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10 Years in the making, and it’s all been leading to this.
I remember being eight years old and begging my dad to take me to see Iron Man back in 2008. I remember sitting in the theater seat, looking at all the action that was in front of me, and being awestruck. This was when the MCU wasn’t even the MCU yet, it was still just a studio trying to make a film into something more. Nineteen films later, and it is one of the biggest movie franchises in the world, grossing over fourteen billion dollars so far.
This film was everything I wanted, and so much more. The last time I walked out of a Marvel film with my expectations being blown out of the water, was Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Whether it was the mind-blowing action, beautiful set pieces, or compelling character arcs, it did its job. The Russo’s were very aware of what they were being handed. This was the by-product of years of hard work and a lot of time and effort to make some of the greatest films this century will ever have. They understood what these characters meant to fans, and they knew how to handle them without slipping up. I can’t even begin to imagine the burden that was on their shoulders. They were handed characters perfected by other directors and writers and were expected to keep the spirit of each and every single one of them. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, my biggest worry for the film. I was scared they weren’t going to be able to handle every single character they were given to put in this film, but kudos to them for making every character feel like an integral part of the story. There are a few characters I want to spend some time on, for the sake of time and length.
First of all, let’s talk about The God of Thunder himself, Thor. Thor was one of the better characters in this film. The Thor we were given in Ragnarok was one that I wanted to keep, and the Russo Brothers did just that while making sure he had his gritty moments. There was even an amazing callback to his first film at the height of the third act. He was just a character that had a huge task to complete, and he did it without letting anyone, big or small, get in his way.
Thor’s arc, without entering spoiler territory, was an arc that we had seen before, specifically in Age of Ultron. Thor went on his own for the back half of the second act and the first few minutes of the third act, to find a way to defeat Thanos. This was what his arc in the second Avengers film could have been, and I loved every minute of it. There were a few moments that were clearly straight out of the comics that caused me to nearly lose my breath. Simply put, Thor was a wonderful part of the film, and I can’t wait to see even more.
Secondly, I’d like to talk about The Guardians and their overall presence in the film. At first, I was worried that they would bring comedy that really wasn’t all that needed, but boy was I wrong. For those who did not know, the Guardian’s dialogue was written by James Gunn, and he played a huge role in directing their scenes. Every single moment they were on screen, I was so entertained. They were the perfect bridge for the Earth-bound and Cosmic parts of this universe, especially Gamora. She has a huge role to play in this film, and she takes that role head-on. To me, Gamora was never that interesting of a character.
This film changed that opinion for me. She was at her best in this film and had some of the best moments in the film. The Guardians played a bigger role than I honestly expected, and I found myself okay with it and wanting more of them. Going into the film, I was worried they were going to be on screen, and I would want to go back to Strange, Spidey, and Stark, but I ended up wanting them, and waiting to see what they would do next. If this film did anything for me, it reminded me why I loved the Guardians, and why I’m more than excited for Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3.
Third, and finally, Thanos.
I’m probably not the only one to say that I was worried sick about Thanos. Marvel did a phenomenal job with him, and Josh Brolin’s performance was absolutely mind-blowing. Never have I found myself almost rooting for the villain, or feeling pain when they felt pain. Thanos’ story in this film is quite interesting, and I understood him. One of the greatest moments in the film is a moment where he decides on a path with no return. It is one of the most beautiful moments in Marvel history. Again, without spoiling it, there is a moment where his emotion was so raw, and painful, and I felt every bit of pain he was feeling.
But beyond that, Thanos was a villain that these heroes deserved; a villain we all deserved. From the first scene to the last, he made his presence known, and not once did he fall flat. Thanos honestly believes he is in the right, and he wants balance so much, he will do anything to make sure the universe is in balance. He has a heart, and a soul and he is clearly not lost, but maybe just missing the point. He was more than just a man in a chair, he was the greatest opponent our heroes have ever encountered. Thanos is the greatest Marvel villain, if not greatest comic-book movie villain of all time.
The film had one fault to me, and that was scene changes. They would cut away from scenes at the best moments, in the heat of action, and pull you into another character’s journey with the snap of a finger. That being said, I can understand this decision. There are A LOT of characters doing A LOT of things, and the Russo Brothers clearly want you to have enough of it all.
This film, to me, was everything I wanted. It was great for the eight-year-old in me to be unleashed. It felt like I was twelve again, and I was watching The Avengers form for the first time. I’ve been involved with these films since they were first released, ten years ago, and Avengers: Infinity War reminded me why I watch these films. This film truly felt like a love letter to the fans, young or old. I could feel Kevin Feige saying, “Thank you.” I have waited six years for this film, ever since the post-credits scene in The Avengers, and it was well worth the wait. I honestly don’t know where Marvel will go next, but I do know it’s gonna be a heck of a ride.
I am going to give Avengers: Infinity War a rating of 9.3/10
To Marvel: Thank you. You have inspired so many, myself included.
Here’s to ten years, and ten more.
Written by: Tyler Siedell
