Movie Breakdown: Avengers: Infinity War

Pre-Screening Stance:

Avengers: Infinity War (film #19 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) is finally here and if it isn’t a massive home run, I won’t know what to think.  I mean, this thing has to be great, right?

Post-Screening Ramble:

Just so you know, I won’t be doling out any spoilers here.  That would be a shitty thing to do, as there’s so much in the film that you should not be privy to before you take a seat in the theater.

Now for my overall thoughts.

Avengers: Infinity War is exactly what I was hoping it would be – it’s huge, it moves fast, and it pulls no punches at all.  I was really curious to see whether or not Marvel would actually bring the hammer (ha) down onto its beloved roster of characters, and they actually do!  Nothing and no one is safe in Infinity War, and helping drive all of this is Thanos, a truly stellar villain who legit registers as both scary and possibly unbeatable.  Speaking of Thanos, Infinity War is essentially his movie.  The powerful and menacing figure believes that “balance” needs to be brought to the universe, and the film takes its time to explore why he desires such a thing.  I found this refreshing.  Yes, it means that some of the MCU mainstays get pushed to the side (Captain America has a lot less screen time than I was expecting) or given strange roles (Bruce Banner is mostly used as comic relief), but it’s all worth it since the prize is a fully realized super force that warrants his multi-film lead up.

My expectations for Avengers: Infinity War were sky high, and yet it still managed to impress.  This film is an event that should not be missed.

One Last Thought:

The answer to why Hawkeye and Ant-Man haven’t been in any trailers is provided in Infinity War, but it’s done in a “that makes sense but it’s still fairly disappointing” sort of way, and I’m curious to see how people will respond.

One More Last Thought:

There’s only one stinger in the credits, and it’s a total doozy.  Not necessarily for what it hints at, but just because its contents are chilling.