Avengers Infinity War
Directed By: The Russo Brothers
Grade: A-
Thanos has finally gotten his butt into gear and no one is ready for him.
WARNING: This review has SPOILERS so please if you don’t want to read SPOILERS stop reading here! Because I generally can’t talk about this one without the SPOILERS!
Last Warning!
Mantis: We’re gonna kick names and take ass!
Oh, I have been here since the first Iron Man through the good and the excellent and the hm…
The best part of this movie for me, by far, was the characters, the character interactions and the long history we have with them at this point. As someone who had been iffy on the Marvel humor it landed like 98% of the time here.
My Favorite Bits (aka My Heart Breaking…)
Peter and Tony… and Dr. Strange
I love the Peter Parker/ Tony Stark relationship all the little quips. Tony feeling responsible for him and moving into more of a parent mentor role. Mix Doctor Strange and Tony and you’ve got yourself some fun. All three actors play brilliantly against each other. Tom Holland was an absolutely fantastic choice for Spiderman.
Dr Strange: Is he like your ward?
Tony (to Peter): I don’t want anymore pop culture references from you for the rest of this trip.
So I got very emotional when Peter “died” in Tony’s arms all the while saying, “I don’t want to go…”
Brain: You know he’s coming back! There’s a sequel next year!
Heart: But Tony doesn’t know that.
Not only is Tony’s nightmare scenario with Peter coming true but by then he’s a smart enough guy to know it’s coming true everywhere.
I also kind of liked how separate it was at least in the war aspect. Tony and crew have no idea what’s going on until after the others start disappearing on Titan. Meanwhile Cap and crew are going with Banner’s outdated information that Thanos doesn’t yet have all the stones until he appears on the battlefield at the end.
Thor, Sweet Rabbit & the Tree
These three were comedy gold. (I saw someone say Thor belongs more with the Guardians then on Earth and that’s true.) I also think Rocket is a bit in awe of him. Chris Hemsworth and Bradley Cooper don’t get enough credit because while their characters are very funny they also bring a ton of pathos.
Thor’s life at this point is a damned Greek tragedy.
I really loved the scene where they took the time to acknowledge that- his endless list of recent losses. Rocket trying to be the Captain and comfort him while he remarks that it doesn’t matter if he can best Thanos or not because he has nothing left to lose.
And Rocket muttering that he still had things left to lose again just about broke my heart when Groot disappeared and Rocket doesn’t yet know that he’s the last Guardian standing (unless you count Nebula). His family gone. Much like Tony his worst nightmare coming true.
The Opening
I was prepared. I was. Great bit with no music over the title cards and just the distress call. Heimdall giving his last to get Hulk to Earth but Loki! Oh, Loki! If this is it for him (and it better be because we earned a good clean ending for him) he went out fighting and with honor as a Prince of Asgard and Thor can hold onto that much.
Loved that he got to say, “We have a Hulk.”
Hated that it didn’t work out for him either time!
Gamora and Thanos
That scene with the Soul Stone. When Red Skull said he had to sacrifice that which he loved the most I think everyone in my theater was thinking run Gamora! The bit where she started mocking him because he didn’t love anything- I thought for just a minute it was a bluff and she was going to try to escape.
Brutal.
I loved what they did with Thanos. I loved how quiet he was in some bits. The part where he told Tony, “He hoped they’d remember him.” The part where he almost seemed to be comforting Scarlet Witch. Blocking Baby Gamora from watching the massacre of her people. That made him more imposing somehow. Excellent work from Josh Brolin.
Also as someone who loves sister relationships in my entertainment I cried a bit that Gamora was willing to trade her life to keep him from finding the Soul Stone but after seeing what he was doing to poor Nebula could not take another minute of her sister being in pain…
That last scene between them.
Baby Gamora: Did you do it?
Thanos: Yes.
Gamora: What did it cost you?
Thanos: Everything.
It is balance though if you think about it. In taking everything he left a bunch of people like him- with nothing left to lose and potentially everything to gain to continue to fight to defeat him.
Other Bits:
Quill: Is Footloose still the greatest movie ever?
Spiderman: It was never the greatest movie…
That was all in the delivery.
Groot: I am Groot.
Cap: I am Steve Rogers.
Cap’s beard also remains awesome. 🙂
Was this movie without issues?
No. With it being split in two I feel like there are so many things the second can do that will annoy me. Always an issue. The Earth bound people didn’t have a lot to do here. While the bits with frightened beaten Hulk are cute I feel like they’re going to far making Banner too much of a wreck in places. I didn’t even notice Wanda’s missing accent but I’m telling myself she spent enough time with Natasha on the run she probably taught her how to lose it.
And yes, the post-snap deaths were emotional manipulation. That’s another issue. I know those guys are coming back but the how is going to be the thing so I can’t even really get a handle on how I feel about that until I see the end.
Another year of waiting and theorizing.
I still think Tony is toast. The let’s have kid conversation with Pepper only made me more sure of that. Unless that’s the point where Cap…
Nope.
Crackpot theories about Part 2 at a later date!