‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Review: Ten Years In The Making

“Avengers: Infinity War” is the nineteenth movie in the franchise that has become known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With a budget of over $300 million, it has become one of the most expensive films ever made. With a massive all-star cast, several epic sequences, and one of the most critically-acclaimed comic book story-arcs as its base, it delivers on all fronts.

The film is divided into three separate plots. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) encounters the Guardians of the Galaxy after his Asgardian vessel is attacked and its crew slaughtered by Thanos (Josh Brolin), who seeks to collect all six Infinity Stones. With them, Thanos can alter reality and wipe out half the universe with a snap of his fingers.

Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) stow aboard one of Thanos’ ships to rescue Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who is in possession of the Time Stone.

Finally, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) amasses the Earth-bound Avengers to protect Vision (Paul Bettany), who has the Mind Stone. They gather in Wakanda where they team up with the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman).

After each battle, each loss, the Avengers and the Guardians slowly learn that Thanos and his Black Order are not like any of the villains they have faced before. The Mad Titan is cunning, calculating, complex, and will stop at nothing to fulfill his obsession with “balancing the universe.” He sees this as his moral imperative and truly believes the universe will be grateful once he has accomplished this.

The story is based off “The Infinity Gauntlet,” a 1991 story-arc that combined all of the major Marvel Comics characters at the time. While this film presents a scaled-back version, it definitely brought the story to life in a modern, stylistic way that is both mesmerizing and entertaining.

At times, the film did feel a bit muddled with so many characters to keep up with and every now and then the decisions some of the characters made required some suspension of disbelief, but nothing out-of-the-ordinary for a science fiction flick.

That being said, the performances by the actors were fantastic. Particularly Downey, Jr. and Cumberbatch’s scenes were compelling and at times hilarious. Their on-screen chemistry was one of the best aspects of the film. Pair them with powerhouses like Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Zoe Saldana, and Don Cheadle, and you have an ensemble cast that delivers with each moment.

The first MCU film was 2008’s “Iron Man.” Now, 10 years and 19 films later, we have reached a real turning point.

“Avengers: Infinity War” is not your typical superhero film. It is not a movie that relies on its special effects or basic tropes to build its story. It has heart. There were times when I laughed, cheered, and yes, felt some sadness over what was happening on the screen. The characters were engaging, the plot was satisfying, and the stakes were very real.