A Fun Thrill Ride That Repeats Some of Marvel's Mistakes

Rating: 8/10 (27 April 2018)

This is it, this is what everything has been building to since Iron Man first graced the screen in 2008. Thanos has come for the Infinity Stones, and it looks like not even the Avengers can stand in his way.
This film had a massive burden to carry: how to juggle the characters from the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther all in one movie without them stepping on each other's toes for their time in the spotlight. Despite all the odds, the Russo Brothers actually managed to pull this feat off, with every character actually fulfilling a useful role without feeling superfluous.
Where this film shines is in the interactions between characters who have been isolated up until now, much like the first Avengers: Iron Man and Star-Lord, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, Thor and Groot. The chemistry between these people is what binds this film together into something that even fans of only one character can enjoy among the ensemble.
What really drives the film, though, is Thanos, the man who we have only seen glimpses of in three films up until this moment. This film really strives to frame Thanos in such a way that while you can't justify his actions, you can sympathize, or at least understand, why he does what he does. Plus, it explores the relationship that was only discussed in passing in both Guardians films, namely his status as father to Gamora and Nebula. Their dynamic is among the stronger reasons why Thanoscan be considered one of the best villains of the MCU.
Where this film falters, however, is when it repeats the mistakes previous Marvel films have made. Two films come to mind when discussing this film's issues: Avengers Age of Ultron and Thor Ragnarok.
Firstly, this film is really funny. The jokes are hysterical, especially the deep callbacks to previous films and the natural way they come about. There's nothing wrong with being funny. The problem comes in, much like it did in Thor Ragnarok, when the humor ends up coming at inopportune moments and it kills the dramatic tension. This is especially bad when characters discuss immensely serious matters, and a joke come in and lingers for so long, as if to reassure the audience "hey, we're still having fun, right guys?"
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, is the problem with stakes. Coming into this film, one of the big questions on everyone's minds was would one of the main characters die in this film. After all, a couple of the main actors, especially Chris Evans, have stated their run as their Marvel characters were coming to an end. And without getting into details, this is the same problem as with Age of Ultron. When the script calls for the main threat as something that will potentially destroy all of the Avengers, you know it won't happen for one basic reason: Disney wants to continue to take your money from these immensely popular films. So, they know they can't do anything too serious otherwise they risk cutting off their cash flow.
Nevertheless, despite these problems, it is worth seeing this latest Avengers film, especially for its setup of things to come. It's not the best Marvel film by a long shot, but maybe it didn't need to be.