Avengers: Infinity War

Earth is closed today. When the actors, creators, and producers proclaimed that the last decade had led to this exact point, they were not lying. However many such encounters  we've experienced throughout the series and left the cinema highly satisfied every time, it was always obvious that it is fundamentally about the characters of the Avengers and only secondarily about the definitive fate of the city, state, or planet. Everything is different in Infinity War, and a universe teetering on the edge is recognizably at stake from the very beginning. There are casualties, ships are falling, moons are falling, and for an hour and a half I am staring at the screen in astonishment, knowing that this is something I have longed to see, perhaps even more than I was willing to admit. The cooperation of Iron Man with Doctor Strange, the verbal duels of Thor with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Cap with Black Widow and their emergence from the shadows – and above all, the fallen Titan who takes the concept of division by two far too seriously. I had a great desire for the film to shake me up. In this regard, the reality exceeded expectations when my heart was beating so fast that at three moments I thought it might jump out of my body. This time, the Avengers are not just redefining team-ups, not even just comics. This time, they are redefining blockbusters, and they can only raise the bar higher again next year. (2018-04-30)

This movie probably has a record for most A-class actors appearing in a single blockbuster movie. But the quality fluctuates depending on who’s on the screen. Scenes with The Guardians of the Galaxy characters, Thor or young Spiderman are really amusing, and the humor quality is often even close to Thor: Ragnarok. On the other hand, Iron Man, Captain America or Black Panther are on the screen most of the time and they balance the fun out by mostly leading serious talks. Which is exactly the reason I can’t give it five stars. However, it’s probably the most action-filled comic blockbuster ever filmed. I felt like the two and a half hours were a constant action thrill ride. Something was always happening, it had a good flow and it was fun. Also, the main villain played by Josh Brolin was excellent. The ending was exemplary, they couldn’t have enticed me better to go see the sequel. I was very satisfied. But I’ll save the five-star rating for another comic book movie adaptation. (2018-05-10)

A showcase. Slight differences of opinion above/below are irrelevant. This film is a great success, while so much could have gone wrong. In the lead role, Thanos is absolutely readable, willing to make a personal sacrifice and Brolin’s charisma gives the purple heavyweight a very human dimension. All of the characters have their moment, even though they are given very limited room to shine. Marvel movies answer the dreams of fans of Iron Spider who we were robbed of in the Civil War now comes back at full strength. Wanda and Vision go off down entertaining storylines and Wakanda longs for Starbucks. A first class finale closes the movie with a happy ending (at least in the context of the characters) and tempts you to watch the next part. (2018-04-30)

It flowed nicely, you kind of fall into it at the beginning and let the story take you where it takes you. I'll admit that, for me, it's probably the best movie in the whole dubious Marvel universe. So I'm curious to see what's in store for us next year. You can think about it a lot and spin wild theories with friends (without the internet, without knowing the source material to enjoy it more). Sad scenes, funny, predatory, emotionally blackmailing, artificial, natural, awkward, uber stilted ... it's got it all. It's really good to watch in the theaters. (2018-05-09)

Apart from some minor tweaking, it's still the same Marvel space soap opera. What makes it so special this time is the extreme number of main characters, which is an interesting ploy, because it's clear that everyone will find something to like, apart from the absence of Hawkeye, everyone will have their favourite on screen. Another positive is Josh Brolin, whose digital face and voice conveys more emotion than most normal characters put together. An actor who has the advantage that he doesn't have to do much, just look and say something here and there – that's how charismatic he is. The other good thing is the dramatic weighing of the characters of Captain America and Stark – both in good ways. The negatives are still the same. Again, the destruction of the world (and the relatively solid motivation doesn't excuse it), digital monsters, unimaginative heavy-handed action scenes, pathos, bumbling around unknown planets, finding unknown things at unknown blacksmiths, and aside for a few more adrenaline-filled moments like Thanos vs Hulk, Thanos vs Stark, etc. then it's a downright cheesy action finale with a few cool catchphrases, usually provided by the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. (2018-05-03)