They pulled it off. They really pulled it off.
Ten years is a long time to build towards something like this, but I don’t think they could’ve done it better. Avengers: Infinity War is the nineteenth installment of the MCU and the biggest production directors Joe and Anthony Russo have tackled yet. But they did it. It’s everything a Marvel fan could want: a great cast portraying memorable characters they know and love, incredible fights and battle sequences, great humour and a compelling villain that’s sure to become one of the current generation’s most memorable bad guys.
The character interactions are a major highlight of the film, finally introducing several members of the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and more to each other. If you’ve been following any of these films for a while, it’s truly rewarding to see the movie put all these various characters together and then to pair and send them off to fight Thanos in their own ways. Whether it’s Doctor Strange and Iron Man bickering or Thor and Rocket having a poignant conversation about loss, the MCU continues to prove its central strength is the dedication that the creators and actors put into these characters and relationships that they’ve been cultivating over the last decade.
But there’s no question that Thanos is the true standout of this film, with an incredible performance by Josh Brolin. After years of hinting and teasing, the Mad Titan finally comes to the center stage and it was worth the wait as he embarks on his quest to acquire the Infinity Stones. Coming off as equally imposing and sympathetic, Thanos is a great villain whose horrific plan actually comes from a place of understandable logic and as any good villain should, he doesn’t see himself as a bad guy. He’s doing what he needs to do to save the universe in his own way. I don’t want to give much away, but his and Gamora’s story arc through the film really solidifies that he isn’t just some “I wanna rule the world” comic-book villain, but a truly compelling character and Brolin plays him incredibly well. Thanos definitely is the main character of Infinity War and I’m excited to see where his character goes in Avengers 4.
And that ending...that absolute cliffhanger of an ending is something that’s going to keep people talking over the next year and it’s something I’ll be thinking about for a long time. One character death, in particular, is shockingly effective and it’s going to impact the younger audience in a big way, I think.
In conclusion, Infinity War is a near-perfect cinematic payoff with all the humour, action and heart we’ve come to expect from the MCU amplified tenfold with a fantastic villain and a soul-crushing ending that’s going to stick with people for years to come. If you’re a fan of comic book movies and you haven’t seen this yet, what are you waiting for?
More to come,
O.N.