AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Spoiler-Free Review; "It Will Chew You Up, Spit You Out And Leave You A Shell Of A Fan"
Avengers: Infinity War is now in theaters but does it live up to those insanely high expectations and celebrate the Marvel Cinematic Universe's anniversary in a fiiting fashion? Here's our verdict...
It's hard to know where to begin. Marvel Studios has taken us on a ten-year journey spanning eighteen movies to bring us to Avengers: Infinity War and to say that expectations are high would be an understatement. Thankfully, the Russo Brothers deliver in every conceivable way with a massive superhero ensemble which balances countless characters with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's best villain (sorry Killmonger...you too, Loki). I'm still not sure how the filmmakers made this work but nearly everyone manages to get the spotlight they deserve, with only one or two heroes not receiving quite so much screentime as they probably should have. Make no mistake about it, though; this movie belongs to the Mad Titan, Thanos.
Joe and Anthony weren't lying when they said that he's Avengers: Infinity War's lead and Josh Brolin is downright incredible as the character. Better fleshed out than his comic book counterpart has ever been, this Thanos's motivations are easy to buy into and seeing the emotions he goes through as he enacts his plan will no doubt make you relate to him in ways you might find yourself wishing you didn't. He's a fascinatingly complex villain and truly terrifying, while the special effects used to bring him to life are nothing short of incredible. You don't need me to tell you that the rest of the cast also delivers some stellar work and the only real disappointment here are the members of the Black Order. Ebony Maw is memorable but Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian fade into the background despite some cool fight scenes and comic book fans will definitely be disappointed by the lack of screentime given to Corvus Glaive.
Now, this is a Marvel Studios movie so it goes without saying that the special effects are superb and the Russos deliver more of their trademark action scenes which are akin to seeing the source material come to life. Alan Silvestri's score is also a triumph and there's nothing here which doesn't work, particularly when it comes to how the directors jump from one group of characters to the next.
Despite claims to the contrary, Avengers: Infinity War is without a doubt the first of a two-part story. Despite that, it's still an immensely satisfying experience and the key word there is "experience." This is more than a movie, it's an event and one which will leave you experiencing the following:
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Full body chills
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Shocks so big your jaw will literally drop
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Laughter
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Tears
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Uncontrollable rocking back and forth as you wait for Avengers 4 to be released
So, yes, Avengers: Infinity War is a triumph and a release which demands multiple viewings, a great deal of discussion, and high praise indeed for being the best comic book movie of all-time. Black Panther was arguably more important culturally but this is superhero cinema at its finest and nothing short of a masterpiece. The Russos have achieved the impossible and delivered a fitting celebration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's tenth anniversary and a truly incredible film.
Avengers: Infinity War will chew you up, spit you out, and leave you a shell of a man fan in the best way possible, especially after THAT ending. Another huge win for Marvel Studios, there's not a chance in hell you'll walk out of the cinema disappointed with this epic masterpiece.