Best Line in the Trailers Wasn't Even in the Movie. 2/10.

Rating: 9/10 (26 April 2018)

To call this an Avengers movie feels a bit off. The Avengers are in it for sure, as are the Guardians of the Galaxy, but this is more Thanos' film. He takes centre stage, soaking up all the best parts. Even when he's not on screen, his presence permeates and threatens. His quest for the Infinity Stones has officially begun. The film opens with him already having taken the Power Stone from Xandar, and is well on his way to getting the Space Stone from Loki.
As openings go, this is up there for establishing the sheer threat Thanos poses to each and every character we've grown to love over the last decade. I mean, the guy beats Hulk into a pulp without using any stones at all, and he only grows more and more powerful as the film goes on. The stakes have never been higher in an MCU movie. The threat of permanent character death is very, very real, and no-one is above it. I won't spoil who dies, but some are easy guesses, and others come out the left field. In truth there's definitely a sense of unpredictability thanks to the pure power Thanos can unleash. He quite literally crashes a moon down into a planet, turns weapons into bubbles, and by the end can even rewind time to suit his needs. And of course that fabled snap of the fingers marks the climax of the movie.
But the real strength of Thanos comes from the treatment of his character. He could quite possibly be the single greatest villain in the MCU thanks to how he's developed. He's unyielding and horrifically strong even without the power of the gauntlet, but he also shows vulnerabilities, and acts out of a misplaced sense of moral philosophy. He's not just evil for evil's sake, he has clear definable goals that aren't entirely incorrect. He seeks balance and paradise, ultimately just wanting to make the universe a better place for everyone. He cares about life in all its forms and sees what he's doing as a necessary evil to save everyone.
What really took me aback is how emotional the movie is (Oh boy, spoilers). While it doesn't let up in it's unrelenting fight scenes and sense of dread, it still takes the time to ponder on how it makes everyone feel. I actually really felt for Gamora and Thanos respectively, not just at poignant moments, but in general considering everything they've endured together. When Gamora appears to kill Thanos, it's not triumphant but full of grief. While she hates him to the end, he was still her father figure. Likewise when he has to sacrifice her later on, he mourns throughout the rest of the movie, because he really did love his favourite daughter. She wasn't just a tool for him; he forgave her betrayals precisely because he loved her so much. As misguided as his methods seem, he still managed to show a human element that not only made him relatable, but also made him oddly likeable - he shows a vulnerability beneath his powerful capabilities that gives him the greatest depth of any MCU villain. But above all it was Peter Parker that broke me, watching those around him fade out of existence, and then feeling the very same come over him - heightened by his enhanced senses. He's just a scared teenager facing the ultimate existential crisis, and his pleading to stay genuinely made my tear ducts fill. Dear god Tom Holland can act.
And yet through all of the dread, the constant threat of death, and the sheer emotional heartbreak, Infinity War manages to keep its head above water with succinct, natural humour that manages to make you laugh out loud. Of course a lot of this is down to simple character interactions, like Rocket asking to buy Bucky's metal arm, or Star-Lord becoming envious of Thor's physique. This is the Avengers movie where unrelated franchises smash together and we're gifted with odd interaction after odd interaction, and each and every one manages to find humour without forcing it out
Entertaining character interactions aren't just restricted to comedy though. The Avengers movies, as well the various team-ups between them, have been defined by how each hero comes together as a cohesive team when taking down a foe, whether it's Thor and Captain America creating a shockwave between hammer and shield, or Hawkeye shooting Ant-Man into Iron Man's suit. Infinity War is no exception, and the behemoth cast extends the options a little further. Doctor Strange creates portals for Spider-Man to jump through and stepping stones for Star-Lord, Bucky dual-wields a machine gun in one hand and Rocket in the other, Bruce Banner takes the Hulkbuster out for a spin when Hulk refuses to show up, Groot creates a weapon handle for Thor out of his own arm, as well as quite a few others.
On that note, the action is simply top-notch. It's unrelenting from the Thanos vs Hulk fight in the opening all the way up to the infamous snap. There always seems to be an action scene going on somewhere, and the character combos I mentioned above are only scratching the surface of the amount of cool stuff that goes on. Thanos himself is a powerhouse, especially once he gets the reality stone, and the way he uses them all is hugely creative. There's one particular fight between Thanos and Doctor Strange that is the epitome of mind-bending as they hurl spells at one another (in Doctor Strange's case, literally). It's all so fluid and stylish. Not only that but the epic scale and unrelenting nature of the action scenes make it feel like an actual war rather than just a small skirmish at an airport, and how it managed to fit it all in and make space for the more emotional beats without ruining the pace blows my mind. Top notch editing for sure.
The CGI is pretty incredible for the most part as well. The Black Order are brought to life by their visual effects, but it's Thanos who really shines, showing each and every hair on the back of his neck and side of his face. The sheer attention to detail is staggering. Beyond that the CGI doesn't stifle Josh Brolin's ability to act at all, and Thanos' personality is palpable through his facial expressions alone. On the other side of the coin though, there's some truly terrible visual effects work when it comes to Hulkbuster and Warmachine. There's a shot very late on where Banner and Rhodey appear in their armour without helmets on, but the blending is so bad that their heads just look stuck on. This corner-cutting for some of the visual effects, especially considering how utterly fantastic other effects are, is pretty much my only criticism of the whole movie.
But I think I've rambled on enough. Infinity War was everything I wanted it to be and more. It surpasses every other effort in the MCU (a claim I really hope I don't go back on as the film sinks in over time and multiple rewatches). Thanos is the greatest villain there is, showing heartbreaking vulnerabilities as well as being a complete and utter badass (although his line about putting a smile on his face was irksomely absent), the humour is genuinely very funny, but also natural and comes about organically through simple character interactions, the stakes are real as characters do die, permanently, and the status quo is forever changed by the movie's close. I don't feel it's that bold a claim to say Infinity War is the MCU's Empire Strikes Back in more ways than one. I almost want to give it a perfect 10/10 straight out of the gate, but for now I'll settle for a still extremely respectable 9/10. My heart was genuinely racing long after the credits rolled, and that can only be a good sign.