Avengers: Infinity War

Thanos the Mad Titan (Josh Brolin) seeks six Infinity Stones, artifacts of immense power that will allow him to kill half of the life in the universe, a move he believes will allow the surviving half to thrive. After he lays waste to the surviving Asgardians, their former prince Thor (Chris Hemsworth) seeks refuge with the spacefaring mercenaries the Guardians of the Galaxy while Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), having reverted from his Hulk persona, returns to earth to warn the mystic Dr. Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Tony “Iron Man” Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) of Thanos’s impending arrival. Though Stark clashes with both Strange and remains on poor terms with former Avengers teammate Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a common threat unites them as well as the forces of Wakanda.

Infinity War might be the single most insular film ever made. Those unfamiliar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe will find it incomprehensible. Those without much affinity for the MCU will likely find it a shiny overlong bore. But for those fans who feel invested and have kept up with these characters through all or most of the preceding eighteen films, the payoff is immense, and Infinity War lives up to its considerable hype.

Even the indifferent would have a hard time knocking this film on its aesthetic merits. From New York City to Wakanda to the depths of space to the ravaged planet Titan, the film juggles multiple settings and renders each in distinctive visual detail. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously demonstrated a penchant for exhilarating hand-to-hand combat in the Captain America films, have proved themselves capable of handling action on a much larger scale. The mingling of new characters and the raw power of Thanos means that you will be entreated to far more than just punching and guns. Even the massive Lord of the Ringsesque battle scene across the plains of Wakanda, which calls to mind a better scene in Black Panther, is not poorly done, merely derivative.

Though Infinity War relies on previous MCU films to establish characterization, it is not a style-over-substance affair. Pathos runs high here. Infinity Stone-powered android The Vision (Paul Bettany) asks his partner Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson) to destroy him along with the stone if it cannot be removed and safeguarded, a singularly anguishing decision. Thor grieves his recent losses, Banner loses patience with his other half, and Strange cautions Stark about the need for greater-good sacrifices. Oddly, even Thanos, he of grandiose boasts and genocidal destruction, is given a quasi-sympathetic touch. His motivation is changed from that of a crazed death fetishist to one who sees his as a necessary and inevitable mission. Even if the character’s helmetless and armorless look is a bit ridiculous (Chris Pratt, as Starlord, mockingly calls him Grimace), Brolin turns in an unexpectedly nuanced performance, and Zoe Saldana, as Thanos's forcibly adopted daughter Gamora, does some of her best work opposite him.

Despite its show of soul and gut-punch of an ending (ameliorated for those who are familiar with the source material), Infinity War is not an entirely somber affair. Downey’s snark and rapid-fire insults, Pratt’s conversational bumbling, and Dave Bautista’s deadpan literalism all return from previous films, and they are joined by a typically amusing Stan Lee cameo and Thor’s repeated mistaking of Rocket Raccoon for a rabbit. Though the stakes are high, this movie did not forget to have fun.

So what’s not to like? As mentioned above, the ending is tough to take yet necessary to set up the next Avenger’s film (and perhaps cheapened by that film’s cast list). Beyond that, Infinity War’s problem is one of excess. It makes the most of its two and a half hour run time, but there are so many characters to account for that some are cut (Hawkeye and Ant-Man) while others are given short shrift. Steve Rogers and T’Challa, the leads of Captain America and Black Panther, are bit players here, a randomly blonde Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) does little aside from fight, and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is literally the tag-along kid. Meanwhile, the Red Skull (last seen on screen seven years ago returns in an awkward new context.

Given the complexity inherent in trying to tie together so many different strands of a shared universe, Infinity War could have easily collapsed under the weight of its ambitions. Instead, it makes for an exciting and impactful film. This isn’t the best Marvel movie, but it does stave off fears of imminent decline.

8.5/10