Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
The Russo Brothers have been very explicit in stating that Thanos demands our silence as to ensure the general audience have nothing spoiled for them prior to them seeing the Avengers movies. The Co-Directors of the Franchise’s latest installment would be pleased to know the following is the same, spoiler-free.
Ten years, 18 Movies, and one huge payoff, that is what Marvel President Kevin Feige and Co. successfully have pulled-off. Avengers: Infinity War is the biggest, boldest, and most daring Marvel movie to date, the stakes as high as they come. The Film delivers on everything fans have been wanting since 2008’s Iron Man, an Avengers movie taking-on the biggest villain yet, Thanos. Avengers: Infinity War does something no other Marvel movie has really done, take the greatest foe in the Marvel universe and make him a real threat with consequences, making viewers uneasy.
Over the past 18 Marvel Cinematic Universe films, we have seen our characters grow, and relationships change as they put aside their differences and fight the good fight. After the events of Civil War, the Avengers have disassembled, with the imminent arrival of Thanos. With new heroes teaming together, can the mad Titan Thanos acquire all six Infinity Stones, or will the Avengers be able to stop him and his conquest to destroy life as we know it?
First and foremost, we all know what to expect from our favourite band of heroes and misfits, so it seems rather redundant to talk about their performances in this nineteenth entry to the MCU, but rather to focus on the new faces. Josh Brolin who plays Thanos, whom audiences have had a peak at in other entries, proves that he is not here to mess around. He is taking names and kicking-butt, and is the most terrifying and genuine threat the MCU has introduced yet. The problem with this is, every villain prior and future that isn’t Thanos will have a very high bar to be measured against. His performance is jawdropping and downright scary (a good thing) and he is commanding. However, Thanos is not the only villain to be afraid of, the ‘children’ of the Titan are almost as terrifying as he himself, Proxima Midnight portrayed by Carrie Coon is just as meancing on a smaller scale, as she is one powerful member of Thanos’ crew. The same goes for Cull Obsidian played by Terry Notary and Ebony Maw played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as they are also formidable foes to members of the Avengers, new and old. You will be at the edge of your seats till the Film’s epic conclusion.
Avengers: Infinity War gives audiences the Movie they’ve all been waiting a decade for, making it perhaps the strongest entry to date in the MCU. With the brilliant screenwriting team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely who’ve written four previous Marvel movies and Directors Joe and Anthony Russo who were behind the last two Captain America movies, everything in Avengers: Infinity War comes together perfectly because of this team dynamic. When you have this many characters, approximately 25 Superheroes, all teaming-up to take down one villain, it is almost too easy for details to get lost in the mix, but this never is an issue. These Superheroes all have skin in the game and it makes for one epic payoff.
If there ever was any doubt, the MCU is showing no signs of fatigue. Avengers: Infinity War not only delivers on the stakes, it delivers on the consequences, making this one of the most daring movies of its kind to date.
Avengers: Infinity War is not just another Superhero movie. It has evolved into so much more than that. The landscape of the MCU has changed forever because of it.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Friday, April 27, 2018.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com