Anthony & Joe Russo’s Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Movie Review

Movie Review: Avengers Infinity War
Star Cast: Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Elizabeth Olsen, Karen Gillan, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Don Cheadle and Chris Hemsworth
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo
Screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen Mcfeely
Music Composed by Alan Silvestri
Cinematography by Trent Opaloch

When I walked into the theatre, I wanted the fan in me to die, dread and beastly succumb to the rational movie lover, who is also a part of me. So that I can judge a film completely on its merit rather than just its ability to give moments to the fan in me. I waited, waited and waited patiently (for nearly 2 hours!) until the first shot appeared on the screen. No, I can’t control this beast of a “Hulk” size fan of these characters, said my mind. Still, the rational movie lover warned me to be the “Hulk-buster” and do not become Hulk. This is a direct reference to the battle of Bruce and Hulk in the film. Spoiler Alert This review could have some spoilers. Read after you watch the movie. Avengers Infinity War Movie Review.

Ok, enough with my battle. When you have a task of bringing in some individual superheroes who are shaped and given character development well enough over the years, from whose side, will you tell the story? How will you tell it? Will there be a story, at all? If you are filling it up with every possible action scene that comes to your mind? If you have to give some high moments, how will do? What will be the emotional core that connects the movie and holds it together?

Any rational mind will fear this task. Kevin Feige might have dreamt it as a child or might have thought of it as a clever executive decision. But his vision to bring all the characters and give them story arcs and on top of it assembling them in a series finale to challenge a fearsome creature that they couldn’t have even thought of in their dreams needed perfect executors. While all the makers did a great job over 18 films, the weight of all them, was on the shoulders of Anthony and Joe Russo, they just nailed it.

They found answers to the question, with pin-point precession. They did not care to explain you who are Thanos kids and showed how powerful they are. They let Thanos decide the film in a clear-cut anti-hero heist saga. He has a character, he has tears, he is human enough to say to another hero, he respects, “Hope they will remember you” (or talks about knowledge referencing to The Origins of Ironman). He knows the weight of his decision and how it can disappoint his ‘real‘ loved ones. But he is relentless until he does what he set out to do. He will never stop and if you thinking about stopping him, “Good Luck”.

If you need to win against him, you need sacrifices, you need people with the strong willpower to go against him and give it their all. They can be fearful, they may lose hope, but still they have to go against him forever and ever, still, he won’t stop. Tell me how long have we been waiting for such a character? How long have we been asking Blockbuster filmmakers to expand their vision and give importance to characters along with fan moments and cool action sequences. Marvel has been able to understand this as they grew while DC had a master who created a beast and basic lesson to follow, but they still failed to catch-up.

This is not just a film made for comic book fans or the Marvel fans. It has emotional value and character moments to each one of them. Even Groot, Mantis get some moments to shine. That is just brilliantly done to please all the fans and common movie lovers. When you have an anti-hero who cannot be won without letting him have his win, you need everyone to be ready to sacrifice their comforts. They do, and you get to know, why too. A complex web of emotions run between the characters as Thanos goes on with his mission, but his emotions run high too. He is not an emotionless bad-ass or a crooked villain who thinks two heroes should fight for no apparent reason. His mission is his life and he is frustrated enough, desperate enough to pay all the stakes.

The flaws of the movie lie in such high moments too. While they nail and make them work without a doubt, they give more importance to few characters and less to others. While it is understandable that this is a two-part movie, we still feel maybe this character could have had one more moment, maybe this line could have landed better. But when go out and think back, there is no better way than what they tried to hold a film together. Now, with possibly showing everything that they could in one galactic war, what will they show in next part? Will they culminate the Universe properly? Whom will be allowed to last further?

These questions still have time but the way, they brought down a comic book character, who in the comic book world is untouchable to screen as an Alien, whom we can connect with, Russo brothers and script writers need to be given a big Thumbs Up! Before concluding there are some observations from the movie. (Spoiler Alert indeed)…

Why Thanos centric film?

Thanos is the emotional core, his story, and quest for inner peace lands him on a separate world. He is one who needs to be explored and explained. If you take any other route it would have been Avengers 2.5 like Civil War and would have called Avengers 2.75, Iron Spider Captain Thor Hulk Doctor GOG’s Wakanda Galactic war.

What next?

Hope needs to return with the ‘real‘ deal and possible new villains to aide Thanos.

How does the story connect with comic books?

The Infinity Gauntlet (1991), Infinity (2013), Doctor Strange, Civil War comic book … Won’t reveal much that … But be sure to be catching up on beloved, “Alien” (1979) / “Arrested Development” reference.  Lastly, where did Thanos end up? Maybe a “Skull” darker than the “Red” has the answer.

The best Drop-dead moments:

1. “Reality” stone sequence
2. “Soul” stone sequence
3. Thor forging jarnbjorn
4. Captain America’s entry and all his moments of combat
5. The possibilities that Doctor Strange could figure out, they all don’t play out but we need to wait for next part anyways…
6. Thanos being literally defeated…
7. Finally, an unexpected twist, in the end, a BOLD choice.

On the whole, as a film, it may be placed as a ‘Good‘ one, but as an effort, it will be lasting long in people’s minds. This is not just an Infinity War but this is an Infinity Gauntlet of fan and character, emotions.

Theatrical Trailer: Avengers Infinity War Movie Review