Avengers: Infinity War is a monster of a movie in every aspect. The culmination of 18 movies this project boasts a massive cast of beloved characters that are spread across the universe. In a race to save half the population from mega-villain Thanos, there is a lot on the line.
As far as superhero movies go, Infinity War checks all the boxes, so I think expounding all of the spectacle and bombast would be a waste of time. With the number of characters at play, the matchups are varied and are done with the budget needed to make them a riot. My only complaint is that scenes can get too dark and too close up so it can be hard to see what’s going on (and there are a few times where things don’t look like they have the right weight and mass so collisions look odd).
What strikes me most is the size and complexity of getting this movie done. With so many characters this could have easily been a trainwreck. But everyone gets their turn in front of the lens and everyone gets a great introduction. Everything gets off to a good start. While some get pushed to the back (Ant-man and Hawkeye were…busy…and couldn’t make it? Groot takes a long time to do something useful) it’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment. Groups of characters are in reasonable sizes so it’s easy to keep track of where everyone is. Having the narrative revolve around Thanos, essentially making him the main character, was another smart move.
There are a few suspect plot points and ‘beat you over the head with this theme to make sure the audience gets it’ moments. Things go wrong because characters make stupid choices. While it can be easy to say that a writer made X do Y to make a certain result happen to get to his next planned event (looking at you Starlord) those actions aren’t done out of character (still looking at you Starlord) so it isn’t too obnoxious. It also comes down to a main point of the story: being human means you are flawed. You live, love, and make mistakes. While empathy and compassion are seen as weakness and stupidity by villains, those aspects are integral to humanity and our heroes because that’s what makes us great. It’s a powerful message that is constantly being tested. I was also happy to see that Tony Stark isn’t the cause of everything bad that happens, for once. Seriously, the guy is a walking problem.
As I’ve thought this over for the past few days, I’ve come to an unusual conclusion. The next direct sequel, Avengers 4, due in 2019, will ultimately cement how good Infinity War is regarded in the future. This movie ends with huge loses. But will it matter? It’s a comic book movie after all and easy solutions (many of them bad) can undo everything easily. The series this movie is based on basically erases the destruction that happens at Thanos’ hands. Comic characters never really die. And in film, that’s a problem. So the question is will anything that happened in this movie matter? If it doesn’t, that takes away all the impact of the end. Choices were made, tragedy was the result but it turns out there are no consequences because everything was put back the way it was a little while later. If that happens, Infinity War is disposable and it won’t hold up. That’s not good.
With how much work was put into this, I’m going to say the writers aren’t going to get lazy with the next installment, the end of Marvel’s “Phase 3.” The Avengers won’t simply get hold of the gauntlet and rewind time (and please no alternate dimension nonsense). The steps needed to obtain the Soul Stone, some possible trickery with the Mind and Time Stones, hint at some much-needed complexity and stakes (i.e. no easy outs). With some all but guaranteed sequels coming (Black Panther) there are a few “x MUST be coming back” which taints expectations.
Still, Infinity War is a crowning achievement for Marvel and all the talent that has been making this universe possible. The only thing holding them back is themselves. Or maybe should I say, some executive who forces a dumb idea on the creative team based solely on chasing an easy dollar.