Movie Review: "Avengers: Infinity War"
Last Friday, Marvel Studios released its newest film, “Avengers: Infinity War,” in theaters across the nation. The film celebrated Marvel’s ten-year anniversary since the first “Iron Man” film launched the franchise in 2008. “Infinity War” has officially scored the biggest global box office opening ever with $630 million, surpassing the previous record holder, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The film details the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers and more as they work together to defeat Thanos, a powerful Titan warlord who plans to murder half of the universe with the help of the six Infinity Stones.
The signature of a Marvel film is the post-credit bonus scene at the end. These scenes are intended to give a small sneak peak into the plot of an upcoming Marvel film. In the first “Avengers” film, when Loki speaks with the Other, a “he” is mentioned, who will be merciless towards Loki if he does not retrieve the Tesseract. In the post-credits scene, we see the Other talk to this “he,” who you find out is Thanos when he turns his head.
Like the first “Avengers” film, “Age of Ultron” gives an even bigger sneak peak of Thanos, showing his full body as well as the Infinity Gauntlet. “Fine. I’ll do it myself,” he says as the camera shows the glove and the empty spaces where the stones should be held, hinting his arrival on Earth. In “Infinity War,” Gamora, Thanos’s daughter, explains to Thor that Thanos travels from planet to planet and wipes out half the population.
Back on Earth, several heros operate separately from one another. After “Captain America: Civil War,” the Avengers decided to split up with some staying loyal to Tony Stark (Iron Man) and others to Steve Rogers (Captain America), following an intense battle that took place in the film. They each went their separate ways and changed their appearances in the process.
“Infinity War” introduces each of them in the film’s first act, often during or immediately before trouble ensues. Every Marvel film portrays an advancement between the old and new through specific character developments, whether it is in their fighting skills or their suits. Of all Marvel films to date, “Infinity War” has displayed some of the biggest changes in each character.
Despite these major changes, the film still manages to set up each character perfectly. Over 75 characters exist in the film, and grouping them into separate groups allowed for more clarity in the plot. Most of the film’s duration was spent on Thanos, but as we do not know much about him, it was smart for the directors and screenwriters to thoroughly explain his persona and motivations.
As usual, a good amount of tasteful humor is incorporated into the film’s script. The funny moments feel natural, rather than forced. Most jokes refer back to past movies, validating the true fans in the audience as they laugh at these references. Some anticipated that with a villain as menacing and powerful as Thanos, there would be no room for humor, but the screenwriters rose above those theories and placed the jokes in without letting them disrupt the more dramatic moments.
Expectations for “Infinity War” were incredibly high. Fans have been anticipating it ever since it was first rumored over a year ago. The presale tickets outpaced the last seven Marvel films combined, and theaters all over the world were immediately sold out. It ultimately shattered expectations, with each fan glued to their seats as they watched credits roll and contemplated the film’s ending. Some people shed tears. One person even passed out after the film finished in a theater in Los Angeles. “Infinity War” lived up to the build-up that preceded it, leaving fans waiting eagerly for the sequel.