Avengers: Infinity War Review - Worlds Collide

Let me just preface this by saying that if you're a Marvel fan, and you haven't yet gone to see Infinity War, then you need to change that. Straight after you finish reading this, that is. Alright, on to the professional stuff.

10 years after Iron Man hit the silver screen and introduced us to what has become the MCU, or the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' if you hate initialisms, Avengers: Infinity War is here. It's the first part of a two-part story (even if no longer in name), concluding in Avengers 4 next year. Truly the culmination of everything that's come before it, Infinity War takes everything the MCU has built, smashes it together, and the result is one of the best films in the franchise, and no doubt the most expensive.

After 18 films, five Infinity Stones, and God-knows-how-many superheroes, Thanos (Josh Brolin) is here. One of the franchise's infamous flaws is with its villains, with the majority of the films failing to offer any that are overly memorable or deep, but Thanos is without a doubt an exception. Menacing, efficient, and layered, Thanos is a joy to loathe (and after all of the build-up, that's a relief to say). Scary, yet sympathetic; brutal, yet calculated, Thanos is a great and complex character, unlike most past MCU bad guys (looking at you, Malekith), and Brolin's performance is gritty, captivating, and even at times heartfelt. As the Russos said, Infinity War is Thano's film, and his journey proves he deserves a place amongst cinema's greatest rogues' gallery.

The journey in question: to find the six Infinity Stones, and kill half the universe (no small feat). This, naturally pits Thanos and his army against Earth and Beyond's Mightiest: The Avengers, The Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and more, all of whom are finally together in the same film.

Let's talk about those many, many, stars of the show. Pretty much every major MCU hero who's still alive in the films is in Infinity War, from Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) to Mantis (Pom Klementieff). Personalities and dynamics collide, yet at no point does the film feel overstuffed, something that's always a worry for crossover films (and the scale of this one is unprecedented). For sure, not every hero gets the same amount of focus, but all get their moments to shine, leaving nobody's inclusion feeling unnecessary. Surprising none, all of the familiar actors, of which there are too many to name, give stellar performances (it'd be weird if RDJ slipped up now, let's face it).

Concerning the dynamics on show here, while some are likely not the combinations you'd expect, the newly-met characters all playoff and build each other in significant, or at least entertaining ways, making for some of the highlights of the film, and of course, much of the humour, as we've come to expect from these. Highlights in character humour include Drax's continued naïveté and Thor's dry wit.

New characters are also introduced, the most significant of these being perhaps The Children of Thanos, the big purple grape's four lieutenants. While the four vary in terms of how interesting they are, with Tom Vaughan-Lawlor's Ebony Maw proving to be by far the best (and creepiest), they're all well-suited matchups for the heroes, providing entertaining clashes throughout, and besides Thanos is more than enough great villain as is. Peter Dinklage's inclusion is also...grandiose, and I can't say much more without spoiling it.

The Children of Thanos (and Loki)

Come to think of it, this whole film feels like one big spoiler, and that's thanks to the film's pacing. We're at the culmination of 10 years worth of movie, of character arcs started films ago, and we enter the cinema knowing almost any one of them could bite the dust in the next 2 hours and 36 minutes, and not one part of it feels insignificant. Infinity War starts big, and the punches keep on coming, and I guarantee they're not the punches you'd expect, with some great surprises in tow. While there's plenty of your typical Marvel comedy to go around, this is a dramatic, emotional film, and in the best way possible, you're not going to be smiling throughout. Tissues at the ready.

The culmination on display is seen in more than just the characters who meet. Styles and locales collide too, from the musical planetary cosmos of the Guardians to the futuristic technology of Wakanda, Infinity War is a winning combination; a diverse, colourful film, and every aspect of the MCU feels well represented, while still new ones are introduced.

Every superhero film needs its action, and Infinity War delivers on that angle too, with the heroes combining their movesets to great effect, including in some of the grandest scale scenes seen in a superhero film to date. Some of the coolest moments are seeing how powerful some of the heroes have come in the time since they were introduced. Thor and Doctor Strange have some particularly great individual badass moments. Thanos is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to action as well, and every scene with him facing off against the heroes is great to watch, not to mention a great challenge for them.

An even greater challenge perhaps, will be waiting for Avengers 4 until next April. Avengers: Infinity War is a fun, emotional, crazy, action-packed ride that brings together the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it's come to be over the last decade, including its vast cast of great heroes, pitted against its greatest villain. A true spectacle, and one of the best superhero films ever made.

As always, stay until the credits finish rolling.