Glaive (Michael James Shaw).  In deep space the Guardians of the Galaxy made up at this point of Peter Quill / Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel),  Drax (Dave Bautista), and Mantis (Pom Klementiff) finally make their debut on the connected-Marvel stage as well by aiding a friend in need and finding themselves rendezvousing when the time is needed. Impressively aside all this is including major supporting allies for all locations . This includes wizard Wong(Benedict Wong),  the late-game likes of Wakandans King T'Challa / Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) along peers Okoye (Danai Gurirra),  Shuri (Letitia Wright), now-in-a-sense Bucky / “White Wolf” / Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and M'Baku (Winston Duke)  plus long-timer James Rhodey Rhodes / War Machine (Don Cheadle) and wildcard Nebula (Karen Gillian) to more (understandably) momentary characters like Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Ned (Jacob Batalon), The Collector (Benico Del Toro) and General Ross (William Hurt). There may even be some total surprises which are highlights in their own ways that need to be witnessed firsthand. This is one to be experienced as fresh as possible.
Directors The Russo Brothers are an iconic character of their own way through their style. This is both moment to moment crispness yet also in their effective handling of interlaced storytelling and characters that began in 2016's Civil War but is wonderfully expanded upon with the numbers here. Every story has stakes, every storyline and perspective snaps to each other with tact and excitement. It makes one of the longest blockbusters ever feel nigh-perfectly brisk and exciting with not a moment wasted.  If one gets tired of hyper spectacle, this is not the movie for them.
However it is understandable with a roster this large some are going to fade or be missed. It's pleasing to see that this seldom happens. Everyone (with meaning) has their chance to shine or do something from action to drama to humor.  Some are especially highlights of course. Downey's Stark finds himself literally confronting his inner demons that have been haunting him ever since 2012's film bringing leadership yet also bringing dual dramatic and humorous interactions new peers. Cumberbatch's Strange is great chemistry with him in a sort of magic versus technology, both headstrong playboys thing. They join their scene peer Holland as Parker in reaching a new level of superpower spectacle in addition to his heart in a movie filled with his (and others') charming heart just as often as it does despair.  Of all the original Avengers, Hemsworth's Thor makes most of an impact bringing ferocity and humor (particularly with who he ends up spending most of his time with) in spaces while reaching new emotional dramatic depths. Every galaxy Guardian is especially spot-on to their strengths from their films and it makes sense that some of the best characters in the franchise are the same for this film. Bautista's Drax , Pratt's Star-Lord, Klementiff's Mantis, and Cooper's Rocket greatly humor while Saldana's Gamora has some incredibly key dramatic confrontations with her former family in Nebula and Thanos that have been built on in her films for years. The likes of Captain America, Black Panther, Falcon,  Black Widow, Bucky , Scarlet Witch, and Vision and even moreso their underlings fall more to the wayside ( a little surprisingly so for the Captain) in all the mania but they have their usual attributes and highlights . Cheadle's Rhodey seems to have been given just a speck more meat this time.  One of the few disappointing factors with the film is how Ruffalo's Banner goes a little too hard on the comedic angle he learned in prior films and perhaps in Ragnarok. Some humorous and dramatic beats are not used that well for him although he has his own importance to things .  The villains (who aren't nameless alien troopers) face some similar mix of highlight and momentary-ness as it's their job to be fierce punching bags with perhaps Lawlor's Ebony Maw offering a unique chilling menace with his magic mastery to rival Strange's.
It makes since in a movie, and arguably the entire franchise to this point, about Thanos that he is a standout. Josh Brolin gives an incredible performance for what a 11 foot tall space ogre emperor can be.  The effects on him are convincing but in any event his performance carries through as well as how they use him. He takes the crown, as he should, for MCU and for good arguments the all time film villians. He is menacing, he is calculated, he has powerful combat abilities and chilling threats. He cracks a charismatic joke or two but without becoming too much of one himself.  What makes him stand out most of all his is dramatic sincerity. It's surprising that the some of the most emotion and growth in the film of so many others comes via him. One cannot wait to see what more he does in the already-said two part film. Because of that, don't expect total closure..that is also the exciting thing.
To match the epicenter that is the character count and side arcs is the spectacle and journies at place. The Russos take the  “airport scene” and ramp it up by by a thousand and then do that several different times throughout this film. Things are chaotic, fun, intense, epic all in one.  What adds to these are the many settings. There's some absolutely beautiful lush CGI visuals in this film. Colorful galactic worlds from the ruins of Titan to the mechanics of Thanos' ships to other surprising  cosmic places offering a whole mosaic of colors that were sometimes amiss in other Avengers or etc films. The more Earth-locations do not detract when they appear and even Wakanda seems to have  (mostly) upped its local CGI budget from the recent solo film.  Thanos (moreso) and his various levels of minions are aesthetically fierce and slick looking. Every superhero seems to have new tricks up their sleeves for a special CGI effects megaload that is amazing yet only at times is overwhelming. This is a pinnacle of MCU blockbuster visual spectacle which is aided by the stakes of how and where and what is going on. Just wait until the infnity stones themselves are used for some especially surreal stuff.  The soundtrack uses a good montage of the different corners of the universe (even some GotG retro!) with a sprinkling of notably better than usual orchestration. There's of course also the assumption that iconic heroic theme shows up..and the times it does are effectively highlights.
Really there's very little to complain about here because it all goes exactly how the fans would want it to go.  Marvel has been building up these happenings for many years and films and the clash is what it should be. The reunions and introductions of the nearly-entire universe of characters, epic intense stakes, weaving plotlines, humorous writing, beautiful visuals, stunning action  , shocking twists, charming fun, somber darkness, and more all come together as elements just as well as its many heroes' capabilities do. The Russo Brothers have made the third go-around of mega-crossover-classics a classic of heights all its own.
This is a  noteworthy cinematic event for the year, several years, and perhaps in a lifetime. Some things may get missed or come through a bit misshapen in the metaphorical pasta strainer but that adds to its message. The great, the mighty, the flawed in all that and more come together for something more.  This is just the beginning of the end ..or hopefully its just the end of the beginning. A year until the next part can't pass soon enough. If this is just a bar to be improved upon, we may not be ready for that level of excellence. Because this is something almost as special as it was the first time. 9.8 out of 10