Review: "The Avengers: Infinity War" Sets Its Stakes Too High, But Does a Decent Job Trying to Get There

Scene from The Avengers: Infinity War
In 2012, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) released The Avengers. At the time, it seemed like the biggest achievement in superhero cinema. It combined four movie franchises into one team-up that was itself an ambition rarely seen outside of comic books. But alas, 2018 has come with Infinity War and makes what came before seem quaint. This isn't just a world where a few heroes fight to save the day, but features over 50 central characters with tonally different series coming together to fight the biggest villain of them all: Thanos. At almost three hours, it's a film whose ambitions are fully met, but also happens to fall prey to the faults of every criticism the series has had leading up to this moment. It's grandiose yet tangential, finding excellence in smaller moments that fulfill fantasies of seeing space characters join forces with more grounded, realistic figures. It's everything that superhero cinema represents at the moment, for better or worse. 
The opening frames dictate the type of film that co-directors The Russo Brothers hope to create. It's one littered with people who have died and those who survived desperate to make pleas for safety. There's a threat in the presence of Thanos, whose hulking presence could crush everything with no more than the rightly angled punch. Over the past 18 movies, The Avengers have been able to defeat most of their foes, but in Infinity War it's hard to imagine them winning. Thanos' goal of collecting the all-encompassing power known as The Infinity Stones is the real threat. How do you stop someone who can transcend time, space, and energy? It's hard, but The Avengers have no other choice. Saving the world is hard, but saving the universe is harder and requires a man power that is far greater than the fractured core that have been worn and beaten over their journeys. 
The exciting thing is that Thanos isn't just another run-of-the-mill villain. There's a perverse joy in pulling back the curtain to look into his life. He shares just as much screen time as the seasoned vets Iron Man, Thor, or even Captain America. The film tries to understand what drives one man to be a destructive force feared by everyone. It's a detriment to the film that this is sandwiched in between everyone's else's plots, as having an outsider's perspective gives something fresh to the MCU. Still, there are quiet moments and brash decisions that give off the suggestion that The Russo Brothers have more to say about Thanos' past. What is his emotional arc not only throughout Infinity War, but also in his own life? Underneath the hard exterior is a man driven by motives that have been warped but started in a place of reason. He wants to better the universe, but not in the right way. He's evil, but is he wrong?
A big conflict comes from a metaphorical war that has raged on throughout these many franchises, no matter how supernatural the plot. These are characters who have been ravaged by loss, specifically that of families torn apart by death or conflict. The sense of loss seems greater because of how empty the field already is. Those who survive have become tools in negotiation that add a sadistic layer to Thanos' plan. In every case The Infinity Stones are acquired through a death or defeat model, making the decisions darker. The ultimatum takes the film to some uncomfortable places, meaning that the franchise is finally recognizing its mortality. What's good cannot last forever. It's present throughout the script, with dialogue that highlights a sense of despair, sometimes too deliberately, and creates something that a world full of already announced sequels isn't likely to get: a conclusion. It's a lie that the film sells, but it works out of the larger context.
But the film succeeds in creating a fantasy that seems all too ridiculous. What if the characters of Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy went on adventures together? What about Doctor Strange and Iron Man? It all happens, and it's some glorious magic for those who have fantasized about the pages coming to life in vibrant details, letting Tony Stark quip with Doctor Strange just to show how at odds their egos are. It's a testament to how amazingly balanced every element of the film is that a side story involving Thor and Rocket Raccoon ends up being one of the film's finest moments. They're in every sense better sidekicks than leads, but work so well at establishing a madcap chemistry that is infectious. When the battle scenes come, they compliment each other in a way that's novel, creating some of the most fruitful action concepts that these 18 films have produced. 
But the issue with all of this is that the film has to compliment every franchise equally enough that it tells a concrete story. Even at only half a story set at three hours, it jumps around with a frequency that doesn't allow any one story to feel fully formed. It's also not any of the characters' best work. For instance, the great world building of Black Panther feels undermined by the Wakanda sequences where the battles feel more traditional and less consequential than before - which is odd since every fight has world-shattering stakes. The imagery never feels vibrant enough, coming off as something dreary and generic. It also means that the characters perform a lot of fan service, nudging each other with silly jabs to reflect how similar or different they truly are. As great as it is, there's clearly tonal clashes that sometimes don't land. With 50+ characters fighting for screen time, it also means that many get thrown to the wayside once their purpose is done. It's an issue with a world this big. It's an achievement that what works works, but still it raises hope that Part 2 will deliver on a satisfying half.
Infinity War is the culmination of 10 years of movies and dozens upon dozens of characters coming together to fight evil. The issue is that going big often means that there is bound to be issues on certain levels. Things don't always gel, and the need to tell an expansive story often means that some characters are left behind while others won't have emotional resonance without a textbook knowledge. Still, it's a movie that has stakes and raises mysteries about what the future of the MCU could possibly hold. Considering that Thanos is easily among the most compelling villains that they have ever produced, there's a good chance that this film will work better with Part 2 attached on the other side. For now, it's hard to say as people rumble through what's been done and try to determine how much the loss means to them. This is a franchise that has somehow continued to be financially successful for a decade now. That's even more unprecedented than what Infinity War represents. One can only imagine something of this magnitude happening in another 10 years. What will that look like? Whatever it may be, it ma look as small as The Avengers does only a few years later. 

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