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I honestly don’t know what to say. This movie… it was the greatest thing I have ever seen in theaters. No joke– I cannot think of a more well written, well plotted, enjoyably comedic yet dark film that I have seen on the big screen. I don’t even know where to begin.
Here we have a movie– no, a masterpiece— that has been hyped for ten years. It seemed impossible. To have over forty superheros in one film without it seeming too crowded, to have a villain whose arrival has been teased for six years without it becoming anti-climatic, to have the ultimate good vs evil battle while still maintaining a level of complexity: it seemed like a recipe for an overblown hot mess. I walked into the theater as excited as I’ve ever been, but also telling myself not to be too disappointed if it didn’t all come together.
I wasn’t disappointed.
The Avengers are back, along with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and they’re facing their greatest adversary yet. The mad titan Thanos, who first appeared at the end of the credits in the 2012 blockbuster “The Avengers,” has arrived, and he’s determined to collect all six of the magical infinity stones in order to carry out his catastrophic plan for the universe. The Avengers and the Guardians, along with nearly every other character introduced in these films, have to team up to stop him.
This movie has all the elements that make the other Marvel movies enjoyable — well developed characters, intense action sequences, comedic relief — but it also has elements that make it completely different from its predecessors. The opening scene is a great example. I won’t go into spoiler territory, but it’s a much darker start than in the other films. It’s jarring, but it works. And it sets the mood for the rest of the film. Characters die throughout the course of this movie, and I don’t just mean one or two; it’s a full out massacre. The ending is not a happy one; it’s very grim. It’s a literal roller coaster of emotion. There were moments where I couldn’t stop laughing, and there were moments where I started openly crying in the theater. And somehow, it all comes together perfectly.
The biggest surprise for me was the villain, Thanos. While he has appeared in previous movies, we’ve never learned much about him or his motivation. I fully expected him to be another mustache twirling, cookie cutter cliche who wants to destroy the world “just ‘cuz.” But his character is much more nuanced. In fact, a majority of the film is spent with him, learning about not just his backstory, but him as person. You don’t feel bad for him, because he’s a maniac who wants to kill trillions of people, but you don’t just hate him because he’s the bad guy. I felt the same way about Killmonger from “Black Panther.” He felt real, not like just another forced antagonist.
There are a million other things I’d love to rave about, but there’s not enough space in this article, and I don’t want to ruin the film for you. Suffice it to say, “Avengers: Infinity War” is my new favorite Marvel movie. I have no complaints about it. Stop reading this and go see it!
