 |
| Avengers: Infinity War (2018) |
So... yeah... this film has a big cast. And, I'm not going to lie, there are moments where the film doesn't feel as balanced as it could have been. Fortunately, the film doesn't feel so bloated where characters feel as if they are in the film for the sake of it. Everyone has a reason to be in the film, however short their time may be, and the people who are on screen the most are thankfully given enough development in the context of the story itself that it feels justified, if that makes sense. Also, it's worth knowing going in that this is technically Part 1 of a 2 part story. So, don't go in expecting a complete story, expect a complete movie that leaves a lot of room for the future. Finally, the film does feel somewhat episodic at times, and a film like this needs to, as it needs to find a way to bring all these characters together in a believable fashion. The drawback is that at times, the film can seem a little choppy. That's not a negative in any way, but it does need addressing. To me, it made the whole movie feel like it was lifted straight out of the comics it was based on, and that's alright in my book. Anyway, disclaimers aside, on with the review.
 |
| The Infinity Stones |
There's nothing thought-provoking or incredibly deep in this film. What you see is what you get: an all-in rumble with our heroes we've been watching for the last 10 years. Thankfully, it's immensely fun, and it all works based on what Marvel has set up. As someone who's watched every MCU film at least once, I can see the plot threads all weaving into this package. Everything was leading towards this, and that's so painfully obvious now. This is the movie that rewards you for watching every other movie, but it doesn't go so far as to alienate you if you've missed something. It's a great balance, even down to the tone of the characters themselves. When the Guardians of the Galaxy get introduced, it feels like a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. When Spider-Man's on screen, it feels like a Spider-Man movie. Everyone in this movie is just so natural, and there was nothing particularly jarring about seeing Rocket Raccoon interacting with Thor, for example. Everything slot into place amazingly well, almost scarily so, and it's almost hypnotic watching everything land in the correct positions like this.
 |
| Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, Vin Diesel as Groot, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon as Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer |
Josh Brolin is exceptional as Thanos. This is a great villain for this story. Even within the first 5 minutes of screentime, Thanos proves why he's the biggest and the baddest villain in Marvel lore. I was so tremendously impressed with the mo-cap and how they brought him to life, even down to the tiniest inflections on his face and the little twitches that came with the more emotional moments. Oh, did I say emotional moments? From a Marvel villain? Much less a Marvel villain with the goal of destroying half the universe? Because, yeah. Not only is this a menacing villain, but it's a layered one, and those are always the best. His intentions are good, but his methods and mindset are misguided, and those always make for the most intriguing villains. His plan is nothing too convoluted, which I'm happy about for a film as big as this. It's just get the Infinity Stones and 'balance the universe'. Whether or not Thanos' plan actually would solve overpopulation or the problems that come with it is a discussion for another time, but the fact that he so believes that he's doing the right thing is what makes him such a great villain.
 |
| Josh Brolin as Thanos |
There's really not much more I can talk about without getting into spoiler territory, but I will say this: this film has stakes. There are things that happen in this movie that are going to leave a lasting impact on those that survive it. You can talk as much as you want about how 'there are never repercussions in Marvel' or how 'it's a cop-out' or blah-blah-blah, stop it. It's a comic-book movie. The source material is notoriously good at resetting everything every few cycles, so it's entirely possible the events of this film will mean nothing in a few films' time. But, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Because it did. Everything that happened in this movie will leave its mark on everything that comes after it. Every single character in this movie is changed by what happens here, and that's part of the reason why this film succeeds so beautifully. For, really, the first time ever, it feels like people are going to be fundamentally changed as people by what happens here, regardless of what happens moving forward. I'd say 'enjoy it while it lasts', but even that's not the right phrase. Just enjoy it.
 |
| Tom Holland as Spider-Man |
If you wanted me to nitpick, I probably could, but the fact is that Avengers: Infinity War (2018) was a brilliantly entertaining movie and a true celebration of everything that came before it. I feel as though a lot of the criticisms people are going to have for the film will disappear once Part 2 comes out and the whole thing can be treated as one package, but for now I'm satisfied and I just can't wait for what comes next. Because, for the first time in a while, I'm genuinely stumped as to what that could be. 10/10
No comments:
Post a Comment