Avengers: Infinity War is here and it is spectacular
The initial unpacking of thoughts, reactions, breakdowns and insight into the film event a decade in the making
This is going to be SPOILER HEAVY even when you wouldn’t think it would be, you have been warned.
Really, really, really SPOILER HEAVY. Like, maybe read this after you’ve seen the film SPOILER HEAVY.
If you’re trying to figure out the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe it might be better to look at their weaker, least well received films instead of their bonafide hits. Misfires like Thor: The Dark World and Iron Man 2. The red headed step child that is The Incredible Hulk, or overstuffed fare like Avengers: Age of Ultron. Hell even the first Thor feels somewhat dated already. Despite their lesser standing they still are at least half enjoyable distractions, fine but forgettable. Misguided attempts that aren’t so much terrible films but ones that simple take up space in a non-intrusive way.
Over the last decade Marvel have designed and executed a blueprint of universe and movie building that creates a floor of quality that’s never less than ‘eh, it was fine’ Through non-equal parts luck, timing, talent, bravery and belief the nascent studio has more or less stuck to it’s ambitious plan of telling a series of interconnected stories that are all leading to this moment. A moment of reckoning, of quips, of probably some major character deaths. An answer to the question — how many superheroes can be thrown into a single movie without breaking the sides of the screen? Avengers: Infinity War will have that answer.
It’s difficult to separate first impressions from expectations and the ‘in the moment’ optics of watching it finally on screen. The same kind of feeling when The Force Awakens finally opened. You see it but you don’t believe it. It takes a little bit to find its feet, but there’s no messing around with setup — it’s right into the plot. It carries many of the familiar, well worn beats of every Marvel film before it. At this stage it’s not a bug it’s a feature. There’s a lot of wow, a lot of ‘huh?’. For the first half it’s basically a riotous pissing contest between all the guys, in particular Chris Pratt’s Star Lord who gets to play off both Thor and Iron Man. It’s somewhat hard to see through all the quips and explosions and brilliant colours but so much of the MCU has dealt slyly with concepts of masculinity and how traditional looks rub against change, internally and externally.
As the new crop of heroes emerge, from different backgrounds, different genders, different ethnicities and whatnot, you can see these ideas of what it means to be a man, what it means to be a hero from one age evolving into the next take shape. To take the best aspects of them in going forward as beacon of hope. Because they’re sure as hell gonna need it after what Thanos gets up to here.
Those impressions are hard to articulate. It’s fresh and predictable. The way the action and character perspectives shift and are utilised were a little more pleasantly unexpected. It highlights the two of the pillars when releasing such an event movie — sleight of hand marketing and the belief that the audience is still willing to be surprised. The bones of the story have been picked to pieces ad nauseum. We’ve known it for years. The film is basically director Joe and Anthony Russo heaving gigantic story beats into place for the back half to click into gear. There’s a thousand different elements that need to be handled with confidence so as not to crush the film under its own weight. The Russo’s wisely split the heroes up into smaller, more manageable groups:
- The Scarlet Witch and Vision thread that becomes the focal point of the finale that feeds into -
- The reemergence of Captain America, along with Black Widow, The Falcon who journey to Wakanda where T’Challa organises a defence of the city and the Mind Stone
- Tony Stark taking the fight to Thanos with Spider-Man and a much more substantial Dr. Strange in tow after New York is once again attacked
- The Guardians of the Galaxy picking up Thor and then proceeding to split up in pursuit of Thanos.
- And then Thano himself has a thread that is given much more time, weaving in and out of the film in a way that rarely an antagonist has had the luxury of having from the MCU
Within each of these are a bevy of subplots and emotional beats that seem to resonate just that little bit more because of the relatively high stakes involved. Everyone knows that this is the end game, Dr. Strange literally blurts it out. But more than that, it takes on a larger resonance because of what it means for the MCU itself. You can feel that everyone knows that this is it. There’s more weight to each meeting, each goodbye, each reacquaintance and choices made. For the first time in a while, a Marvel film has real weight behind it. At points the the story threatened to bottom out, but somehow the Russos manage to keep the pace tight and maintain that lightness of touch that has come to define the tone of these Marvel films.
What’s most impressive is that somehow, having all these heroes on screen feels organic. There’s no jostling, no cramming. It’s leaner than one would think, and at times a more intimate tale. One that swings back around to those father issues that so many of these heroes have had. But this time it’s the relationship between Thanos and Gamora that emerges as the key to unpacking the Mad Titan and colouring his motivation and character. While at times it seems to only skim the surface of the potential of this story, through this prism, Thanos becomes a compelling antagonist. One that has a journey that warrants time and space to breathe. It’s more than merely a distraction to whatever the heroes are dealing with internally, but looking at it another way, he’s the ultimate reflection of what these heroes have feared for so long: that whatever they’re best is, won’t be enough.
Each character is desperate to find a way out, to save those they hold most dear, echoing the conflict Stark fought with in the first Avengers film. Now it’s been amplified at a universal scale. Stark’s fear is writ large. It’s what began this whole saga with Iron Man in 2008, and it’s the one that will end it. Despite it initially being set as a two parter, Infinity War was wrangled into a more standalone film. Even though they film both of these Avenger films back to back. And that the one slated for next year is the final piece of the Phase 3. And despite despite the fact that Infinity War ends on such powerful and haunting note that’s not so much a cliffhanger but a shift into how this final showdown will take shape.
So yeah, there’s some sense of holding back on things. Some characters that were rumoured to show up don’t show up (though the post-credits scene provides one hell of a jolt of anticipation about the cavalry that’ll be arriving next year), there are major and minor character deaths that are stunning in their randomness and suddenness. One particular death at the beginning sets the stage that no one is safe. The film sells us on their demise, even though contractually a few of them are still going to be in the mix. Basically, it becomes a pretzel to untangle for the future, creating a buzz of excitement and anticipation for how things will shake out in the next Avengers film, and who else will be coming to the party. The larger universe aspects aren’t as much of a hinderance here because, well, they’re actually essential to the story this time. A lot of it is the story this time. There’s more freedom here because of it.
Thano’s plan is kind of just there. Gather the infinity stones and wipe out half the universe so that people don’t starve and resources don’t run out. It’s got a certain cold logic to it that makes sense. The long view has never been a strong suit for sentient beings that aren’t gods. While it never quite explores this theme of cleansing beyond a few speeches by the Mad Titan, there are some interesting tidbits that one could chew on. In a rational universe, Thano’s plan works. As he says — fair, unbiased, balanced, rich or poor, no one escapes it. To some extent he becomes an oddly sympathetic character, acting on a plane of reality above the rest of the ensemble. A soul in vast isolation that has given up so much to be where he is right now.
This might be a mess of a reaction and impression. There’s sure to be a few inconsistencies and nagging plot points or character beats that don’t necessarily work out if given a few more hours to think about it. It feels like when you drop suddenly — a thrill, a rush, fear, unknowing, and then it’s over and you’re not quite sure what happened or how to express it. That’s what Infinity War comes to. I haven’t even mentioned how brilliantly funny it is, or how genuinely exciting it was to see all these heroes sharing the screen, having their moment (or two) in the sun. The brilliant asides, the action that doesn’t feel flat or one note. Chris Hemsworth who might be the MVP of the film. Unpacking more of that finale that throws everyone through a loop and then some.
I mean, there’s a tonne of jaw dropping moments that film lays on you that you’re not quite sure if you watched it or dreamt it. Moments that resonate because of the ten years of build up, of this journey that’s been undertaking and the way these characters have come alive and evolved. Taken as part of an 18 film body, the film stands out, purely because of what it aims to achieve, and for mostly pulling it off. It’s a powerful and at times enthralling film that delivers on what you want and on what you didn’t know you needed. Shoring up some of the systemic shortcomings of the series while getting stuck in the sandbox every now and then. It succeeds as both entertainment and as an event film. It essentially makes it’s standalone/two-parter cake and eats it too, deftly navigating the pitfalls that come with a cut to black thats open ended and oddly profound. It’s a sign that the true change has only just begun. We’re going to need more than one captain for this job.
