Review Summary: The Last Jedi of Marvel's cinematic universe.
Many people question today what makes a true blockbuster work these days. It seems like Hollywood has an identity crisis with how truly big films should be made. You might ask, do you stick with what makes the genre work? (If it ain't broke, don't fix it) Or, on the other hand, do you take creative risks, shock the audience, and fade out with a true sense of mystery?
Right now, the latter path seems to be the one of choice. Avengers: Infinity War, in a dynamic not too far gone from last year's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, turns out to be a major game-changer for Marvel's fast-growing series of movies. The film doesn't follow usual superhero tropes, and it ends differently than you might expect....with a cliffhanger (dun dun duh).
Of course, longtime followers of Marvel Studios have known this to be the plan for a few years now. Back when Kevin Feige (CEO of the film studio) announced all of Phase 3 back in October 2014, the original plan was to release Infinity War in two parts (with the second part coming May 2019). The only difference since then is that Part II has now been changed to being an "untitled Avengers movie" (probably because the real title involves a spoiler for this movie).
But, enough trivia. What we do get here is probably not my favorite Marvel movie, but its definitely their gutsiest and most shocking movie they've made. They truly go in directions you would not normally expect a Marvel movie to go. Thanos himself hinted during the mid-credits scene of the first Avengers (six years ago), that to challenge mankind was "to court death". If that's not a foreshadowing of what happens here, then I don't know what is!
Infinity War is also Marvel's longest movie to date, clocking in at 2 and a half hours. It's never slow-paced, and never lingers on characters' sideplots for too long. After juggling multiple characters so effectively in Civil War two years ago, Joe and Anthony Russo and their screenwriting team have an even bigger and more challenging playing field here. They mostly pull it off well, but not every character is given enough to do.
Here, it's Captain America (Chris Evans) and his crew (Winter Soldier, Black Widow, and Falcon, who I almost forgot was even in the movie) that are underserved somewhat. They are not given much more to do than just wait for the threat to arrive and fight. Even Black Panther, fresh off of his very solid solo movie, leans toward that field a little also (though it was cool to see Wakanda and some of its' characters once again).
The other characters, on the other hand, are given either more screentime or emotional depth. The characters that are given more of an upgrade (in my opinion) from previous films are Scarlet Witch (Elisabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany). There's more emotional urgency and empathy given to their characters here than in Civil War. The Guardians of the Galaxy are (thanks to one or two plot twists) refreshingly less mean-spirited and more believable here. Meanwhile, as many people speculated (it really isn't a spoiler either), Ant-Man and Hawkeye are both MIA (the reason for the former's absence is pretty obvious: he has a sequel coming in two months).
However, the character that works best actually is Thanos himself. Played terrifically by Josh Brolin, he brings enough sophistication and character depth to make him one of the best villains (if not the best) Marvel's brought to screen. His reasoning behind what he does is understandable, though his actions truly prove him to be perhaps the most merciless and evil character the heroes have had to face.
With Thanos' mass destruction and genoical plans, the Russos pull off some daring ideas. There are several moments where they lead you to believe something is going to happen, and then it goes in a completely different direction. This sense of wild unpredictability definitely helps defy genre tropes (but it is something The Last Jedi did as well). One other element I wasn't expecting was the changing mood of Alan Silvestri's score (he returns from the first Avengers). In the film's ending, his score goes completely silent before giving an erie piano rendition of his "Avengers theme". These smart decisions allow the movie to pull off its' near tear-jerking moments.
People have said that its' important to rewatch the entire Marvel universe before seeing this. It's helpful if you're wanting to understand where the Infinity stones come from (particularly from the first Avengers onward), but the screenplay has refreshingly little callbacks to previous movies. With the exception of two or three obvious moments (if I were to say so, it would be spoiling), Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely instead focus on crafting a more urgent, more emotionally-driven story.
If I were to say what Marvel movies should be watched ahead of Infinity War....I will say Doctor Strange and Thor: Ragnarok are definitely ones that require a rewatch. Reviewing these will help in understanding different elements in the movie (in fact, the mid-credits scene in the latter is very key to where this one starts).
Of course, the visual effects are stupendous with truly stunning sequences. The ending battle scene(s) do keep you at the edge of your seat, even if they may run slightly on the long side. The Stan Lee cameo is clever as usual.. And, while the film definitely has some humorous moments, its' not a laugh-out-loud funny kind-of movie. That's intentional, as the film isn't really a comedy (even with Chris Pratt's Star Lord). Its' a serious movie with serious stakes.
In fact, the film winds up being so serious and emotional that it becomes almost very challenging to watch at times. It also leaves viewers with several gaping questions (and a few plot holes/missing links here and there too). For all the reasons I mentioned above, Infinity War is a movie that definitely asks for repeat viewings in order for viewers to completely understand everything that happens. It's complex and has a lot going on, while nicely executing surprise after surprise. And sometimes it gets a tad too carried away with the surprises (or as some might would call, the "shock factor").
However, Infinity War does (otherwise) live up to its' hype. A grand-scale and compelling crossover event that delivers the action, thrills and spectacular moments you would expect, along with ideas and moments that you won't expect.
My Score: 8.4/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Avengers: Infinity War is rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references." If your kids have seen previous MCU movies, the content here has ratcheted up a few notches. I would recommend caution for any child under the age of 12 or 13. I found this to be the most intense and perhaps the most violent movie in the MCU so far. The final action sequence, with scary-looking wolf mutants attacking some of the Avengers, is definitely intense. The beginning scene on a spaceship shows lots of dead bodies and Thanos putting an end to a few lives. There's quite a bit of death, with at least a few characters not surviving the whole movie. One character is shown to be "acupunctured" almost to death. Several characters are impaled, punched, etc.. Another is thrown off a cliff to a deathly fate. Someone's head is nearly broken. One character's robotic/synthetic head is smashed also. Some humans are shown to fade to dust as a result of a cataclysmic event.
There's also quite a bit of language. We hear 5 uses each of the s-word and "a**hole". We also hear seven uses of "h***", three of "d***", and one each of "b****rds", "p***ed off", "a**", "chill the eff out", "crap" and "douchebag". Star Lord gives Thanos the middle finger once. The post-credits scene involves Nick Fury blurting out an unfinished "motherf-", stopping short of finishing the f-word. Thanos' chin is called a "nutsack". Some cleavage-revealing outfits. Some mysticism hinted at courtesy of Doctor Strange. Peter Parker skips school.
