"Avengers: Infinity War" - Marvel's $300 million company picnic - brings all the characters we have become acquainted with over the last 10 years and 18 movies together for one epic battle. This, not unlike most Marvel properties, is nothing but fan service done well - for the most part.
There is no way to really describe the plot of "Avengers: Infinity War" in any great detail. First and foremost, I wouldn't dream of flirting with anything that could be considered a spoiler. Second, it's all pretty simple: Marvel's misfit toys must stop a giant bad guy from destroying the world. Sound familiar? The stakes are the same as they've always been, just dialed way up.
The Avengers are all scattered throughout the movie, including Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Along their travels, they run into Starlord (Chris Pratt) and his team and newcomers to the MCU, and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland, continuing to give these outings a much needed breath of fresh air) make their appearances. That's not all! There's Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Vision (Paul Bettany) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson). Their meet-and-greets all come down to one common goal: Stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) from collecting all of the Infinity Stones, which would give him the power to destroy the world with the snap of his fingers.
"Avengers: Infinity War" is as busy as it sounds but some characters get more screen time than others. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo keep things fast and chaotic, surprisingly moving the 150-minute runtime at a propulsive clip. These things tend to drag - and get bogged down in needless chit-chat - but when the action is non-stop, it's hard for any lulls to occur. "Avengers: Infinity War" is relentless and often fun but exhausting, forcing a sigh of relief once it's all said and done.
A lot of my opinion of the film rides on the very final scenes, so stay with me as I dance with caution around it. Unlike most Marvel films, the movie takes a risk in its final act and that's worth applauding (and it's worth noting it created an audible reaction during my showing). It's presented effectively and will keep you questioning what's happening until the final shot - again, worth applauding. "Avengers: Infinity War" was conceived to have a second installment to the final battle, which will ultimately dull the ending's impact once you exit the theater.
| Movie title | Avengers: Infinity War |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2018 |
| MPAA Rating | PG-13 |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Just reading through the cast list for "Avengers: Infinity War" is going to take you 20 minutes. When that's done, you can expect a relentless and fun but often exhausting epic that nonetheless pays off at the very end. |
