AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Review - Marvel May Have Delivered The Greatest Superhero Movie Of All Time
You're probably thinking that sounds like hyperbole, but then you haven't seen Infinity War! No exaggeration - Marvel's latest might just be the best CBM we've seen. Check out my spoiler free thoughts...
Some fans (and critics, for that matter) have a tendency to call every new Marvel Studios movie the "best yet", but in this instance, it's difficult to argue with those who are proclaiming this about Avengers: Infinity War. Even carrying the weight of such humongous expectations, Joe and Anthony Russo's epic superhero adventure does not disappoint.
If you know the premise, then you pretty much know the plot: Thanos makes his way across the universe hunting down the Infinity Stones, while The Avengers and the Guardians of The Galaxy band together in an effort to stop him from wiping out half of all life in the universe. The story itself is not complex, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of surprises!
To get into plot specifics beyond what you likely already know from the various promotional material takes us too close to spoiler territory, so let's discuss some of the great characters that we've spent so much time with over the past 10 years that will return to protect the earth from its greatest threat yet.
Perhaps surprisingly, Thor emerges as the MVP here. Though Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder pretty much reinvented himself in Thor: Ragnarok, many assumed he'd take more of backseat this time around and let the likes of Captain America and Iron man do the heavy lifting. Not so - in fact, one of the few issues with the film is how little Cap, Black Widow and their posse get to do. As great as Chris Evans is in his scenes, those expecting the Steve Rogers show will be disappointed.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark does make a big impact, however, and his scenes with the GOTG, Spidey and Doctor Strange get the biggest share of the laughs. The Guardians also get more screen-time than you might have expected, with Rocket and Gamora the space-set standouts.
Then, there's Thanos.
I'll be the first to admit that I was a little worried about Josh Brolin's Mad Titan going in. I've always found the villain to be a little bland, and as great as the CG looked in the trailers, I've never thought much of the character design. I'm delighted to report, then, that Thanos may very well be Marvel's best baddie yet - possibly rivaled only by Loki and Black Panther's Killmonger.
Far from being evil just for the sake of it, this mega-powerful alien genuinely believes that he's doing what's best for the survival of the universe, and he even manages to draw on our sympathy at times. At others, he is a terrifyingly destructive force of nature, literally brushing Earth's Mightiest Heroes out of his path with a slight wave of his hand.
Speaking of destruction, this movie is seriously non-stop, and the excitement never lets up. At times it actually comes a little close to overkill, but because the action sequences are so well orchestrated, it never crosses the line and there are at least 4 or 5 genuinely spine-tingling set pieces. Plus, the script is careful not to forget about emotionally engageing the audience.
Look, you won't find out here whether any of our main heroes die, but let's just say the movie has its share of poignant moments and leave it at that.
Marvel Studios has never produced a film quite like Avengers: Infinity War - and you'll find out why when you see it! Some will undoubtedly hail it as the greatest superhero movie of all time, and while that's obviously debatable, there's no doubt that The Russos have delivered on 10 years of build-up and next-level anticipation. Avoid the spoilers, and you're in for quite a ride.