Ten years. It took
ten years, but “Avengers: Infinity War” is everything Marvel fans
have been waiting for. And it’s an altogether successful
hodge-podge of the best things about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo took the daunting task of merging so
many different characters and their worlds into one cohesive (for
those who have been following along at least) saga and are pretty
much completely successful. There’s not too much to offer viewers
who are unfamiliar with the MCU; but that’s beside the point.
“Avengers: Infinity War” works because of the decade-long
foundation of great character building, creative storytelling, and
compelling drama filtered through a geeky comic book sensibility.
What we’re left with is a culmination of heart-pounding action,
witty comedy, moving drama and, for the first time in the whole
series, an actual feeling of consequence and finality for these
characters we’ve come to love so much. Even 19 films in, there
hasn’t been anything quite like it.
Recently in the last
few years many of the Marvel movies have taken on their own specific
identity. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was a political
thriller; “Ant-Man” was a comedic heist film; “Spider-Man: Homecoming” was a John Hughes-inspired teen movie; “Thor:Ragnarok” was a campy, retro-styled gladiator epic; “Black Panther” was Shakespearean sci-fi drama. “Avengers: Infinity War”
doesn’t quite have any specific distinction and that’s because
it’s somewhat of a combination of multiple styles and genres. In
fact, the entire film is essentially a setup to a disaster flick of
galactic proportions. We’ve heard the name Thanos thrown around a
lot for nearly ten years and even glimpsed him a few times here and
there but finally he’s front and center and his mission is clear.
Collect the six powerful “infinity stones,” that have driven the
plots of many previous films, so that he can rule the entire galaxy.
Sure, the plot of
the film is essentially watch big creature gather glowing CGI rocks,
but it’s compelling stuff I promise. That’s because for the first
time in the franchise’s history, it feels like there is some real
weight and consequence to the actions of Thanos and his evil
followers. It’s no surprise that not everyone will make it to the
of the film alive; there are some truly heartbreaking moments here.
Be prepared. But big character deaths are the only things driving the
drama of “Infinity War.” Thanos who is the “father” of Gamora
(Zoe Saldana) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) is the real star here. A
complete CGI creation brought to live with verve by Josh Brolin, the
film follows this villain as he comes face to face with our favorite
super heroes.
The film is like
watching a fine balance act that just doesn’t quit. At one moment
the film has the warmth and humor of the “Guardians of the Galaxy”
and the next we’re back to the bizarre wizardry of “Doctor Strange.” The film puts Earthbound characters like Spider-Man (Tom
Holland) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) into space as they all work
together to attempt to stop Thanos from completing his colorful rock
collection. There is scene after scene of either rollicking action,
balanced humor, and moments of shock and awe as our favorite heroes
face the one villain that actually feels unstoppable.
Writers Christopher
Markus and Stephen McFreely wondrously weave together dozens of
characters and never manage to shortchange of them. It truly is
remarkable big budget filmmaking of the most refined kind. As refined
as this sort of Hollywood filmmaking can be. “Avengers: Infinity
War” is the magnum opus of the MCU; a real accomplishment from all
involved. The film flies circles around the previous "Avengers" flicks; it's operating on a complete different plane that would make Doctor Strange proud. It’s a rewarding piece of pop culture entertainment that
also functions as a sign of things to come. "Infinity War" certainly is not all
wrapped up in a perfect bow at the end; only the naïve would think
so, but I sat wide-eyed (and teary-eyed) and I eagerly await the next
ten years and beyond. GRADE: A