January 23rd, 2017 will mark the biggest date in Marvel Cinematic Universe history. This is the beginning of the end for our favorite and less favorite Marvel superheroes. They begin their journey of facing their biggest and baddest enemy to date, Thanos. Ever since arriving in the MCU, in "The Avengers", six years ago, these movies have had hints of his eminent arrive for earths mightiest warriors'. Now, there is nothing to stop him from achieving his ultimate goal and his destiny to gain dominance and power over all the known universe. Avenger: Infinity Wars has been a long awaited film to continue an eighteen (18) movie setup for the Mad Titan's arrival himself. Many fans would nitpick this film from not being comic book actuate; however, the film itself is about 70% source material than most MCU movies to date. Infinity Wars has been said to be the best comic book film to date, at least in the MCU; however, this film isn't 100% perfect in a way a MCU movie fan once thought. Many critics are comparing this film as if you emptied out your avengers’ toy box and clashing them against one major villain. Some critics; however, call this an illogical step to a singularity and confusing mess of a film. Others, on the other hand, praise Marvel Studios for creating a series of interconnected Marvel films, some standalone, with a proper payoff in the end. All in all, this film works on so many levels that single handily changed a whole cinematic universe forever. The Russo brothers have put their heart, soul and mind to bringing you this huge film that has been a decade in the making. From its story (plot), they made the point clear, Thanos must be stopped, to the huge abundance of characters, this film is almost perfect. To quote a Mad Titan," I know what it's like to Lose. To Feel so desperately that you're right, yet to Fail nonetheless... Dread It! Run from It! Destiny Arrives all the same!" Destiny Arrives: From the opening of the first frame and closing of the last frame in the opening scene, setups what is to come in the rest of the film. This opening scene was said to be a major game changer as per the Russo brothers in an interview. Continuing from where Thor: Ragnarok, Thanos arrival is now and has come to collect his destiny. His arrival has shaken the Avengers as well as the audience to their core with his actions. Without spoiling any of this movie, Thanos and his Black Order family makes a massive statement that they mean business. These actions are so very different in the current formula of the Avengers films. The Russo brothers brings out the humanity of these characters that they never have faced someone like him before. Thor and company are out matched and out gunned when they’re face to face with Thanos and his family. In fact, most Marvel films {most films in general}, the opening scene makes or breaks the interest of the audience right off the bat. This film; however, gives the audience a chance to wonder who is going to make it out alive and those who feel the wrath of Thanos and his family. The actors/actress', playing their roles, and the directors, with writers of the film, play a key part in shaping this story structure flawlessly. Granted, this film isn't 100% comic book accurate; however, film based, this is almost as perfect from a plot and structure stand point. Thanos' mission is plain and simple right from the start. He wants to collect all of the Infinity Stones (Gems) to control all the known universe. The only thing standing in his way is the Avengers. Obviously, in the media outlets, he already has his first stone (power stone) and he explains on how he got access to it to Thor and crew. Once Thanos shows the team who he really is, they're forced to choice what is more important, family or destiny. Both Thor and Loki now know what is more important and the brothers are closer than ever. More importantly, Thor, goes through a hell in the last film that brought him and Loki closer together in this film. There is one key point in this whole scene that I love and that's the confrontation between Hulk and Thanos. This has to be the most thrilling part of this scene where we get a chance to see what the Hulk can do to the Mad Titan. Things man not be more than meets the eye with Thanos, so he quickly dispatches him while still taking the most the Hulk can put out. Once Thanos is finished with Thor and crew, he leaves Thor with the ultimate parting gift, hatred and revenge! New York City, the site of the first Avengers, as well as other superheroes. We get caught up on what Wong and Dr. Strange are up to and it is very comic. An unexpected visitor comes crashing into Strange’s life and at the best, opportune time. We get a geography sense of awareness from Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Peter Parker, and Strange, character placement, which Marvel only hinted at before in the MCU. The writing team and directors have been waiting a long while for long lost reconnection of Banner and Stark. Banner warns Stark, Strange and Wong of what is coming and Stark's emotions and PTSD, from the first Avengers film, takes control. As the Black Order's, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian, make their way down streets of New York, they run into Stark, who gives them a great earth welcome. As they prepare for a fight, Banner is having trouble with his inter green guy who refuses to fight. This is the first time we see Hulk not waiting to come out and suffer the same fate that had happened to him previously. The writers wanted to flesh this out more that the Hulk is afraid to be ashamed of his actions and what he couldn't do. The Hulk feels more human than ever before and showing emotion like he never did, not even with the fight in Age of Ultron, with Ironman's Hulk buster armor. As they continue to fight Maw and Obsidian, our friendly neighborhood Spiderman joins the fight. Spiderman joining the battle isn't what Stark wanted; however, their efforts were every much just a nuisance to Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian and their ultimate goal, obtain both Earth's Infinity Stones. We have never seen an enemy like Maw before and it is very interesting, the dynamics between Strange and Maw. They are pretty much the same, but from different corners of the universe. Once they quickly disband Obsidian and race to chance up to Maw; Stark sets out on a one way mission to finish what he has started once and for all. Unbeknownst to him, Parker wants to prove himself that he is worthy of the Avengers designation. The audience is then greeted by the Guardians of the Galaxy, a few months removed from their fight with Peter’s father, Ego. The Guardians run into an expected survivor, Thor. Thor runs down what had happen to him and his people. Tensions brew on board of the Milano that shows the Guardians being split for two connected fronts, stopping Thanos from getting those stones and finding a weapon to put him down once and for all. As they split up, this can be chalked up to their little "Civil War" as Peter, captain, doesn't agree with Thor and his methods of treating them as any old pasting by standers and Thor, full of rage and revenge, just wants to get a new "hammer". Thor, much like Thanos, has his own destiny to seek revenge from what Thanos had done to him and with the new weapon, he can finally accomplish this, with or without the Guardians help. It seems that every major Avenger character, Stark, Rogers, Widow, and etc., have a different destiny; however, they share one common goal, stop Thanos from controlling the entire universe and collecting all six (6) Infinity Stones. With one major issue, the mind stone was been in hiding and off the radar since Civil War. Vision and Scarlet Witch are hiding from the forces the mind stone warned Vision about. Little do they know, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight, has already found them. During their huge fight that spans a whole country's environment, Vision wants Scarlet to destroy the stone (killing him in the process) by any means necessary. Out of love and passion for him, she won't do this and will fight down to the last breathe to save him. When this becomes too much for the both of them, back up arrives. Outsmarting and out gunned both Glaive and Midnight decide to bale on the mission. Lost the battle but not the war. Rogers, Widow and Falcon save them from getting hands on the mind stone and out of Thanos' hands. Once they arrive, it changes the tone of the story that it has been all Thanos and the Black Order up to this point. It feels like both Midnight and Glaive have lost their opportunity to grab the Mind Stone and please Thanos. Rogers and company got their first "win" on the war of The Infinity Stones. Reality is never what it really seems to be. On the hunt for Thanos, Gamora, Peter, Drax and Mantis, track him down at a familiar place, Knowhere. As they sneak up to him, Thanos is threatening The Collector on the whereabouts of the Aether (Reality Stone). Gamora and team have no choice, but to attack him as his guard is down. Gamora has finally completed her Destiny; however, Reality, isn't always what it seems to be. Thanos reveals that he is another step closer to completing his destiny and Peter has brought him one of the final pieces of his puzzle. Gamora, Peter, Drax and Mantis are powerless to stop him and leaves them wondering what is next! Thanos doesn't leave them without taking what Peter holds most dear. This whole scene, to me, feels like a red herring from the first frame to the last. Even before we know the outcome of this, as the team arrives on Knowhere, we [the Audience] get a strange feeling that if Thanos was here, it wouldn't look that calm. While the Guardians face off their toughest challenge ever; Thor, Groot and Rocket find themselves with a challenge of their own, Forging! Thor returns to the birth place of Mjolnir, Nidavellir, where they meet a giant dwarf, Eitri. The sole survivor of Thanos' onslaught, Eitri helps Thor and company make a new hammer to stop Thanos once and for all. With the help of Rocket and Groot, they to have to reignite the dying star, jump start the forge to create Thor's new hammer, Stormbreaker. As they work to create a Thanos killing hammer, Rodgers and company find their way to his new friend, T'challa, aka Black Panther. Rodgers meets up with his old friend Bucky with a new appendage. This feels like a home coming since Rodgers hasn't seen him since Civil War. After briefing Bucky, T’challa and his people about what is coming and how to prepare them, T'challa's sister, Shuri, out smarts both Banner and Stark on their creation, Vision. Shuri is the key to saving Vision and it must be done to withhold Thanos receiving the last stone. They must destroy the mind stone and if it has to come to it, Vision as well. Scarlet Witch stammers and declines destroying Vision. Their love to way to strong that not even Thanos can separate them. Without any doubt, a big ship crashed on top of Wakanda's protective dome and explodes. Thanos' children have arrived and found where the mind stone is location. Rodgers and team are too late and they must fight to defend Vision and the mind stone. While Cap and his team are preparing for a fight, Thanos seems to be smarter than Gamora seems to be. Nebula appears to have been captured off screen, sneaking on to try and kill Thanos. Keeping her alive, was Thanos' plan all along, to show Gamora that if he doesn't get what he wants, she will be no more. After calling Gamora's bluff on the location of the last stone, Soul Stone, Thanos uses her [Gamora] own words against her. Torturing Nebula to a point that she know long can take it, Gamora finally tells Thanos where the Soul Stone is location at. Once Gamora gives up the location, she tends to Nebula like a sister she is. A few movies ago, Nebula despises her sister for being Thanos' favorite and now both sisters want to get rid of their "father" by any means necessary. Gamora takes Thanos to the location of the Soul Stone, Vormir, Nebula breaks out of Thanos' prison, sending out a signal to some familiar Guardian to meet her on Titan, Thanos' home world. Arriving at Titan, Stark, Strange and Parker, crash land on a deserted world. Stark, Strange and Parker have no idea what they are getting into; however, they are on a destiny course to defeat Thanos. Exploring this new world, Peter Quill gets the jump on Parker, demanding where is Gamora. Peter and the rest of the Guardians are at a standstill until Stark realized that they are both on the same side. As they fight over whose plan is better to stop Thanos, they noticed that Strange is acting weird. He wakes up from his time trance and Strange informs Stark and company that he went forward in time of different scenarios to win against Thanos. He pinpoints that out of fourteen million scenarios, they only win one time. Strange and Stark tell the team and plan out an attack on Thanos, since he isn't on Titan, once he arrives home. Arriving at Vormir, Thanos still think that Gamora is tricking him with the location of the Soul Stone, when they are greeted by a very familiar face that we [audience] haven't seen in the MCU since the creation of the MCU. He tells them that the soul stone is here; however, you must relieve the one thing you love most in order to gain access to the soul stone. This scene and the Titan scenes are some key scenes that make the most impact on, not just the audience, but the story and MCU as a whole. After realizing what was said, Gamora gloats that after all he has done and the journey he took to get here, he{Thanos} has reached a dead end and can't successfully complete his destiny. Realizing Thanos can't love anything in this universe, Gamora then realizes that he does love someone. Gamora fights to change his mind. Ultimately, choices his destiny over her. Feeling compassion for what he has done, he {Thanos} transience’s to an unfamiliar place, with soul stone in hand. He places the soul stone inside his glove and now he must deal with the strange mortal man. As Rodgers and company prepare for a war on Wakanda, Shuri, Scarlet Witch and Vision are working on removing the mind stone from his head. Rodgers and Bucky have a bromance moment as they form attack lines. More pods crash land on the outskirts of Wakanda and Proxima Midnight and Cult Obsidian meet Rodger's, Widow, T’challa and a few others at the protective shield. They make one final plead to take the mind stone without a fight and Widow asked about their partner. Playing with the teams’ heads, Midnight mentions that he didn't make it and they will pay for that. T’challa and company decline their plea. Returning to the fighting lines, Rodgers notices that these four armed, rabbit, and mindless creatures called the Outriders. These Outriders are rushing the shield to find the weakest point; however, some are making their way through. Some are being cut in pieces but those of them who are alive, begin to make their way towards them. T'challa sees this, worried, notices that more and more of these Outriders are breaking off to surround Wakanda. T'challa informs Rodgers that they can't surround this place. They rush towards the point of contact. He demands to open to shield on his command. Rodgers and T'challa race towards these creatures and at the right moment, they open the shield. Every Avenger with T'challa and his people rush altogether. The war to save the universe begins! As the dying star is awoken, Thor realizes he must push through to create this new weapon. Eitri mentions that the eye needs to stay open. Without thinking it through, Thor jumps to keep the eye open. As Rocket warns him not too, Thor, seeing red, will die in order to create his new hammer. Thor is out for vengeance for his family. Forcing the eye to stay open, Thor can't hold on long enough. The star's energy force is too much for him to with stand, sending it towards Eitri. Eitri rushes to create the mold for the new hammer. As Groot and Rocket tend to Thor, barely alive, Eitri grows into a panic. The hammer mold falls to the floor. Eitri mentions that this new hammer needs a handle. Groot hears this and lends a helping hand. Sacrificing his arm in more to create a handle for Stormbreaker. Stormbreaker finds its way into Thor's hands and revise his strength and power. Thor finally now has his Thanos killing hammer, Stormbreaker! From the air and the ground, the avengers are succeeding for the most part; however, Midnight has an ace up her sleeve. As more and more Outriders join the battle, the numbers are too much for them. Scarlet Witch can't sit and watch her friends lose this battle. Leaving Vision and Shuri, Scarlet makes her way to the battle. Noticing this, Midnight calls to someone, Corvus Glaive, to take out Vision now. He appears to be inside the same place Witch was with Vision. Rodgers and company over power them; however, both Obsidian and Midnight join the battle. Midnight gets the drop on Widow and T'challa's guards. As Midnight is about to deal the final blow to these ladies, Scarlet Witch intervenes. This fight is just the beginning. Rodgers and T'challa sees more and more Outriders entering through the small shield opening. Feeling like this could be their last battle as a team and a rainbow beam illuminates the battlefield. Thor, Rocket and Groot emerges from this beam, rushing to take the fight to Thanos and his army. Feeling grateful and relieved, Rodgers and team get their second wind, taken on multiple enemies at one given time. Banner, inside the Hulk buster, and Obsidian send each other into a forest area of the battlefield. Banner protects his friends and wants to get rid of Obsidian once and for all. He tries to pull out Hulk; however, he refuses due to his fight with Thanos. Hulk hasn't been seen since the beginning and this is caused he was embraced and doesn't want to get handled like that again. Obsidian rushes Banner, beating him up and down, just like Hulk did to Stark [Avengers: Age of Ultron]. Ripping of a hulk buster arm, Obsidian gloats. Banner locks the arm with his [Obsidian] and sending him crashing into the shield of Wakanda. Midnight has defeat T’challa’s guard, Witch and Widow. She inches ever so close and is about to end Widows' life; however, Scarlet Witch interrupts and sends her right into one of the Outriders machines. Rodgers rushes to the aid of Vision. Glaive has been fighting with him for a little while now. Glaive weakens Vision. Rodgers blindsides Glaive. As Rodgers and Glaive fight, Vision regains his composure. With Corvus Glaive distracted, Vision dispatches him. As the fight for Wakanda rages on, Thanos finally arrives on Titan. Searching for what happen to Maw and his ship, Dr. Strange points out that he [Maw] is gone and failed on bring him the stone. Thanos declines that he failed since he [Strange] is here with the time stone. Strange informs him that under no circumstance he will not get the time stone without a fight. Strange prepares for a fight; however, it is just a trick. Thanos is blinded by the rest of the Avengers. Spiderman, Ironman, Peter Quill, Dr. Strange, and Drax take shoots at Thanos. This isn't enough to take him down. It makes him angrier that he floors Spiderman as he jumps through Dr. Strange's portals. Once they get done taking turns, Nebula finally joins the fight, crashing her ship into him. Making him even more Mad, Dr. Strange turns his plan to the glove and removing from him. After Strange pry's his fist open, Drax, Nebula, Ironman, Spiderman, and Mantis hold him at bay. As Mantis struggles to hold Thanos at bay, under her trance, Peter finds it the best time to investigate what he did with Gamora. Realizing what happened, Peter can't take it anymore and grows irate. Without caring and consequences, takes his anger out on Thanos without regards to Stark and other teammates. Breaking up Mantis trance on Thanos, Peter realized what he had done; however, it was too late. Thanos angrily decimates each member and sending Stark and team pieces of a planet/moon crashing into Titan. With the real Mad Titan on the loose, Thanos destroys each member until he gets to Strange and Ironman. As Strange tries his best mystic methods, he throws everything at him; however, Thanos gets the upper hand, knocking him down. Seeing this, Ironman is the last one left standing. Stark rushing him giving him his all. He throws everything at Thanos. He even makes Thanos feel humanity for the first time, physically. Furthermore, up until this point, you have been reading most of what happens in this film. If you haven't seen this film yet, you need to watch it in order get this point forward. Without given any more details away, I can say that Infinity War ends on a bleak tone compared to any other Marvel film to date. Find out what happens with the Avengers and Thanos in Theaters now!!!! Conclusion Over all, this film works on so many levels that, every scene that the Russo brothers create is memorable for its scene structure and the impact on its story. By itself, this nearly 3 hour film, makes very little sense outside of its film title. Of course, this is the 19th additional to the MCU that was never meant to be signalized nor isolated from the others. Anthony and Joe Russo, directors of Infinity War, created a vast entity that has been long overdue and expanded beyond the borders of its predecessors and brand extension. With the build up to this final two part show down, the MCU pulls no punches that Thanos is here and can't be denied his destiny. Bringing the more human elements into this film, similar to any other action films, this feels like the turning point of the current MCU to date. Passing of the touch to the newer members and watching the sun set on the current MCU members. With parallel plots, that drive this film, destine to collide by destiny itself. Each separate group, Guardians, Thor's, Rodgers' and Starks team, story's come full circle towards the climax of this film. Separating the group was Thanos' plan in order to full fill his destiny and rule the universe. Since there are different forefronts, Rodgers' on Wakanda and Stark and Guardians on Titan, there are many characters that fight for enough screen time. With having so many characters on screen at a given time, it feels like it is heavily bloated with over 30 characters in this film. You [audience] feel like some characters are there just for background filler, to move the plot/story along or to help the pacing of the film. The main characters we have grown, in the last ten years, to see in these films have a good mixture of screen time and story arches that comes full circle in this film. Despite being more bloated than any other Marvel movie, Infinity War's strengths lie in the relationship that we've developed, over the last ten years, with these characters and the relationships they're formed with each other. New friendships will be made as well as new enemies looking forward into the future. Despite some review saying that this is an "Extraordinary Juggling Act" (The Atlantic) and other's like CinemaBlend praising it by stating, “It’s a unique, exceptional achievement that somehow leaves you both fully satisfied and desperate for more, and ranks among the best adventures we've seen yet from this stellar franchise." This film was never meant to be solely a standalone film, like others negatively pointed to; however, it is meant for a bigger team-up film that each team has its own sub-plots with a consent story line throughout. Either thought this is an Avenger's film, you somewhat care for what Thanos wants to do, in order to save the universe from itself. Marvel never really had a villain so structured, outside of a few, that would make the Avengers out matched and out gunned. Some reviews, us being one of them, say that this film is somewhat bloated of characters that they do not get enough screen time [equally]. After watching this a few times, we noticed that this is bloated for a reason. When it comes to the biggest and baddest villain that we have seen in both the MCU and DCEU to date. When you have a character like Thanos, you would need as many heroes trying to stop this freight train from getting to his final stop, collecting all Infinity Stones. In a sense, it feels like a final boss battle in action/adventure game were you need all these items/weapons just to stop/take the boss down. Avengers: Infinity War isn't perfect; however, it is probably one of the best, if not the best, Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. There were some characters that felt like background filler and others that weren't their due to plot/story line reasons. The pacing and tone of the story throughout were pretty spot on, but had some slow spots between set pieces that might have dampened the story structure a little. The Russo brothers created one massively planned, well structured, and downright phenomenal superhero film that tugs at your emotions and put you on a 190 minute joyride with an unexpected end result. IMDB Rating: 8.8 out of 10 Stars Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 83% Certified Fresh (Deadpool 2 - 82%) Rodger Ebert Rating: 2.5 out of 3 Stars The Film Corner Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Stars Infinity War Trailer: |
Brandon
Films have been in my blood coming into the new millennium. As a little kid, I was always fascinated about films and how they came to be. Inside the last decade, I turned my attention to reviewing these films, for the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Archives
March 2020
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