Avengers: Infinity War Review
Avengers: Infinity War is a uniquely ambitious movie that embraces the challenge of a huge blockbuster movie, wildly different characters, complex themes and an overall narrative that feels authentic to the 18 previous films before it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The culmination of a decade long journey starting with Robert Downey Jr.’s debut as Iron Man in 2008 enters its final act in the first of back to back Avengers films but it doesn’t shy away from big stakes with meaningful changes.
There is no exposition to ease in newcomers; viewers are expected to be up to date on previous Avengers films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s overall direction from the jump. New characters like the Black Order appear without exposition from the opening scene as Thanos (Josh Brolin) brutally gathers the cosmic artifacts known as Infinity Stones to control the universe. As the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and others converge to prepare, alliances are formed and sacrifices are made to stop the greatest threat ever faced.
The movie quickly introduces crowd pleasing pairings such as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) with Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) with Rocket and a surly teenage Groot (the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel) and others that reveal themselves in later acts. Not all of them are winning, there’s a lack of chemistry between Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) that drags along but most of the relationships work.
The teams reward comic fans who understand the origins of each group but that knowledge isn’t required to enjoy the story; fans who are aware of Steve Rogers leading the Secret Avengers or the various internal conflicts between Bruce Banner and the Hulk can read into subtle hints that movie only viewers don’t need.
The movie flows smoothly between scenes because it makes the decision to segment: each group of heroes embarks on a journey that is essentially a 20–30 minute mini film which ends up spliced together into a sprawling narrative. This allows the rapid fire pace of big battles and dramatic reveals to breathe as long stretches of Avengers: Infinity War is composed of set pieces that would be used as the climax to any previous film. From the Avengers teaming up with Wakanda to protect the Vision’s Mind Stone, Thor’s quest to regain his powers, Thanos tearing through planets to collect stones and other journeys throughout the film, each subplot is carefully balanced to avoid audience fatigue.
More than anything else, the movie is the perfect balance of fun and thrilling as it navigates through some very dark moments. I still love watching Iron Man fly through the sky and launch repulsor beams, Spider-Man leap acrobatically from pillar to post, Captain America seamlessly transition between fighting styles at blistering speed, Black Panther lead the armed forces of Wakanda and Hulk SMASH! among many others in a series of increasingly epic battles. Appearances from characters both old and new are genuinely surprising at key moments; it is a testament to Marvel’s commitment to secrecy that major characters make important contributions without having leaked before the premiere.
Thanos is critically important as the most intimidating, complex and powerful adversary in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely double down on the Mad Titan as the center piece of Avengers: Infinity War from the opening scene as the fulcrum: every heroic team works to defeat him from a different angle and the supporting villains exist only to serve his quest to collect all of the Infinity Stones.
The antagonist who would be saviour is a risky choice for a superhero movie but Thanos immediately becomes the most credible and nuanced hero in this universe (with apologies to the terrific Killmonger). His presence is overwhelming: while his enormous stature, physical brutality and creative use of Infinity Stones grab your attention, it is his considered choice of words as he threatens foes with a mix of bemusement and anger that establish him as a force to be feared.
The other characters also get their chance to shine; it’s expected that standouts like Drax and Rocket have hilarious lines but Captain America, War Machine and other characters who are traditionally stoic have quips that delighted the audience at both of the showings I’ve attended. With a strong comedy background directing Arrested Development and Community before transitioning to film, Anthony and Joe Russo are uniquely equipped to balance comedy with drama.
To successfully provide a huge adventure as they integrate an enormous roster of heroes from thematically different franchises, the writers also go the extra mile by requesting input from Taika Waititi, James Gunn and others who directed previous Marvel movies which shows in the character growth and developing relationships. As much as this movie draws on the previous stories, it also enriches the participating characters with new traits and experiences to bring back to their own franchises.
In a film with quite possibly the largest cast of stars in history and limited dialogue/screen time available, careful choices with concise dialogue works really well in collectively engaging with the characters we know and love.
A lot has been made of the Russo brothers filming exclusively with IMAX cameras, promoting the extra 26% more image for viewers in that format. The benefits are real: watching the film multiple times in IMAX, the extra screen size is fully utilized to emphasize the scope of climactic showdowns and off world environments. The benefit of keeping a consistent aspect ratio & colour grading by eliminating the mix of IMAX and regular camera for action and dialogue scenes respectively is a welcome change to blockbuster filmmaking.
The 2D version looks brilliant with clear details highlighting the enormous cast’s performances, carefully crafted CG characters, intricate textures and epic special effects. Unfortunately the 3D version falters with manufactured depth of field movement and motion blurring that previous Avengers films suffered from. It’s notable that this is the first Avengers film to offer more 2D than 3D screenings (at least in Toronto), which is the better way to watch this.
Alan Silvestri’s score makes a subtle shift from the now iconic themes of previous Avengers films to a more classically bombastic, pounding soundtrack oriented around big battles and character entrances. It isn’t quite diegetic but distinctive sounds such as brighter melodies for the Guardians and booming base for Thanos are an effective mix of previously established audio templates and new music respectively.
Avengers: Infinity War is both a culmination of a decade long journey as well as a new foundation for the next decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the best case scenario for a series defining, cross-franchise team up event that Marvel could deliver. The studio has created an epic event with a long running length that doesn’t drag, incorporated every separate franchise while retaining the unique voice from each one, created fun character combinations across those franchises and subverted expectations about the characters that would die. Perhaps most importantly, it introduces the most interesting and complex villain to date in Thanos, a towering presence that will undoubtedly make a lasting impact far into the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Hardcore fans will be delighted, casual fans will be entertained and the movie making industry has a new gold standard for making a massive blockbuster that perfectly fines the balance between creativity and ambition.
