Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel Studios
So…there’s no way RHG and I can review this movie without spoiling the shit out of it. Do not scroll down if you don’t want to be spoiled. Okay? Like WE SPOIL EVERYTHING.
I’m not kidding. Here there be spoilers.
Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
I’m warning you again.
I’m warning you again again.
Know what? This entire review is going to be inside the Spoiler tag.
(Spider-Man is gonna be real disappointed if you get spoiled.)
Elyse: So RHG and I had very different movie going experiences here. I deliberately sought out spoilers before I went to the movie (I do this all the time. Don’t @ me). RHG went in unspoiled. Now we have thoughts.
First of all, even knowing who dies and how, Tom Holland managed to rip my heart out of my chest and tear it into little pieces in front of me. I’ve never wanted to just hug someone so badly in my life.
Also RIP Loki. You were trash, but I still have pants feelings for you. I CAN FIX HIM, YOU GUYS. THERE’S A TOM HIDDLESTON IN THERE SOMEWHERE UNDER ALL THE LEATHER AND NARCISSISM.
RHG: Somehow, I managed to go until Sunday night being unspoiled, without even trying that hard so GOOD JOB INTERNET I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU. GOOD JOB TEAM. I also have not read anything along the Thanos storyline in the comics, so other than “He wants the Stones for Reasons, and he’s a Bad Guy, so those Reasons are probably pretty bad,” I had no idea what would happen.
Oh, Tom Holland. You adorable cutie you. He’s so charming and earnest and just so cute. I’m glad you’re Peter Parker (or, if we’re using made-up names, Spider-Man).
Elyse: One thing that impressed me was how they managed to carry over the humor from Thor Ragnarok into this movie. Ragnarok really reinvented Thor’s character in a fun way, and since I knew this movie would be dark, I wasn’t sure how they were going to carry that tone over. They succeeded though: I think that Hemsworth was the star of this film as well.
RHG: Hemsworth did elbow his way to the top of Chris Rankings for this one. Oh, my poor baby. What else can be taken from you, indeed. Never ask that question. Seriously, the scene with Rocket when Thor is just baaaaaaaaarely holding on to sanity is SO GOOD.
This movie is difficult precisely because of what it was designed to be: tying ALL of the previous MCU movies together. So if you haven’t seen at least most of them (there’s no reason to see The Hulk movie, and you can safely skip Ant-Man) you’re gonna miss some things. Plot threads and characters come in from all over. Infinity War doesn’t try to hold your hand about that. It’s already 2 and a half hours long, we don’t need a recap of ALL OF THESE PEOPLE to make it Return of the King length.
Elyse: So did any of the deaths surprise you?
RHG: Actually yes, though I’m holding on to my bets until after the follow up next year. I figured we were (are) gonna lose Cap and Stark. I didn’t expect T’Challa or most of the Snapture (™ Glen Weldon) deaths. I am also sad about Gamora.
You?
Elyse: I was spoilered going in, but that said, I totally expected Loki. That was clear just from the trailer and the fact that he’s got to die eventually, right? I also figured Vision was toast due to the trailers. I also expected Cap or Stark, so when I read that they didn’t die, but Peter did, I was like “Oh, fuck.” Cuz why kill Tony (who now wants a kid) when you can just tear his heart out and feed it to him.
I figure in the next movie we’re going to lose either Cap, Stark or both to fix this mess.
I was kind of bummed that Black Widow and Okoye didn’t have much to do in this movie. I would watch two ours and forty minutes of them kicking ass, although “Who says she’s alone?” got cheers in our theatre.
RHG: I mean, a lot of people didn’t get much to do, because 18 bazillion characters. I’ve read that Thanos is really the main character here, and they’re not wrong. We needed to set up his whole motivation and plan. I think Josh Brolin was fine (though I am annoyed that they recast Thanos from the guy who played him in original flavor Avengers).
Thanos is just your typical extremist who sees a problem, and comes up with a solution, and decides that his way is the only way, even though scaling up leads to more problems. (Like… sure, maybe the pilots of that helicopter were on the “sorry, you gotta go” list, but the people IN the helicopter? Plus the instability from having half your population vanish and the scarcity that will result when there aren’t people to run the production of…. I maybe thought about this too much.)
BASICALLY THANOS NEVER THOUGHT THIS THROUGH.
Elyse: I think they tried to make him a sympathetic character or at least his madness understandable on some level, but it never really worked. And fuck him and his sad crying and sacrifice. “It cost everything.” Shut the fuck up dude. Sit down. You purple nutsack.
Sorry. I’m still bitter about Tom Hiddleston being done with Marvel and also really super sick of dude’s egos ruining the world.
Which is also why I’m pretty done with Tony Stark’s daddy issues and the fact that ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED if Peter Quill had shut up for a minute.
Chris Pratt is further down the Chris list now.
RHG: Chris Pratt was already at number 1,949.
That said, no, this couldn’t have been avoided by Quill. Strange saw 14 million versions of the future, and there’s only one in which they win. And they are on it. “It was the only way.” Strange wouldn’t have given up the Time Stone just to save Tony’s stupid life. There’s one path, and Quill being Quill was required for it to work.
All of this is set up for Carol Danvers to hero-walk up to Thanos, kick him in the nuts, and fix it.
Elyse: I will pay to see that. So what were your best moments? I’m going with Cap’s beard and any interaction between Rocket and anyone.
RHG: Not gonna lie, I’d love a webseries with Strange and Stark sniping at each other.
And then there’s Tony dubbing Peter and making him an Avenger. Or Okoye musing that a Starbucks would have been nice.
But here’s the most important thing: that stinger? That post credit stinger? I FUCKING PUNCHED THE AIR and Elyse can confirm that my first text to her was “CAROL.”
Elyse: Yes, this is true.
I would also like to thank this movie for all the awesome Tumblr content. Like the fact that I’m pretty sure Benedict Cumberbatch has been assigned to keep Tom Holland from leaking any spoilers at press junkets.
RHG: Thank god someone was assigned to poor Tom. He just can’t help himself. (Also for a good time, watch the video of Ruffalo on Good Morning America from like MONTHS ago where he did say that half of everyone does die.)
I do have to admire the ambition that they’ve got with the MCU, and I think it’s been pretty successful- all these interconnected stories that come together and mostly work! And TBH, there hasn’t been an MCU movie I haven’t at least liked (except I haven’t seen the Hulk because who has time for that). I think they’ve been less successful with interweaving in the TV shows with the main continuity, but I admire the scope and the fact that Marvel is willing throw in the resources required to make something of this size work.
Elyse? I don’t feel so good.
Elyse: Wrap up and grade tomorrow?
RHG: No, that’s Peter’s line before he dies.
Elyse: GODDAMNIT RHG MY HEART CAN’T HANDLE THAT. I’VE BLACKED THAT MEMORY OUT.
RHG: I’m laughing and grabbing my left boob like Evans.
Elyse: Okay, enjoy my pain. I’m giving this movie a B. You?
RHG: Oh I am. Sure, B, with a side of ungradable.
So basically it was good, it was impressive in scope, but also CAROL DANVERS.
Elyse: We leave you with this Twitter gem.
Have you seen Inifinity War? What’s your take? Be warned there may be spoilers in the comments!
Avengers: Infinity War is in theaters now. Tickets (US) are available at Fandango and Moviefone.
I lose all critical faculties when Avengers movies are up. Saw this yesterday and my brain still hasn’t computed.
BRILLIANT MOVIE!
But – Loki…sob.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I loved all the different character team-ups, and there was a lot of good action. I also thought the humor was well done without feeling forced. I’m still laughing about “Sweet Rabbit” and “Pirate Angel Baby” Thor.
I would also watch a movie with Stark and Strange sniping at each other. Or Peter and Quill talking about movies. Or Bucky and Rocket killing things. Or Scarlet Witch, Okoye, and Black Widow kicking butt.
My big problem was Thanos and his motivation. I just don’t understand *why* he wants to kill half the universe. If his planet/people were still alive, and he wanted to do it to save them, then that would make more sense to me. But in the movie, his motivation is just “He’s the villain and reasons”. I also think his motivation in the comics — to impress Lady Death — is weak as well.
I also thought Thanos’s relationship with Gamora was weird. I hope that she and Nebula hack him to pieces in the next movie. I like Nebula’s character more with every movie she’s in.
I agree that many of the characters didn’t have much to do — pretty much everyone on earth except for Vision and Scarlet Witch. I’m also surprised they saved the Tony/Steve reunion for Part 2.
The death scenes were emotional, but also a little manipulative, since most of them will probably get undone in Part 2. But it was hard watching everyone lose the person they love the most — Cap/Bucky, Rocket/Groot, Okoye/T’Challa, etc.
However, I disagree about ANT-MAN. That’s one of my favorite Marvel movies. It’s just so much fun, and it’s definitely much more of a heist movie than IW is (which is what the Russo brothers described it as).
I also posted an IW discussion post on my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferEstepAuthor/posts/10155090386851601
My deepest thanks for the tweet gem. This review is on the money.
The Russos did well to tie it ALL together. That alone gives it most of the points. There’s actual coherence.
Also, please Goddess, an Okoye movie one day soon.
I was a shaking, crying mess in the theater for the last 15 minutes of the movie and the entire credits crawl. I know (with a few days of emotional distance in place now) that most of the deaths/vanishments are going to be undone, because death is not permanent in comic books or their movies, not to mention Black Panther and Spider-Man are already signed on for sequels. But good LORD, they made it as painful as possible.
Steve Rogers with a beard. I may have growled out loud in the theater, because my husband elbowed me and whispered “I’m sitting *right here*…”
Sure Thing, I am pushing for a movie where Okoye and Black Widow help Shuri as she steps up as Queen of Wakanda, and together they make it a world power and punch a lot of idiots. Valkyrie can help too, if we can pry her away from Janelle Monae. 😉
My current comfort (and possibly the plot of a fanfic) is that when Tony Stark was left alone in a cave with a box of scraps, he became Iron Man. Now Tony has an entire planet of salvageable alien tech, and the able assistance of Nebula, who will be more than happy to assist if it means eventually getting to whale on Thanos.
At the end of the movie, my beautiful eleven year old daughter, she of the giant crush on Tom Holland, turns to me, frowns, and says, “Mom? I didn’t really like the ending.” Which launched me into a discussion on narrative structure in a two-part movie, movie contracts and basic economics (“oh, baby, there’s no way that Spider-Man and Black Panther stay dead, there’s way too much money to be made there”), and also, Captain Marvel, who is overpowered as all hell and should be nut-punching Thanos in his ballsack-lookin’ chin any minute now. She accepted this. That said, I wasn’t particularly worried either, since I heard what Strange said, right before he handed over the Stone. He knows their trajectory and kept them on it, even if the trajectory included Quill being an impulsive man-baby who couldn’t keep it together for the greater good. I loved the scene where Nat and Okoye went in on Proxima Midnight. Me, seeing Nat: “Oh, you’re screwed”, then I see Okoye, “Oh, you are SO screwed” and then Wanda puts some baddies away and Okoye demands, “And WHY was she up there?”and you get daughter and I giggling SO very much. I could really use just a Lady Avengers movie. Oh, and Thor and Rocket and Bucky casually picking up Rocket for shooting and aw yisssssss.
I loved the movie, but I was also happy to see the female characters speak to one another and FIGHT together!
“Who says she’s alone?” got cheers in our theatre — that got a cheer in my theatre also
I liked it a lot. I went in, sorta, spoiled. I’m vaguely familiar with the comics, so I had no idea who the movie would kill off, but some idea how the next movie will likely end.
I do kind of wish they’d kept Thanos’ original motivation. In the comics he did it to impress a girl. Okay, it was the personification of death, but it would have been interesting to see them tackle it.
It is impossible to spoil these movies for me. For all the noise and flash and collateral damage, I think the work that nearly all of the main actors are doing is good work … and it doesn’t hurt that they are all effin’ gorgeous.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor, post the Waikiki treatment, is my man. It was Cap before but Chris has stormed (get it?) top place for me. Although if Shuri was named Chris, there would be no contest, Letitia Wright lights up the screen whenever she is on it.
I dug the Thanos story line. I hate Dr. Strange apparently and told my son that I was glad we would never have dinner with him. Tom Holland is the Spiderman I never knew I needed, he is perfection in that role. And I spoil myself (I read the ends of books first too) but still got misty.
Saw it last weekend, as my wife informed me that spoilers were FALLING LIKE RAIN on tumblr so she wanted to get it done and dealt with! Still processing everything I’ve seen and what all my various opinions are; I still need to do a spoiler-laden reaction post.
I enjoyed it greatly. But didn’t have quite as many Feels as I anticipated, partly because I was _dreading_ the risk of them killing Cap and was kinda surprised that they didn’t. And partly because it was hard for me to really get too choked up about everything when I knew with a hundred percent certainty (for example) that there was NO WAY ON EARTH T’Challa was going to stay dead.
Also, I’m a bit of a heathen that has absolutely no interest in Spider-Man, though I do admit Tom Holland is kind of adorable in the part. ;D
That said: I DID tear up when T’Challa dusted. Bucky too, I think.
Vision and Wanda’s romance didn’t work for me as well as I think the movie wanted it to. I feel like I just barely _met_ these characters. But I DID like that Wanda zorched him, only to have Thanos UNDO IT and then kill him again. _Ouch_.
And while I do grant that clearly we are on the path of Strange’s _one_ way we get through this, the good Doctor is clearly playing his long game here, I am nonetheless well and thoroughly on Team Goddammit Quill You Couldn’t Have Held Off For Thirty Seconds?!
(And at the same time, I’m also thinking, “this is the GOOD timeline?” YEAH.)
Also: BRING ON CAPTAIN MARVEL YES YES YES.
At work on the spoiler channel we set up to talk about the film, we’ve had a lot of chatter about what exactly they’ll be able to do to resolve this plot. Carol is _ridiculously_ powerful but I’m kinda thinking that “Carol shows up, fries Thanos, takes back the Gauntlet, everybody parties” is clearly too easy. So I’m looking forward to seeing what sort of counter they’ll come up with. 😀
Likewise REAL curious to see how Carol’s intro movie will go plot-wise and where she will wind up at the end of it, because she’s _clearly_ not on Earth in the timeframe of the current MCU!
I laughed a lot more during this movie than I was expecting. Especially during the first fight scenes with Stark’s quips flying so fast. I was laughing through the whole thing until the last 20 minutes or so. Our whole theater was silent pretty much from that point until that after credits stinger. As soon as that 90s pager came out, I started smiling again. I also gave an evil, little chuckle when “Thanos Will Return” flashed on the screen.
I didn’t really care about Dr. Strange in his own movie but very much enjoyed him in this one. His appearance in Thor: Ragnarok was also fun and had me hoping for another scene with Cumberbatch and Hiddleston together. Now, that doesn’t look so likely. But with comics, you never know.
Spider-Man has never been a favorite comic book character for me and his first few movies left me indifferent to him. But Tom Holland has charmed me since he first appeared in Civil War. He is obviously having a blast with the role and has such great chemistry with everyone, especially RDJ. And I was not expecting to cry at an Avengers movie but damn, he got me.
I saw the movie in a theater with chairs that move along with the action. Not a good idea because it made me have to pee. So I missed Thor and Rocket’s scene together and was disappointed to see Thor with two eyes again. But I’m looking forward to that scene on a re-watch because those characters together were great.
And I have not had a chance to see Black Panther yet but Okoye is possibly my new favorite character. Her side-eye at Bruce tripping had me laughing out loud. I actually said “hell yeah” under my breath when Scarlet Witch finally showed up during the battle and also laughed at Okoye’s “and why was she up there?” line.
I was expecting more Cap but with so many characters to include, I’m okay with saving him to use more in the next installment. I’m going to do my best to stay spoiler free until then.
Also, my hope is that Nebula and Gamora get to take out Thanos in the end. I’m trying not to get too angry at what happened to Gamora’s character because it makes sense for the story. But Gamora is one of Marvel’s too few female superheroes who could be considered a co-lead. And that is something that my 10-year-old niece is VERY aware of and she loves that character. She hasn’t seen this movie yet and I’m not sure how she will react. But I have a feeling she is going to be disappointed.
That cap tweet. I’m dying.
(And actually, I checked, and I did die: http://www.didthanoskill.me/)
As to thoughts… spoilers below:
– RIP Loki 5ever. My problematic fave.
– I cry-laughed when Bucky was holding Rocket to shoot in a circle. Rocket coveting the arm. ALL OF THAT.
– I was a Scarlet Vision shipper since Age of Ultron. I’m a little sad that we missed the actual moment when they started a relationship, but that’s what fanfic is for. THE END THOUGH.
– I am calling it now: Cap dies to save Tony. Infinity War 2 ends with Tony’s wedding to Pepper. All the peeps are in attendance, except those who we lost. Tony rides off into the sunset to have babies and retire for real, so he’s never in a another movie again, and everyone and their contracts win.
– When T-challa dusted, I was like, “There goes a billion Disney dollars.” They be bringing him back REAL quick.
– I echo the sadness that Black Widow and Cap were pushed to the sidelines in this one. Maybe because I’ve never really given an eff about Tony Stark. (Watching him snark Dr. Strange was like watching him argue into a mirror.) But I do want him to be happy.
– All that being said, I’m glad that they “dusted” all but the original Avengers. This gives them the space to concentrate on that core group in the next movie (except Rocket will be there because we need to laugh sometimes) and close their storylines to satisfying completion. It’s coming full circle, and it’s going to be great. Plus they will bring everybody back for a final rumble at the end – I hope.
I was basically a living version of the “my emotions!” gif as I walked out of this one, though.
I love the Bitchery’s take, as always!!!!!
@Jennifer Estep. I am so in agreement about Thanos. I thought his motivation made absolutely no sense – and all I could think about at the end was the pain of the half the world(s) people left behind after this stupid reverse rapture takes place. And he’s just sitting in a hut somewhere??? I was frankly really pissed at that ending – even if it does get undone in the next movie.
Sigh. They killed Loki. I am assuming most of the deaths won’t stick. Is it maybe possible that Loki’s death won’t either? Yes, I am grasping at straws.
I am genuinely torn about whether I think Loki’s death will stick. I’ve heard a lot of theories that all the deaths prior to the Great Dusting are the ones that should stick but I’m dubious even about that.
_Heimdall_ is actually the one that kinda made me go ‘awwwww’. Just because I could buy them killing off Heimdall more than I could Loki. Loki’s death seemed way, way too swift, and Loki’s way too much of a fan favorite. What I don’t know though is exactly how many movies Hiddles had in his contract! I’ve been googling for it and nobody seems to know for sure. o.O
I am, by the way, also seeing a news item going around that the Russos have apparently now confirmed a fan theory that Gamora’s soul is in the Soul Stone, so I strongly expect that her death won’t be sticking either.
This movie really, really bummed me out. Reasons:
– killing Loki right after he’d been redeemed himself and made peace with his brother. At least his last act was of love for his brother, but that doesn’t make it better.
– Heimdall!!!
– after all the hullabaloo made about saving the Asgardian people being tantamount to saving Asgard, massacring them was twisting the knife.
– I hated hated hated how Wakanda had to be laid waste for this invasion. This could have happened over Europe! Or Brooklyn! Or somewhere else, just not this one place that had not been spoiled by white people and the insistent legacies of colonialism.
– mostly how it makes watching Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther, my favorite MCU movies, such bummers to watch. Let me laugh at Hiddleston saying, in the Queen’s English, “ All I ask is safe passage…through the anus,” in peace!
Okoye became my favorite character in the MCU so fast. She kills every scene she’s in. She has so many iconic lines. Danai is wonderful, her reaction at the end with T’challa was heartbreaking to watch.
I think this movie also did a good job showing the… complexities (not really the right word)? Of an abusive relationship. Like that scene where Gamora breaks down sobbing after she thinks she’s killed Thanos.
@Joanna — I know, right? Not to mention the fact that he’s never going to get to rest. Because half of the universe is still left, and he should have realized that they would keep coming after him until he’s either dead or they undo what he’s done or both.
And if the Infinity Stones are so powerful, then why doesn’t Thanos just double the universe’s resources? His plan just seems really odd and nonsensical to me.
As I said to my family when they came home (after they all informed me that this movie is Not For Mom) no one is really dead. They’re not All Dead. They’re Mostly Dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly Dead is Contractually Alive.
On my favorite TV show of all time, Being Human UK, they call it “Proper dead.” Sort of like Mombi in Oz was only proper dead when the dust of her blew away to the four corners of the earth.
I would give it a C. I liked it, but the rip the glove off scene seemed… complicated. Why not do the portal trick that killed his lackey in the park? Zip zip only the arm and glove remains. It felt like that will be the “How it should have ended” video
And I agree: the kill 50% was not thought through, Thanos. Does that include all animals? What about endangered species? Is there an evolutionary test? How would this impact fragile populations? Anyway, I thought too much about it and he didn’t think about it enough.
But the tweet is delicious.
Relevant to the interests of those of us who are going “Thanos’ plan is frickin’ _stupid_”, Tor.com has an in-depth analysis of its stupidity up today!
https://www.tor.com/2018/05/08/thanos-snap-avengers-infinity-war/
Because hi yeah Tor.com’s readers nerds, and overanalyzing a movie is what we do. ;D
I liked Infinity War fine–mostly for the interactions between characters who don’t meet up usually (I know a lot of people don’t care for Dr. Strange but he is comedy gold combined with other Avengers). I am looking forward to Part 2 more because I think it will be lovely for the core group to have one last adventure together before those characters scatter–and because I am more excited for the arrival of Captain Marvel than any of the other characters who have been introduced. (And for the Captain Marvel movie, when among other things, we will hopefully get to see Peggy Carter, the woman whose superpower is awesomeness, once again.)
My small wish for Avengers 4 is that Captain Marvel and Captain America share some screen time. I have always thought their conversations would be interesting given that they have a lot in common.