Review written by Christian Garcia
Today I’m looking at what I believe to be the best Marvel film, Avengers: Infinity War.
I’m jumping the gun here but my experience seeing Infinity War for the first time is one of the greatest experiences I’ve had at a movie theatre and one that I will never forget. The film took me on an emotional roller coaster and the ending left me and my friend, and most Marvel fans, speechless.
It was the biggest gathering of Marvel characters in history (at the time) and was the biggest event for Marvel fans. Of the Marvel films, this is one I have seen the most. In this recent watch through of Marvel movies, this was the movie I was most excited to show to my girlfriend and her reaction did not disappoint.
For this review, I’m going to do things a little differently. I’m going to shift the focus of the hero’s journey to Thanos as this film is really his movie to shine and I have a lot to say about their handling of him as a villain and character. Also, for anyone who has yet to see this film, I am warning you now that there will be heavy spoilers here so if you’ve yet to watch it, stop reading this review and just go watch it!
I will also warn you, if you have not seen any of the other Marvel films before this one, I strongly recommend that you watch those first. I will go into more detail as to why later on but trust me, the wait will be well worth it!
Jumping the gun again but this film does still hold up and we’re going to take a look as to why.
The Hero
Thanos is a warlord from the planet Titan seeking out the six Infinity Stones, the strongest sources of power in the universe. He is equipped with a gauntlet that will allow him to yield the stones’ great power. He believes that the universe is finite and that its resources are finite, and that the universe would end up destroying itself. Because of this belief, he has decided to use the power of the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of the universe.
Thanos' Journey
Thanos’ goal is to gather all six stones and use them to wipe out half the universe at the snap of his fingers.
Thanos’ goal stems from witnessing the destruction of his planet Titan after it fell out of balance. The population grew out of control and their resources became drained and his people suffered. He believes that when the universe falls out of balance that half of its existence needs to be wiped out for it to correct itself and regain balance. He believes wiping out half of the population at random gives everyone a fair chance. Most people see him as a madman while he sees himself as the only one who knows to fix the issue and the only one with the will to act on it. This strong belief led him to traveling from planet to planet wiping out half of the population and in his mind bringing back balance to the world.
Throughout his journey, Thanos talks about destiny and having to make hard choices. He says the “the hardest choices require the strongest wills.” This declaration is tested when he is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice to get the Soul Stone. To obtain the stone, he must sacrifice what he loves. In the case of Thanos, that is his adopted daughter Gamora. Before they arrive on Vormir, we see a few instances that show Thanos does care for her including the scene in which he first finds her and takes her in. Even though he is wiping out half her planet, it is a touching scene showing him shielding the innocent child from the horrors of his acts. It shows that he does have some compassion.
When the moment comes for him to sacrifice her, he sheds tears for her and tells her that he cannot ignore his destiny, even for her. This is the moment where he becomes completely consumed by his obsession to fulfill a greater purpose. It is Interesting to see the villain having make a choice that would normally fall upon a hero. The choice between what they desire and what they feel is right. Thanos believes that what he is doing is right for the universe and that he is the only one with the will to act on it.
After obtaining the Soul Stone, he returns to Titan where he is confronted by Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy (minus Rocket and Groot). When first confronting Strange, he makes the comment about how after he wipes out the universe at the snap of his fingers that he will finally rest and wake up to a grateful universe. One can look at this comment as a sign of the mental and physical toll that his quest for the Stones has taken on him. You can also see it in the way that he battles as the film progresses, he uses the Stones more to his advantage. He is almost bested on Titan but his strong will and Peter Quill’s emotions getting the better of him, allow him to overpower them all. He almost kills Tony Stark but is given the Time Stone by Doctor Strange in exchange for Tony’s life. Thanos shows he is a man of his word as once he has the stone; he does spare Tony and leaves.
When he arrives on Earth, he easily overpowers the Avengers and in a cruel and brutal manner, rips the Mind Stone from Vision’s head. Before he does so, he says to Wanda that he’s lost more that day than she could ever know showing that the entire experience did take a heavy toll on him. He is attacked by Thor and stabbed with Stormbreaker and is wounded. However, he taunts Thor that he should have gone for his head and snaps his fingers. When he snaps his fingers, he is brought to the Soulworld, (world within the Soul Stone) where he is alone but then sees Gamora as a little girl and tells her he completed his task. She asks him at what cost, and he simply replies, “Everything.” He vanishes using the Space Stone and escapes to his garden, while half the universe begins to disappear.
The film ends with Thanos sitting in a peaceful looking hut overlooking a beautiful horizon, waking up to the grateful world as he claimed, and smiling, knowing his task was completed. It is a beautiful scene to end on despite his actions having major consequences leaving the Avengers in despair over their failure to stop him and the rest of the world suffering, while he sits there in peace and smiles. Not many films have the villain win in the end, so it is always a gut punch feeling when they do. Even though he is the villain, the way the story is carried out and ends, it is really Thanos who is on the hero’s journey and the ending is the satisfying conclusion that would come to most epic heroes.
The Film's Pros
Thanos
Thanos is the best villain that Marvel has had. He is built up well as a threat, has complex and interesting motives, and is the most memorable villain they’ve ever had.
In the first scene he establishes his dominance showing he has already vanquished Thor and he asserts that dominance when he decimates the Hulk in battle. Taking down two of the strongest Avengers sets him up as the biggest threat the Avengers have ever come across and his defeat of the Hulk was so dominant that the Hulk refuses to come out for the rest of the film. This sets the tone for what viewers can expect as he is unlike any other villain they’ve seen before.
The film makes the choice to give Thanos more screen time compared to past villains and because of that choice the viewer gets to know him more and understand him. Given the weight and threat that he carries as well as the fact that he has been built up in other films, it was the best decision to give Thanos more screen time compared to the heroes. The audience gets enough to understand what kind of villain he is and why he thinks the way that he does.
After an array of villains that ranged from average to a few gems like Loki, Ego, Hela, and Killmonger, Thanos is the Marvel villain that fans have been waiting for. He is the first villain to come around that felt like an unstoppable threat and his victory in the end left fans speechless and wondering how anyone can stop him. As I said before, not many movies have ended with victory for the villain but when they do it is a gut punch feeling but is also great as it builds anticipation for how the heroes will come back to win the day. Giving him a dominant debut helped build the hype for the follow-up film Endgame. After finishing this film, my girlfriend is beyond excited to get to Endgame as she wants to know what will happen and how Thanos is going to be defeated.
Josh Brolin gives an incredible performance capturing the sinister and tragic side of the mighty villain. The way he speaks shows that he is more than a destructive brute. He comes across as calculating, as someone who has put a lot of thought into his plan as well as an individual who has endured a heavy toll. It is the best performance in the film, which is big because the cast of this film bring their A-game. He stuck the landing perfectly and left his mark as by far the best Marvel villain and one that will be a tough act to follow.
The Ending
I have called my first viewing of Infinity War the greatest experience I have ever had in a cinema and the biggest reason for that is the emotional gut punch that is the ending. The entire film is a roller coaster of emotions from the very beginning. When Thanos kills Loki and Heimdall, it tells us right away that this film isn’t playing around that we are in for a wild ride. Going into the film, I had the expectation that a few characters were going to die, but the ending brought more deaths than I could have ever imagined and handled.
After Thanos snaps his fingers, we witness firsthand the consequences of it as we watch some of our favorite characters vanish. It starts with Bucky, then a few Wakandan soldiers and then takes the hurt up a notch by adding Black Panther, Groot, Wanda, and Falcon. The hurt only continues when the list grows to add Mantis, Drax, Quill and Doctor Strange. And then the biggest gut punch is when Peter Parker says, “Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good,” and it only continues as he begs Tony for help before finally vanishing leaving Tony Stark sitting in his failure feeling completely traumatized. Seeing all these characters vanish before our very eyes was so shocking and the fact that the film ends on that note left me and my friend completely speechless. After the film let out, my friend and I sat in my car in silence as we tried to comprehend what we just saw. It is a feeling that I will never forget.
When I showed this film to my girlfriend, she was left with a mix of emotions. Sadness having to see her favorites Groot and Doctor Strange die as well as Spider-Man. Anger that that was how the film ended. Denial constantly asking me that can’t be how it ends. And curiosity asking what happens now? It was fun to watch and made me smile seeing her get to experience the same rush of emotions that I had, and it also made me laugh seeing her act all sad at the fate of her favorite characters. After the film was over, she asked me to put on something fun and lighthearted so she could mentally recover. It was an experience that I was happy that I got to share with her, and I will always be thankful to this movie for making me experience such emotions.
It is not the first film to have an ending like this as films like Empire Strikes Back or the Red Wedding episode of Game of Thrones have ended on gut punching cliff hangers. But this felt especially emotional because I had spent many years getting to know all these characters and to have half of them die was like losing people I knew. I grew attached to a lot of these characters and was emotionally invested in this film and to have it end on such a tragic note is something I had not experienced before. Most Marvel films before this always ended with the hero overcoming the odds and winning the day so to see a Marvel film end with the complete opposite was mind blowing. Most Marvel films pack emotional moments, but they are mixed in humor, cool action and are usually fun experiences. This was a much different experience and one that really paid off and showed that the Marvel films can be so much more than just superhero fluff.
It is a moment that I will never forget and one that I am glad that I got to experience. I hope that others who watch through the MCU get to experience the same rush of emotions that this film provides.
The Biggest Gathering of Marvel Heroes (So far..)
Before it even released, there was a massive hype behind Avengers: Infinity War mainly because it was being built up as the biggest gathering of Marvel heroes ever at that time. Fans were finally going to get what they wanted seeing all their favorite characters interreacting with each other. The Guardians of the Galaxy were going to meet the Avengers. Black Panther and Doctor Strange were going to join in on the action too. It was the ultimate Marvel crossover film that they had been building to for 10 years and it did not disappoint.
The pairings in this film were done perfectly with the two egos of Tony Stark and Stephen Strange colliding, then adding in the goofiness of Starlord and the other Guradians and then the awkwardness of Peter Parker. We also got to see Rocket and Groot paired off with Thor which made for a fun and very compatible team-up. The first meeting of the Guardians and Tony Stark was hilarious and lead to a great joke by Drax.
When my girlfriend and I watched this film, I purposely did not tell her who was going to be in it so she could be surprised, and I am very happy that I did. Watching her get excited seeing Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy showing up brought a huge smile to my face.
For the longtime Marvel fans, Infinity War brings all your favorites (minus two...) and is the ultimate Marvel crossover... so far...
The Film's Cons
Will be confusing to Newcomers
This isn’t a flaw that hurts the film, but it is an important thing to keep in mind before watching it. To get the full experience of these films and to be completely emotionally invested in them, you will have had to have watched all the prior Marvel films. If you go into this film without having done so, you will be confused and will miss out on the ultimate Marvel experience.
Infinity War and Endgame are the ultimate film experiences for Marvel fans. They are the culmination of 10 years’ worth of storytelling into two epic films and because of that there is a lot that a viewer will need to know going into them. The characters, the backstories, the worlds created, etc. There is a whole universe that the viewer will need to be aware of going into this movie.
If you were to start the Marvel films with Infinity War, you are missing out on the full experience. I had a friend who saw Infinity War without having watched many of the previous Marvel films and they said that they were confused at times and didn’t know who half the characters were. Of course, they still enjoyed the film and were shocked by the ending, but I felt bad that they missed out on the emotional roller coaster that the film brings you on, especially if you are emotionally invested in all the characters.
When I decided to show my girlfriend the Marvel films, my main goal was to have her see all the films before Infinity War. I wanted this for her so she could experience a similar feeling that I had when I first saw it. After we watched it, she told me she was happy that we did so and said that this was the most emotionally invested she had been in a Marvel film.
So, I strongly recommend to any newcomer to this film, please watch the other Marvel films before you watch this one. You are robbing yourself of an incredible and emotional experience by jumping into this one too early and I promise you that the wait is more than worth it.
Final Thoughts
Avengers: Infinity War is the best of the Marvel films. It takes the action and humor that Marvel films are known for and ups the stakes and emotions tenfold. If you have watched the Marvel films prior to it, you are in for an emotional roller coaster that will have you excited, laughing, crying, and scared all at the same time. It is an experience only unique to this film and one that you will not find in any other Marvel film. Where some films lacked stakes and a sense of urgency, this film raises the stakes and the sense of urgency and like the characters, doesn’t allow the audience a chance to breathe. I mean that in a good way as it will keep you on the edge of your seat and by the end you will be emotionally spent. It brings all (minus two) of your favorite heroes into an epic adventure against their biggest threat yet. The ending harkens back to the old Saturday morning cartoons that would end with “To Be Continued...” yet this film does that while also ripping your heart out at the same time.
When I first began this revisit to the MCU, my goal was to have my girlfriend see all the Marvel films to get the full emotional experience that comes with Infinity War, and I am happy to say that she got that experience and got to experience great films beforehand. Infinity War is a great Part One in the final act of the Infinity Saga. It is a film that was built up over the course of 10 years and paid off very well going on to become the 5th highest grossing film of all time.
However, to get the full experience of it, you will have had to have watched the previous Marvel films to get a full grasp on the story and characters. So, this is not a film that I would recommend starting with if you are looking to get into the Marvel films. While some critics criticize it for that fact and see it as relying on other films for story, this movie, and its follow-up Endgame, are more of incentives to watch the other Marvel films. They are the culmination of 10 years’ worth of storytelling, and they pay off the characters and the fans who stuck by them all these years.
Infinity War is the best Marvel experience that you will get and a film experience that you will never forget. If you are looking to get into the Marvel films, this film is an excellent incentive to do so. Watch through the other films first and then give this a watch and I promise you that the wait will be more than worth it.
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