I came out of this movie with a much greater sense of satisfaction than I have for any other movie since Winter Soldier. Although future viewings will adjust its exact placement, I rank it up with Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy--my two favorite Marvel movies. I am about to go into detail as to why.
This post will contain many spoilers for the Infinity War movie. Do not continue reading if you have not seen the movie and you want to go into the next one without any foreknowledge. You have been warned.
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Seriously, spoilers are below.
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Are they gone?
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...
...
Now that it's just us: While people have complained that there is too much going on for any real plot or character development, I was amazed that they had such amazing plot and character development in a movie with this much star power. Now, I do have my gripes, but the great moments more than make up for them.
Gripes first: Why wasn't Hulk in the fight before most of the Asgardians were killed? Where was Valkyrie? Why was Thor's hammer quest so drawn out? Why didn't the Guardians know that Xandar had been wiped out since it happened a week before they stumbled across the Asgardian genocide? I'm guessing Dr. Strange had a magical counter, because no human can count past 14 million (even with access to time) without losing track. Gamora has landed in heels from bigger drops than the one that killed her. If Thanos was able to track the other stones by their resonance, he didn't need Gamora to tell him where the soul stone was. Why didn't Thor get to Thanos before he killed Vision--I mean, the rest of the team walked there faster? How did Spider-man get an entire speech while disintegrating while Fury couldn't even finish a motherfu ... ? For that matter, why were people disintegrating at different times? As for Thanos' big plan, isn't he going to need to do this every few decades or something? Wouldn't sterilizing the universe be a better long term plan? Why did teenage Groot's CGI look so much worse than the CGI used in the end credit scene of Guardians vol. 2? Isn't depending on a character (Captain Marvel) who hasn't been introduced yet a bit too much deus ex machina? WTF is up with this new nanite technology everywhere (there's no way that many are in that little chest plate or that they can build items that fast)? Despite all of the protestations about the value of one life, Star Lord and Scarlet Witch still would have killed their loved ones--but that's not how sacrifice works. At least in Vision's case, he should have pried the stone from his own head and then Wanda could have destroyed it without having to murder him too. If there was a Sherlock reference, I missed it--ruining my prediction record (I still think Loki faked his death).
Okay, I'm sure that there were other issues, but it was good to get those out. Now for what I loved:
1) Thor crying. I was really bothered by the lack of emotion on Thor's part when it came to the destruction of Asgard and the death of his friends in Ragnarok. This simple moment fixed that for me.
2) The Guardians' banter when Thor is brought aboard makes me laugh just thinking about it.
3) Mantis' fighting pose is hilarious.
4) Mantis playing with the gravity on Titan was great.
5) Thanos is the best big bad Marvel has yet made. I didn't really buy his love for Gamora, but showing his power by having him mano-e-mano the Hulk in the beginning (and making the Hulk hide for the rest of the movie) was a great way to show how much of a threat he was early on.
6) Thanos' use of the reality stone was clever and effective.
7) The dwarves were actually huge!
8) Having the huge dwarf played by Peter Dinklage was a masterstroke (talk about irony within irony)!
9) Red Skull is back! (Although not played by Hugo Weaving)
10) For that matter, every movie in the MCU thus far had some sort of reference in this one--an impressive feat!
11) The interactions between the various characters from the different films were some of the best parts.
12) Ben and Jerry's named ice cream after Stark and the Hulk
13) Benedict Cumberbatch says "Douche."
14) The "Aliens" plan.
15) That Dr. Strange knew the only path to success required him to be disintegrated and for Tony to remain alive (thus, him making Thanos promise not to kill Tony). This also showed his faith in the others to carry on the path without him controlling everything--a huge showing of character growth.
16) Iron-Spider.
17) Rocket wanting Bucky's arm.
18) Nick Fury's end scene.
19) Ned's distraction on the bus.
20) Stan Lee's cameo.
21) The battles against Thanos' minions (and their defeats) were all fantastic!
22) Captain America's first appearance (almost identical to Dumbledore's appearance in the Half-Blood Prince)
23) The good guys have to lose to win, staying true to the comic inspirations.
24) Stark and Strange's banter (esp. "You're embarrassing me in front of the wizards").
25) Hulk sounding like a pouting toddler because he's afraid to come out.
26) Gamora telling Peter that she loves him (it's no longer an unspoken thing).
27) The irony of Banner in the Hulkbuster armor.
28) Nearly everything Okoye (sp?) says.
29) Rocket not responding to Thor continually referring to him as "Rabbit"
30) Every action sequence
I'm certain that there was more, but I need to see it again to refresh my memory and find other gems that I missed. This does lead me to some thoughts about the next Avengers movie. These are just my thoughts, but you might want to avoid them if you want to form your own opinions.
1) The talk about naming a baby near the beginning of the film is a near giveaway that Tony is not going to make it through the next film. His journey (considering he is utterly alone on an alien world) will likely be central to film.
2) Along the same lines, Steve Rogers is likely to end his time as Captain America, passing the mantle on. I'm guessing a monumental sacrifice on his part too.
3) It's a foregone conclusion that Thanos' universe killing will be reversed in some way. However, how far back will things go? Just to the point that he snapped his fingers? All the way to the start of the movie (thus bringing back Valkyrie and other off-stage deaths such as the Nova Core)? I wonder if they might somehow take it all the way back to before the first Avengers movie. The mastermind behind the MCU, Kevin Feige, has said that Avengers 4 will completely change the way Marvel films that follow it will work. To me, that suggests some serious universe-bending.
One way or another, I'm deeply interested in the upcoming Ant-man and Wasp (how will this movie incorporate this massive calamity), Captain Marvel (who is she and how will this change things), and Avengers 4. It's going to be a difficult year to remain patient. Honestly, I care more about this Avengers sequel than I do about what happens in the Star Wars universe after The Last Jedi (and that's saying something).
This post will contain many spoilers for the Infinity War movie. Do not continue reading if you have not seen the movie and you want to go into the next one without any foreknowledge. You have been warned.
...
...
...
...
Seriously, spoilers are below.
...
...
...
Are they gone?
...
...
...
Now that it's just us: While people have complained that there is too much going on for any real plot or character development, I was amazed that they had such amazing plot and character development in a movie with this much star power. Now, I do have my gripes, but the great moments more than make up for them.
Gripes first: Why wasn't Hulk in the fight before most of the Asgardians were killed? Where was Valkyrie? Why was Thor's hammer quest so drawn out? Why didn't the Guardians know that Xandar had been wiped out since it happened a week before they stumbled across the Asgardian genocide? I'm guessing Dr. Strange had a magical counter, because no human can count past 14 million (even with access to time) without losing track. Gamora has landed in heels from bigger drops than the one that killed her. If Thanos was able to track the other stones by their resonance, he didn't need Gamora to tell him where the soul stone was. Why didn't Thor get to Thanos before he killed Vision--I mean, the rest of the team walked there faster? How did Spider-man get an entire speech while disintegrating while Fury couldn't even finish a motherfu ... ? For that matter, why were people disintegrating at different times? As for Thanos' big plan, isn't he going to need to do this every few decades or something? Wouldn't sterilizing the universe be a better long term plan? Why did teenage Groot's CGI look so much worse than the CGI used in the end credit scene of Guardians vol. 2? Isn't depending on a character (Captain Marvel) who hasn't been introduced yet a bit too much deus ex machina? WTF is up with this new nanite technology everywhere (there's no way that many are in that little chest plate or that they can build items that fast)? Despite all of the protestations about the value of one life, Star Lord and Scarlet Witch still would have killed their loved ones--but that's not how sacrifice works. At least in Vision's case, he should have pried the stone from his own head and then Wanda could have destroyed it without having to murder him too. If there was a Sherlock reference, I missed it--ruining my prediction record (I still think Loki faked his death).
Okay, I'm sure that there were other issues, but it was good to get those out. Now for what I loved:
1) Thor crying. I was really bothered by the lack of emotion on Thor's part when it came to the destruction of Asgard and the death of his friends in Ragnarok. This simple moment fixed that for me.
2) The Guardians' banter when Thor is brought aboard makes me laugh just thinking about it.
3) Mantis' fighting pose is hilarious.
4) Mantis playing with the gravity on Titan was great.
5) Thanos is the best big bad Marvel has yet made. I didn't really buy his love for Gamora, but showing his power by having him mano-e-mano the Hulk in the beginning (and making the Hulk hide for the rest of the movie) was a great way to show how much of a threat he was early on.
6) Thanos' use of the reality stone was clever and effective.
7) The dwarves were actually huge!
8) Having the huge dwarf played by Peter Dinklage was a masterstroke (talk about irony within irony)!
9) Red Skull is back! (Although not played by Hugo Weaving)
10) For that matter, every movie in the MCU thus far had some sort of reference in this one--an impressive feat!
11) The interactions between the various characters from the different films were some of the best parts.
12) Ben and Jerry's named ice cream after Stark and the Hulk
13) Benedict Cumberbatch says "Douche."
14) The "Aliens" plan.
15) That Dr. Strange knew the only path to success required him to be disintegrated and for Tony to remain alive (thus, him making Thanos promise not to kill Tony). This also showed his faith in the others to carry on the path without him controlling everything--a huge showing of character growth.
16) Iron-Spider.
17) Rocket wanting Bucky's arm.
18) Nick Fury's end scene.
19) Ned's distraction on the bus.
20) Stan Lee's cameo.
21) The battles against Thanos' minions (and their defeats) were all fantastic!
22) Captain America's first appearance (almost identical to Dumbledore's appearance in the Half-Blood Prince)
23) The good guys have to lose to win, staying true to the comic inspirations.
24) Stark and Strange's banter (esp. "You're embarrassing me in front of the wizards").
25) Hulk sounding like a pouting toddler because he's afraid to come out.
26) Gamora telling Peter that she loves him (it's no longer an unspoken thing).
27) The irony of Banner in the Hulkbuster armor.
28) Nearly everything Okoye (sp?) says.
29) Rocket not responding to Thor continually referring to him as "Rabbit"
30) Every action sequence
I'm certain that there was more, but I need to see it again to refresh my memory and find other gems that I missed. This does lead me to some thoughts about the next Avengers movie. These are just my thoughts, but you might want to avoid them if you want to form your own opinions.
1) The talk about naming a baby near the beginning of the film is a near giveaway that Tony is not going to make it through the next film. His journey (considering he is utterly alone on an alien world) will likely be central to film.
2) Along the same lines, Steve Rogers is likely to end his time as Captain America, passing the mantle on. I'm guessing a monumental sacrifice on his part too.
3) It's a foregone conclusion that Thanos' universe killing will be reversed in some way. However, how far back will things go? Just to the point that he snapped his fingers? All the way to the start of the movie (thus bringing back Valkyrie and other off-stage deaths such as the Nova Core)? I wonder if they might somehow take it all the way back to before the first Avengers movie. The mastermind behind the MCU, Kevin Feige, has said that Avengers 4 will completely change the way Marvel films that follow it will work. To me, that suggests some serious universe-bending.
One way or another, I'm deeply interested in the upcoming Ant-man and Wasp (how will this movie incorporate this massive calamity), Captain Marvel (who is she and how will this change things), and Avengers 4. It's going to be a difficult year to remain patient. Honestly, I care more about this Avengers sequel than I do about what happens in the Star Wars universe after The Last Jedi (and that's saying something).
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