Avengers: Infinity War

By: Arlene Allen

In my opinion, Avengers: Infinity War will either be one of Marvel Studios’ biggest hits or it could be cinematic suicide. Forget any rumors you may have heard about a death or deaths. Forget rumors of sequels or not. Prepare yourself to expect the unexpected. Whether you love this film or hate it, I can guarantee you’re going to be blown away by this multilayered two and a half hour movie that does anything and everything except play it safe.

We leap right into the action from the opening of the film, which wastes no time with exposition. Picking up where Thor: Ragnarok picks up with Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Asgardians having been confronted by Thanos (Josh Brolin). He is, of course, searching for all of the Infinity Stones and he already has two. Within the first five minutes, you can sense exactly where this film is going and it’s darker, more intense and scarier than any of its MCU predecessors. We cut to New York City,where Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is giving Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) an ultimatum before their upcoming nuptials, but when Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) calls for the help of Iron Man, you can guess what Tony is going to do.

As Thanos hunts down all of our heroes (each one or each group possessing one of the six stones as has been set up from the beginning of these film), the film jumps from space, to New York City, to space again, to Scotland and to Wakanda. No one is safe from the menace that seeks to destroy half of the known universe. Balancing all of these stories isn’t easy and it isn’t always smooth, but the film manages to pull it off and give you the feels for each and every character and situation. Every character is perfectly written and while some are more enjoyable on screen than others, each gets their onscreen time handled respectfully.

Tom Holland as Peter Parker is a total scene stealer. He has become the penultimate Spiderman at this moment and his eagerness and charm light up the screen for almost every moment he appears in. Tony Stark is still Tony Stark. Although, for some reason Robert Downey, Jr. looks worn and it adds a sense of urgency to his characterization. Chris Hemsworth as Thor is every bit as awesome as he was in Thor: Ragnarok. The Guardians of the Galaxy are their usual flip selves, until things get not so very flip. Teenage Groot (Vin Diesel) goes through that rebellious stage and he and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) play off each other nicely. Drax (Dave Bautista) has some of the most bizarre lines in the film (but then again doesn’t he always?).

Some love stories are playing out, such as the one between Jarvis/Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). The two actors behind them are just so poignant with each other that there is definitely real chemistry there. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) give each other hurt/steamy looks that makes everyone in the room with them feel awkward.

Sadly, Wakanda’s story gets the shortest end of the stick. It feels like since we all just saw Black Panther in theaters the writers and directors Russo feel like we don’t need exposition or character development in that world at all. The biggest battle takes place there, though, and I have a feeling there’s going to be strong reaction to what happens in those sequences.

There are two definite saving graces to this film. One is the humor. All of the trademark MCU humor is there and it saves the film from being too miserable to watch. The banter between Tony Stark and Doctor Strange is hilarious. Strange’s cape, an animate inanimate object, is ridiculously adorable and funny. There’s a sequence between Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy that is so over the top that I nearly fell out of my seat laughing. Mark Ruffalo is terrific as Bruce Banner, still warring with a suddenly stubborn Hulk. Who knew he had such great comedic timing?

The other grace is Thanos himself. He is not just a power hungry murderous monster. Thanos has always set out to bring balance to the univere and the only way he can see to save the universe and its resources is to destroy half the universe’s population. He doesn’t really hate anyone; he wants the destruction to be random, affecting rich and poor alike. He is haunted by memories of his home world, which was once a paradise until all of its natural resources were used up and the planet became overpopulated. It’s a relevant concern here in the real world, as we see our resources dwindling, overpopulation, an excess of natural disasters and an increase in war and violence. Like Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) in Black Panther, the man has a point, even if his means and methods are diabolical and violent.

In short, Avengers: Infinity War is a complex and complicated film. It takes a great many risks, some of which may cross a line with some viewers. One thing I can suggest is to think twice before you take children under the age of twelve to see it. Any way you look at it, though, it’s going to cause strong reactions, arguments, endless fan theories and comics versus movies debates until the yet untitled Avengers IV comes out, reportedly in 2019. This reviewer suggests you see it at your own risk. Consider yourself warned.