By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
Veknoid_Outcast on 28 April 2018
Edit Thread

Saw Infinity War last night. Overall, similar in quality to the first Avengers movie -- quite good, but not great.

Pros:

  • The cast. It's just fun to see so many fine actors on screen at once. This movie almost functions as an Ocean's 11-type production, where you grin at seeing Robert Downey, Jr. spar verbally with Benedict Cumberbatch or Chris Pratt awkwardly insert himself between Zoe Saldana and Chris Hemsworth. Everyone gives serviceable performances, too, even as many aren't given anything to do or to say or to feel -- but more on that later. The two MVPs, though, are...
  • Thanos and Gamora. Wow. This came out of left field, and I love it. In a movie mostly devoid of an emotional center, Thanos and Gamora's relationship threaten to make Infinity War a great movie. Saldana earns co-MVP credits with Josh Brolin/team of animators who brought the granite titan to life. The anger, pain, and pathos that defines the relationship between these two is by far the best part of the movie. I wanted more of it. In fact, I'd say Thanos is the most interesting and complicated person in the movie, which is astounding.
  • Action. It's the Russos meets the Avengers, so of course we're going to get great action. I wouldn't say there's anything in here that tops the best of Winter Soldier or Civil War, but the brawl on Titan and the sortie in Wakanda come close. I had the biggest smile on my face when Thor, Rocket, and Groot landed in the middle of the battle -- it's just fanboy fuel, in the best way.
  • Humor. As I've said before, the best Marvel movies traffic in the best jokes, and Infinity War is no exception. Markus & McFeely, who have proven themselves indispensable in the MCU, make this a very funny movie, and, gratefully, most of the jokes are grounded in personality quirks or flaws. In fact, I'd argue (just like Whedon did in The Avengers) that this duo writes some of the MCU characters better than their own scribes. This is especially true of the motley Guardians crew.
Cons:
  • It's too crowded. This was inevitable in a movie with ten years' worth of heroes and villains, and to be fair the Russos juggle the roster of 30+ characters as well as anyone could, but you cannot give all your stars something meaningful to do with that huge guest list. As a result, many characters show up simply for fan service or for extra warm bodies in a battle. 
  • A lack of scenes. Yes, I know that technically Infinity War is full of scenes, but so many of them are fight sequences or just connective tissue to get us to the next fight sequence. When I say scene, I mean in the words of Nerdwriter, something with "a strong scene of place, a feeling of possibility, that the characters that inhabit the space could go anywhere within it..." Say what you will about Age of Ultron, but it had more meaningful "scenes" than Infinity War. There's nothing like the party scene or the farm scene in the latter; so much of its 160 minute running time is dedicated to either chasing or protecting the infinity stones, and it rarely takes a deep breath to let a scene unfold. The throne room scene with Thanos and Gamora and the hotel room scene with Vision and Wanda come closest.
Score: 7/10

 

FINAL rankings:

OUTSTANDING
1) Captain America: Civil War

GREAT  
2) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3) Iron Man

GOOD
4) Guardians of the Galaxy
5) The Avengers
6) Avengers: Infinity War
7) Spider-Man: Homecoming
8) Thor: Ragnarok
9) Iron Man 3

DECENT
10) Black Panther
11) Captain America
12) The Incredible Hulk
13) Avengers: Age of Ultron
14) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

MEDIOCRE
15) Doctor Strange
16) Ant-Man
17) Iron Man 2

POOR
18) Thor
19) Thor: The Dark World