Marvel's Magnum Opus

Rating: 10/10 (6 July 2018)

What started as a risky gamble from Marvel Studios in 2008 with "Iron Man" has turned into a 10-year journey of character development, adventurous stories, and the most lucrative film franchise of all-time. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been building to a gargantuan culmination for a decade, and that pinnacle is Avengers: Infinity War (IW), a generational milestone in filmmaking, an ultimate assembly of more-than-established characters, one of the greatest superhero films - one of the greatest action/fantasy films in history.
For the first time in one of its films, Marvel Studios thrusts its primary villain to the forefront, as the Mad Titan Thanos, the definitive big-bad of the MCU, takes center stage, and in doing so, cements himself as one of the greatest comic book-film villains ever to grace the screen. Thanos has a wickedly sadistic goal, to eradicate half of life in the universe using the six Infinity Stones, which have been meticulously placed throughout the course of the MCU's history. Yet, his motives are understandable in a horrible way, he has the capacity to love and care, and it gives something to latch onto the character besides him being a psychopath for psychopaths' sake. His sacrifice of Gamora is the definition of his complexity, it's an emotionally taxing scene and one of the film's best. The big purple baddie is given the most screen time of any character, he's developed properly and given immense power over our main heroes, creating a massively intimidating villain who presents very threating stakes. To top it off, actor Josh Brolin is simply brilliant in his motion capture role, and Marvel made sure to put the finest details into making Thanos look believable, not making the same mistake Warner Bros. did with Justice League's Steppenwolf monstrosity.
Infinity War's narrative isn't afraid to demand your respect right out of the gate, setting the tragically dark tone by showcasing its Everest-level stakes with the deaths of long-standing franchise characters Loki and Heimdall. Not to mention Thanos gives Hulk, the strongest character we've known in the MCU thus far, the beating of his life to solidify the fact that IW, Thanos and his Children mean business. The heavier tone echoes through the 149 min runtime; we see beloved heroes desperately fighting to survive Thanos' galactic onslaught, plot twists that barely allow you stay in your seat, chillingly gripping dialogue and an ending so Earth-shattering it would break the Richter scale. The decision to have Thanos win (albeit temporarily), to kill off numerous fan favorite characters in the blink of an eye, it's a finale like no other, a gut punch of the highest level. And even though many of the deceased characters will return, their deaths still leave an immediate impact, and a message that Marvel isn't always a Saturday morning cartoon. Even the end-credits don't roll with a glorious artistic montage as heroic music booms in the background. Here, it's somber string instruments with black and white text. After 2017 was packed with comedic-heavy Marvel entries, it was wonderfully refreshing to see IW take itself as seriously as a comic book story of this magnitude could.
Fitting the crazed Mad Titan into a compact story with over two-dozen other main characters seems like an impossible task. Alas, the masterful vision from directors Joe and Anthony Russo, (already praised for creating arguably the previous two best films in the MCU with "The Winter Solider" and "Civil War") along with the magnificent lettering of lead writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, create a story on a scale never before seen in cinema, making it as well-paced and compact as possible without creating a 4 hour film (which many fans, myself included would love) and then tying a pretty ribbon on top. What allows Markus and McFeely to have the confidence to create such a jam-packed film? The pure notion that there is a 10-year foundation of profound character development to build onto. A story of this size could never work if it didn't have beyond-established characters to work with, which is how new ones are able to be introduced in this film as well. That includes Thanos and his four Children, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glave and Obsidian Stane, all who add tremendous layers of depth to the antagonistic side, none more than Maw, who is often a scene stealer. Seeing all these characters in the same film is unbelievable, truly. And what's more is that every distinct trait found in every character is fleshed out and often creates down right epic or hilarious moments. Going off an earlier point, while the tone of IW is without a doubt more mature and gritty, there's a presence of humor that rivals the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok. And since those films' characters both can be found here, along with several more, IW becomes one of the funniest movies in the MCU. Along with heroic moments and entrances that just make you want to stand up and cheer, it's a perfect supplement to prevent the film from being a in a constant state of depression, making all the characters as enjoyable to watch as ever.
If you want blockbuster action, look no further. Infinity War flexes its action-muscles bigger than Hulk's to display ridiculously entertaining action sequences. The combination of heroes never before seen on the big screen together paves way for grand flashes of next-level action, it's dazzling to see the likes of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and the Guardians all take on Thanos while Black Panther and company fortify the glorious city of Wakanda from an invasion to retrieve the Mind Stone. A sweeping score from Alan Silvestri (The Avengers) stands out and adds to the drama. Its majestic mayhem, fueled by stunning VFX, moving set pieces and captivating atmosphere, all gelling together to form an enthralling superhero spectacle.
To be short but sweet, the acting department of every single character is unparalleled in today's superhero genre. There's simply too many names to list off, but MCU icon Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Chris Hemsworth's new take on Thor, Zoe Saldana as Gamora and of course, again, Josh Brolin as Thanos are the noteworthy standouts. Every character has its defined actor, the chemistry flows like a fine wine as the acting gives life to IW's superb story.
The last decade of Marvel movies has brought incalculable joy to millions of fans across the globe. It's given us characters to relate to, to root for and to cherish. It's perfected "the Marvel formula", a recipe that no other studio has yet to replicate, pumping out one gold star after the next, building a connected film franchise like none other. And now, it's given us Infinity War, the epic crowning achievement of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
10/10