'Infinity War' is big, bold and just the beginning
Good luck thinking about “Avengers: Infinity War” without considering how it ends.
The cliffhanger finale is either a doozy or barely worthy of a shrug. That debate won’t end until “Avengers 4” arrives next year, but in the meantime, “Infinity War” contains another two hours and 30 minutes of the biggest superhero throwdown ever committed to the big screen worthy of its own discussion.
The giant-size “Infinity War” deserves more credit than it will probably get in the long run. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely balance a couple dozen beloved characters and, for the most part, give each of them at least one spectacular cinematic moment. They do so while crafting a surprisingly formidable villain in Josh Brolin’s motion-capture-assisted Thanos, and without bogging the story down in loopy comic book-speak.
More simply: Appreciate “Infinity War” for everything it does right, and maybe don’t worry about the larger ramifications to the Marvel Cinematic Universe just yet.
In a single logline, “Infinity War” follows Thanos in his quest to obtain the all-powerful Infinity Stones, which can be used to eliminate billions of lifeforms with a single gesture.
The Russos break this universe-spanning adventure into four interlocking conflicts: Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) head to space to lead a forward attack on Thanos, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Guardians of the Galaxy face personal tragedy to join the fight, Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and friends defend an Infinity Stone on Earth, and Thanos further ruffles his relationship with adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana).
As indicated above, “Infinity War” shouldn’t serve as anyone’s introduction to the MCU. Marvel boasts plenty of stand-alone adventures, with this year’s “Black Panther” being one of the best, but “Infinity War” exists to reward devoted followers with (the start) of a grand finale.
Three fourths of the movie works without reservation. With so many characters, it would be practically impossible to make every attempted story arc come together here. Unfortunately, the short stick this time goes to Captain America and friends on Earth. Evans, star of the MCU’s best movies (“Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “Captain America: Civil War”), gets to fight in a massively entertaining battle sequence, but he probably utters less than a dozen lines throughout the movie. Take solace, however, that he and Johansson’s Black Widow seem primed to play a significant role in the next installment.
The rest of the storylines play astonishingly well, fueled by humor and the dynamic interactions between its well-drawn characters. Downey, Cumberbatch and Holland have an especially hilarious dynamic that leads to some of the movie’s most emotional beats. The Guardians of the Galaxy, led by the always affable Chris Pratt, bring their franchise’s unique comedy tone into the fold with ease as well. Seeing the egos of Iron Man, Dr. Strange and Star-Lord eventually clash also delivers on years of fan expectations.
But “Infinity War” has a clear MVP — Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Driven by loss, Hemsworth finds a compassionate balance between the character’s despair and propensity to be the funniest, most lovable demigod in the room. The scenes between him and Rocket Raccoon (still delightfully voiced by Bradley Cooper) are the funniest and most exciting of a movie full of funny characters and exciting moments.
“Infinity War” wouldn’t work at all without a compelling villain, and Brolin’s Thanos fits enough of the bill to give the mayhem enough stakes here. His motivations are somewhat underwritten, but his quest for Infinity Stones at least doesn’t boil down to a simple power grab.
It’s hard to fully assess “Infinity War” without seeing the story capper arriving next May, but, at the same time, the movie delivers about 300 times more blockbuster spectacle than the usual summer fare, and it does so without sacrificing the character interactions so many have come to love about the MCU. The money is certainly on the screen, and it’s plenty to keep fans invested in a series already 19 films deep.
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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com