Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo

Starring – Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt

The Plot – As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment; the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, some adult language and some crude references

POSITIVES

– You have to admire the task that the brothers Russo are faced with, combining 10 years and 18 films worth of characters to an explosive destination that packs the most dynamic of scopes in a superhero film to date. The Russo brothers establish the fun and surreal nature in combining our favorite personalities together to share the screen, and in doing so establish the exclamation point on a decade of this cinematic universe.

– Because this is an action flick first and foremost, the decision to shoot the entirety of the film with IMAX cameras is one that I greatly admire. Much of the tight-knit shots, as well as rocky camera work are traded in for smooth, wide-angled lens captures that allow you to keep your eye on everything in frame, despite the overwhelming nature of it all.

– Much of the C.G work is done beneficially enough, despite a few brief glare-ups that stick out like sore thumbs. Much of my problems dealt with a certain Avenger donning the Hulkbuster armor, in which the face of said actor looked jarringly hollow. Thankfully, the C.G landscapes and backdrops all capture the versatility in worlds that the film invades, and the destruction and devastation move mountains with their believability in weight impact.

– Best Marvel Villain to date. What makes Thanos such a great villain isn’t just his ability to adapt to the many fight styles that each Avenger member brings, but also his speed for a man his size that impresses and makes it easier to comprehend how he can keep up. Besides this, his backstory is one that allows plenty of empathy in respecting the tough decisions that this character has to face. In my opinion, the sign of a good villain is when you still see those brief peaks at the human side of emotions still yearning to get out, and Thanos rides this difficult roller-coaster commandingly, reminding us that big rewards come with punishing sacrifice.

– Speaking of Thanos, the overall makeup work here masters peak status for the entire Marvel series. In their prized antagonist, we get a mountain of a man with muscles stacked to the sky, but it’s in his facial features where I felt most impressed. Despite the immersion in this character from another planet in all of the purple makeup, there’s still enough definition in Brolin’s facial features to remind you that this is being played first-and-foremost by a live actor and not just a computer hologram.

– Anyone who reads my writing knows that my biggest problem with superhero films in general is that there is rarely any consequences to what transpires, and ‘Infinity War’ leaves this concern in the dust tenfold. I won’t spoil anything, but if you think this many characters will just glide through this movie unscathed, you’ve got another thing coming. There were grown men crying in my theater during the somber concluding moments, and this only further establishes the power that Thanos has not only on his prey, but also on the adoring audiences who have witnessed this super-villain come to life before our eyes. My only fear is that a convenient plot device within the Infinity Gauntlet might soil this in the second part of this film.

– Surprisingly, the many different tones are juggled wonderfully in this film. For some like the Guardians of the Galaxy or Iron Man, comedy has always been the dominant tone to their respective series, yet the serious dramatic take of ones like Doctor Strange or Captain America compliment these without alienating the former. I’ll mention a problem I have later with the immense number of characters, but I feel like the tone never suffered, nor did it separate the feeling that you might be watching five different movies stitched together.

– Because of the volume of A-listers sharing the screen, there are few chances for anyone to truly breakout performance-wise, but this is definitely Brolin’s film for the taking. Not only does Thanos receive the entirety of the backstory in exposition, but Josh’s careful juggling of menacing presence covering up a map of pain and sorrow just beneath the surface, is something that articulately illustrated levels of depth to his range as a performer. I honestly think this will go down as one of his best performances when his career comes to an end someday.

– As with other Marvel films, this too has some poignant social commentary conveniently rising to the surface. Some themes within the film that we see in our own world involve suicide bombers dying for the cause, heaven and hell, and most obviously the use and necessity of nuclear weapons (Infinity Stones). On the latter, there’s much reflection that the Russo’s offer in suggesting that we get rid of these objects that we have sworn will protect us that might ultimately be our undoing, and these serious issues never weigh down or preach their intended message to soiling the overall atmosphere of the thrills they accompany.

NEGATIVES

– There are obviously no shortage of superheroes sharing screen time here, and while that does wonders for the overall pacing of the film (Even at nearly two-and-a-half hours), it only hurts the movements of each respective subplot. With there being seven different groups of stories being told simultaneously, the uneven time deposited to certain ones clearly become obvious, making it feel like ages before your personal favorite story arc is returned to again. My solution is that some of these could’ve easily been converged with others, improving the interactions as well as trimming a few minutes off if you feel necessary.

9/10