Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

[Thrillington]

Saw a midnight showing this morning, and haven’t had much sleep since!

I’m going to need to see this again (and in IMAX). I thought it was pretty amazing, but do need that second viewing and a bit of time to think it over.

It’s not Marvel’s best film for me, which I still give to Winter Soldier, but it is a huge achievement both in the way it knits together so many characters and storylines without becoming a mess, and the way it establishes the future of the MCU. I think Thanos was handled really well, and they got the balance between him being an almost unstoppable force as well as having some ‘humanity’, which makes him the powerful villain we’ve come to expect.

The interaction between so many great characters was another strong point for me.

[Show spoiler] It wasn’t lost on me that we have been left with the ‘core’ Avengers from phase 1, since their story arc is coming to its conclusion.

We’ve known for years what sort of events and consequences Infinity War would mean, and after the film it’s exciting to have another Avengers film to look forward to where I don’t actually know what to expect.

My main criticism is that the next film is set up in such a way that it could render the actions and consequences of this film largely irrelevant.

[Show spoiler]Especially if it’s a case of ‘how do we reverse this?’ Will it involve time travel? Does Doctor Strange have a plan?

Everything’s up in the air at the moment and it’ll be exciting to see where it goes next.

[L-Rouge]

Originally Posted by Jezza

So, I got back from seeing it a few hours ago and if I'm honest I'm not convinced it lives up to the hype. I liked the film a lot, but it is far from one of Marvel's best.

It throws you right into it with Thanos appearing in the very first scene, clearly demonstrating his brute force and in the context of its relation to a previous film. It's a bit of a downer and kind of spoils that film's ending.
The real problem though is it assumes though you know who Thanos is beyond just a few easter egg appearances here and there. There isn't really a chance to flesh out the character at an early stage and gradually build him up to the final act, which would have been more interesting.
Having said that though he is still very menacing and does feel like an unstoppable force, with moments where feel sorry for him. And his relationship with Gamora is very well handled.

It weirdly though doesn't feel like it goes anywhere.
The basic plot is Thanos collecting the Infinity Stones, with lots of big action set pieces to stop him. But because there are so many action scenes or they go on for a long time you don't really notice the progression of the plot in any meaningful way until the very end. You only pick up on the significance of why Thanos is collecting the stones towards the end.

There were also cases where some characters just popped out of nowhere.

[Show spoiler]Cap, Natasha and Sam just come out of nowhere as Vision and Wanda are under attack in Scotland. How did they know they were there?

This is still clearly a 'Part 1' film and I think that's the core problem. As we've seen with so many two-part films, the first part always suffers from just being build-up or filler until the second film where everything is truly resolved and is so much more fulfilling.

Having said all that Thanos is brilliant portrayed by Josh Brolin, the action scenes are very well executed, the interplay between Thor and the Guardians is great and does a great job at giving pretty much all the characters something to do. The ending is also brilliant, as is the post-credits scene.

I wish I wasn't being so negative though, but it just didn't click with me and I think quite a few will come away feeling slightly letdown. I think it'll be in Avengers 4 where everything will really come together and be the true climax, this is just the prelude.

I look forward to watching the two parts as a whole!!

[Thrillington]

Originally Posted by Jezza

There were also cases where some characters just popped out of nowhere.

[Show spoiler]Cap, Natasha and Sam just come out of nowhere as Vision and Wanda are under attack in Scotland. How did they know they were there?

This is still clearly a 'Part 1' film and I think that's the core problem. As we've seen with so many two-part films, the first part always suffers from just being build-up or filler until the second film where everything is truly resolved and is so much more fulfilling.

Regarding the first point, my understanding was that

[Show spoiler]Banner made the call to Cap telling him to get to Vision asap. Would’ve been an interesting conversation to see, but I guess they wanted to maintain Cap’s entrance. Some more explanation of why Cap was able to find Vision so quickly was needed, did he already know, and if not why could he find him when Stark couldn’t?

As to your second point, I largely agree. Whilst I do think it stands alone as a great action film, there’s a lot riding on the ‘Part 2’ that it establishes. I thought the ending was bold, and actually expected it to end a little sooner. Definitely think Avengers 3 + 4 will both benefit from being seen back to back in the future. As for now, the wait begins.

[yeslek]

Originally Posted by Jezza

I didn't rant, if you read it as such then fine, but it certainly wasn't rant. I pointed out several things I really liked about it after all and even said I liked it in the opening paragraph.

My initial post was just my problems with it and how it didn't live up to expectations for me personally. Maybe I just felt a bit frustrated it wasn't what I hoped it'd be.

Didn’t you have high expectations?

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by yeslek

Didn’t you have high expectations?

Eh, yeah I suppose, but I'm not a really big Marvel fan, so I've not been quite so swept away with the hype as so many others have. I like Marvel a lot and really respect what they've accomplished, but growing up superheroes were never my bag (outside Batman I suppose), I can't explain why they just never were.
So it's perhaps why the thrill of the film doesn't resonate with me in quite the same way as it does with others and maybe it helps me to be a bit more objective and take it for what it is to me.

Put it this way Star Wars is my all-time favourite film series, it means more to me than any other film franchise out there. So when The Force Awakens came out and saw it for the first time, I was swept away with both the film and the hype around it.
A few months later after it'd all died down I rewatched it, but it wasn't quite the same and I watched it a bit more objectively. I still like it, but I can see it hits the same story beats as A New Hope and it doesn't have much replay value.

With Marvel I'm not so fussed and I'm not caught up in the excitement of it in the way so many others. I had high expectations, but if it didn't live up to them then it didn't bother. Because I'm more of a fan at a distance, it's easier for me to be objective first time round compared with Star Wars and TFA.

The reason I went to a midnight screening was to avoid spoilers, not because I'm a mega-fan who must seen it on the very first screening.

[yeslek]

Originally Posted by Jezza

Eh, yeah I suppose, but I'm not a really big Marvel fan, so I've not been quite so swept away with the hype as so many others have. I like Marvel a lot and really respect what they've accomplished, but growing up superheroes were never my bag (outside Batman I suppose), I can't explain why they just never were.
So it's perhaps why the thrill of the film doesn't resonate with me in quite the same way as it does with others and maybe it helps me to be a bit more objective and take it for what it is to me.

Put it this way Star Wars is my all-time favourite film series, it means more to me than any other film franchise out there. So when The Force Awakens came out and saw it for the first time, I was swept away with both the film and the hype around it.
A few months later after it'd all died down I rewatched it, but it wasn't quite the same and I watched it a bit more objectively. I still like it, but I can see it hits the same story beats as A New Hope and it doesn't have much replay value.

With Marvel I'm not so fussed and I'm not caught up in the excitement of it in the way so many others. I had high expectations, but if it didn't live up to them then it didn't bother. Because I'm more of a fan at a distance, it's easier for me to be objective first time round compared with Star Wars and TFA.

The reason I went to a midnight screening was to avoid spoilers, not because I'm a mega-fan who must seen it on the very first screening.

If you’ve not really connected prior, i can totally see why IW would be disappointing. It’s highly reliant on what came before, which I can see as being both a blessing and a curse for this movie.

Avoiding spoilers isn’t a good enough reason

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by yeslek

If you’ve not really connected prior, i can totally see why IW would be disappointing. It’s highly reliant on what came before, which I can see as being both a blessing and a curse for this movie.

Avoiding spoilers isn’t a good enough reason

I think you've misunderstood where I was coming from, because I do like the MCU.

I've certainly not not connected with the films, I really do enjoy Marvel, but also I'm certainly not a mega fan in the same way I am with Star Wars, for instance.
As I said, I'm more of a fan at a distance, it doesn't bother me if film doesn't live up to expectations in the same way it does to so many others, but I still want to keep up to date on the films and TV shows.

I've followed the films since day one, I own all their films and TV shows on BD, so I'm not exactly a casual fan either. I'm just not so swept away with them as so many others are.

So all things considered a midnight screen would be vital to me because if I read online that

[Show spoiler]Gamora dies

this morning, then that's the film ruined for me. I'm invested in all the films to a certain degree, so any spoiler is worth avoiding.

[yeslek]

Originally Posted by Jezza

I think you've misunderstood where I was coming from, because I do like the MCU.

I've certainly not not connected with the films, I really do enjoy Marvel, but also I'm certainly not a mega fan in the same way I am with Star Wars, for instance.
As I said, I'm more of a fan at a distance, it doesn't bother me if film doesn't live up to expectations in the same way it does to so many others, but I still want to keep up to date on the films and TV shows.

I've followed the films since day one, I own all their films and TV shows on BD, so I'm not exactly a casual fan either. I'm just not so swept away with them as so many others are.

So all things considered a midnight screen would be vital to me because if I read online that

[Show spoiler]Gamora dies

this morning, then that's the film ruined for me. I'm invested in all the films to a certain degree, so any spoiler is worth avoiding.

I didn’t say you weren’t into MCU, but you yourself said you didn’t care much about the characters. As all prior movies are there to get you to like, care about it and want to root for the characters, I theorised maybe that’s why you didn’t connect with IW. You also mentioned lack of moments within IW that were tender or could get you invested/to care about the characters. Again, IW isn’t about that. It’s Thanos movie. Every other MCU movie is there to get you invested and caring about the progress and outcomes for each, within IW.

Basically if your not already invested or caring about characters, wanting to know ‘what’s next’ for them, when you walk into IW, then the movie may fall flat as it’s the culmination of all other character arcs/movies, not just another chapter in the MCU with its own character arc’s/progression contained.

We got that with Thanos, as we needed a reason to care or understand..he needed fleshing out as he was just a huge threat with no grounding, reason, goal etc....yet.

I don’t think high expectations are a bad thing. But going into this movie, expecting more of the same, character progression for our heroes, as before, was a huge mistake. Not just for you, but anyone expecting just another Marvel movie, I think will be disappointed.
This is a big event movie, or a cluster-**** of evil that familiar characters have to deal with. It’s perhaps like visiting your friend in their new house with a new partner....you already care and are invested in the friend, but are visiting to see this new ‘event’ and how the familiar friend reacts or deals with it etc you don’t visit to expect some form of bonding, as it’s not about the familiar, it’s this new setting with familiar friend that your checking out....(am not sure am explaining my point correctly....)

I think maybe, the degree with which your invested in the MCU (you say your not a massive fan/geek of which I would consider myself being such) will impact the overall review of Infinity War. I comsider myself a massive fan, having seen all movies in cinema, most many times, regularly will put a random MCU movie on blu. I devour all the pre-lude and connected comics(I consider the 4-part, Furies Big Week as cannon,
personally ) as well having a hunger for more...more characters, even if not a new favourite being introduced/used, more stories, crossovers etc that expand and weave through this interconnected movie universe....basically I can’t get enough of the MCU (prefer it, as a whole, to the comics even though there is a vastly larger Marvel Universe in comics).
So I went into the movie, expecting a conclusion of sorts, and that’s exactly what I got. With escalated threat, risk, action, escalated everything basically. I wasn’t expecting another chapter in the MCU. I expected something vastly different. For lack of a better comparison but the MCU’s own 9/11 - so many reasons, people, parts and stories that lead to that one event, but with infinate repercussions and a real change to the world.

[JustinB13]

Yeah, I’m done here. It’s getting too dangerous. I will be back on Saturday when I can hopefully say that I love this movie!

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by yeslek

I didn’t say you weren’t into MCU, but you yourself said you didn’t care much about the characters. As all prior movies are there to get you to like, care about it and want to root for the characters, I theorised maybe that’s why you didn’t connect with IW. You also mentioned lack of moments within IW that were tender or could get you invested/to care about the characters. Again, IW isn’t about that. It’s Thanos movie. Every other MCU movie is there to get you invested and caring about the progress and outcomes for each, within IW.

Basically if your not already invested or caring about characters, wanting to know ‘what’s next’ for them, when you walk into IW, then the movie may fall flat as it’s the culmination of all other character arcs/movies, not just another chapter in the MCU with its own character arc’s/progression contained.

We got that with Thanos, as we needed more.

Please don't put words in my mouth.

I said I didn't grow up with superheroes as part of my childhood and that as such it took me a while to get into comic book films.

I never once said I didn't care about the characters. Why would I watch the films if I don't care about the characters, especially as there's 19 of them?

The point I was making was compared to other film franchises I'm not as invested in Marvel because I don't have a history with it, but that doesn't mean I don't care about the characters. Because of how Marvel have handled the characters though I've grown to like superhero films and maybe even superheroes in a broader sense.
I just had a few issues with the film that maybe somebody who grew up reading the comics might not be so bothered by, because of the thrill of seeing the characters brought to life on film.

It seems that just because I didn't give it a glowing review some have jumped to the conclusion that I hated it and hate Marvel in general, which couldn't be further from the truth.

[yeslek]

Originally Posted by Jezza

Please don't put words in my mouth.

I said I didn't grow up with superheroes as part of my childhood and that as such it took me a while to get into comic book films.

I never once said I didn't care about the characters. Why would I watch the films if I don't care about the characters, especially as there's 19 of them?

The point I was making was compared to other film franchises I'm not as invested in Marvel because I don't have a history with it, but that doesn't mean I don't care about the characters. Because of how Marvel have handled the characters though I've grown to like superhero films and maybe even superheroes in a broader sense.
I just had a few issues with the film that maybe somebody who grew up reading the comics might not be so bothered by, because of the thrill of seeing the characters brought to life on film.

It seems that just because I didn't give it a glowing review some have jumped to the conclusion that I hated it and hate Marvel in general, which couldn't be further from the truth.

I didn’t get into comics until just over 10years ago(in my early 20’s...the Sin City movie sparked that of fear if am honest) so we are in a similar boat there. In fact, Civil War and Enter The Mandarin were my first Marvel purchases and reads(the collected book, not individual issues). Back in ‘09 I think? Maybe ‘08.i certainly never read a Marvel comic pre-MCU beginning.

I’m not putting words in your mouth but may be theorising a little off target....Am sure you mentioned one of the issues you had with the movie was the persistent pace of bouncing around the universe throughout. There was no time to care about what was going on/characters as we never lingered. Kept going from fight to fight, from one location/group to another?
I just think it’s maybe the perspective you walk into the movie with, that matters, more than how high or low your expectations.

It sounds like you went in expecting something differant than I, and as such, one of us was a little underwhelmed compared to the other is all.
Backed up by the fact you rate it 7/10 and I’d put it at an easy 10/10.
You found a couple negative aspects and I found none.

[Deric2014]

Originally Posted by yeslek

More like the

[Show spoiler]Thanos Will Return tagline at the end of he credits

It’s not. It’s better IMO



That’s surprising

I was blown away despite being cautious and just hoping for it not to be crap(I’d settle for ok but I got A WAY more)



See my Hawkeye reply above


After watching it am wanting to do another Marathon, but in a haphazard order ken all Iron Man/Avengers movies back to back, all Cap/Avengers back to back etc
By character basically

Age Of Ultron was a mess and it didn't have any effect Civil War was a better Avengers film than Age Of Ultron.

[yeslek]

Originally Posted by Deric2014

Age Of Ultron was a mess and it didn't have any effect Civil War was a better Avengers film than Age Of Ultron.

Um, Ultron directly instigated the Sokovia event, that caused the need for the Sokovia Accords(accountability/registration of powered individuals), which is, in turn, the divisive aspect - those characters that agree to to sign and those that don’t.

[Blu Myers]

From what I'm hearing, this trailer looks to be insane. I've heard the words "terrifying" "teeth" and "amazing". Please let this trailer come soon!!

[enenra]

Originally Posted by Blu Myers

From what I'm hearing, this trailer looks to be insane. I've heard the words "terrifying" "teeth" and "amazing". Please let this trailer come soon!!

what trailer?

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by Blu Myers

From what I'm hearing, this trailer looks to be insane. I've heard the words "terrifying" "teeth" and "amazing". Please let this trailer come soon!!

What are you talking about?

[MegatronG1]

Just got back from seeing it, I give it a 4.5/5 and I will certainly be going to see it again.

[Deric2014]

Originally Posted by yeslek

Um, Ultron directly instigated the Sokovia event, that caused the need for the Sokovia Accords(accountability/registration of powered individuals), which is, in turn, the divisive aspect - those characters that agree to to sign and those that don’t.

So did Avengers and Captain America Winter Soldier.

[Kazutaka]

Originally Posted by enenra

what trailer?

Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade

What are you talking about?

Wrong thread, he's talking about the Halloween (2018) trailer

[yellowjacket1]

"Marvel has pulled off all sorts of cinematic miracles in its 10-year awesome legacy, from heist films and political thrillers to space operas and fantasy epics. Now it boasts a full-fledged Shakespearean tragedy and probably the best 'number three' film ever made."

Hard to argue at this point!