**Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War below the cut**
Avengers: Infinity War is the latest release of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What started as a hope and a dream became a decade-long project that treated Hollywood superhero blockbusters like the comic books from which they are inspired. This, at long last, is the movie the previous 10 years have been building to. Did it hit its mark? I’d say the answer remains to be seen. Why? Because the story is incomplete.
When Infinity War was first introduced, it was announced as two movies. Since then, the second movie lost it’s “Infinity War Part 2” moniker. Even without that knowledge, Infinity War feels like the first part of a two-part episode. As the climax for 10 years of a slow build-up, however, I wouldn’t want it to fit into a single movie either.
Despite the split, Infinity War fit a lot into it, and I am impressed by what it delivered: multiple plotlines with upwards of 25 characters, some of which had character development . This is a daunting task for anybody, but Infinity War’s advantage is its place among a larger, blockbuster franchise. By no means should anybody walk into Infinity War without prior knowledge of the events leading up to it. While some characters offered exposition from previous movies, keeping everything as tight as it needed relied on the audience having prior knowledge of the characters and their relationships with everyone else. As sequels go, it’s one of the best ones I have seen.
The Russo Brothers, who directed, did a phenomenal job of not only fitting everything together, but making the character interactions engaging, keeping me invested and sneaking in humor whenever appropriate.
Everything drove towards a single, inevitable conclusion. While I was rooting for the Avengers to win the day, it did not surprise me that, for once, they didn’t. The biggest spoilers anybody can tell you is who dies. While most of that happens at the end, the plot keeps you on your toes by stating again and again that Thanos wants to kill exactly half of the current population in the galaxy. Then the movie asks what various characters are willing to sacrifice to prevent genocide. A lover? A sibling?
The idea of sacrifice falls short when the action moves to Wakanda. Captain America says “We don’t trade lives.” Yet he’s willing to fight alongside an army that must protect a single individual with their lives.
Ultimately, the weakest link was Thanos’s arc, which did not carry the emotional weight it should have. Thanos tries to not be a textbook comic book villain by giving his character dimension. To a degree, it is successful, but it fails to carry the emotional weight the narrative thinks it does. The audience has been teased to Thanos’s abilities for a little less than ten years. Attempting to dissuade that required a lot more power, and maybe a whole movie in and of itself.
Where Infinity War excelled were the character interactions. The MCU is awash with colorful characters, and they were just as colorful with each other as they are in their standalone movies. Allowing humor to see through these interactions is what really makes them shine. Both Thor and Bruce Banner are the comedic versions fresh off the reels of Thor: Ragnorak, which lightens up the darkness. What was surprising to me was how much I enjoyed Dr. Strange vibe with Tony Stark and Peter Parker. I wasn’t too keen on the movie Dr. Strange, but I love seeing him in an ensemble cast.
Infinity War builds up to an inevitable, albeit still shocking, conclusion. It’s dark, and most of the end is played for shock value. It’s hard to take seriously with the knowledge that part two will be out this time next year.
In the meantime, I’ll be counting down the days to Captain Marvel, who is speculated to have a big hand in the conclusion.
Images courtesy of Marvel Studios News.
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