The Regular Moviegoer

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Movie synopsis

The threat of Thanos has finally come to Earth. The Avengers have to stop him from amassing all the Infinity Stones and ending life in the universe as they know it.

Avengers: Infinity War movie review (with spoilers)

Avengers: Infinity War left me (and probably everyone else who saw it) flabbergasted, while breaking a ton of box office records along the way. (Which I’m delighted for them, because they’ve been working up to it with a grand masterplan of quality movie after quality movie and they truly deserve all the zillions they’re earning.) But now I’ve had time to process it, here are my spoiler-filled thoughts on it.

Favourite character in Infinity War

Thor. He’s usually the comic relief in the Avengers team with his Shakespearean manner of speaking and fish-out-of-water ways. But this time, not only did he have a super epic re-entrance on the Wakandan battlefield just as the monstrous creatures were overwhelming our heroes, we also see more emotional depth from him when he tries to be upbeat about facing down Thanos, despite losing everyone he loves, and is convinced that he is meant to kill Thanos because none of his enemies have managed to kill him in his long life. And if he’s wrong, what more has he got to lose? *wipes tear off his face*

Favourite character introduction

Steve appearing out of shadow at the train station when Wanda and Vision were in dire straits, and the Avengers theme begins to play. Cap was handsomest in Winter Soldier and Civil War, but his facial hair gives him a more “matured” handsomeness here, if that makes sense, as though he has undergone a baptism of fire. Which he kind of has. Who cares about grooming when you’ve been on the run for two years?

Thor appearing in Wakanda is a really close second though. I can replay both clips a million times and never stop feeling that quickening in my heart as they save the day. Partly also because of how majestic and heroic the score sounds. All hail composer Alan Silvestri!

Favourite quip in the movie

Eitri: You’re about to take on the full force of a star. It will kill you.

Thor: Only if I die.

Eitri: Yes… that’s what “killing you” means.

Most unexpected character appearance

I didn’t know Peter Dinklage was in the movie at all! But most surprising hands-down is the Red Skull as the Stonekeeper. I’m sure everyone thought he had been blown to smithereens in Captain America: The First Avenger! It is a cool throwback to a villain that everyone has probably forgotten, but I wonder why they reused him specifically. We’ll find out the significance next year I suppose! (Update: Nope, we don’t.)

Thing that surprised me, in general

That Thanos actually loved Gamora.

Then again, it’s not like we’ve actually seen an in-depth exploration of his character until now. They’ve always mentioned previously that Gamora was Thanos’ favourite daughter, but I’m sure we all thought it was because she was the most ruthless and that made him proud.

Thing that upsets me most

That Thor: Ragnarok was all for nothing! In that movie, Thor tried to save Asgard, and Odin told him that Asgard was wherever its people were. And now all its people, who were on that ship that Thanos and his Children massacred, are dead. :’-O

(Update: Apparently not all its people are dead, since they appear in Endgame. But no explanation given as to how they got off the ship. :S)

Most heartbreaking death

Most people think it’s Peter pleading with Tony that he didn’t want to die. That was moving, but I thought Wanda being forced to kill Vision herself, only for it to be ALL FOR NOTHING, because Thanos reversed time and took the Mind Stone anyway, was the worst. (Bucky’s plaintive “Steve…?” before turning into dust hurt my Steve/Bucky shipping soul.)

BUT NEVER FEAR, I believe all the people who were blown to dust will return in the next movie. They have to. It’s kind of difficult to have a continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when only half of the Universe (and heroes) are left.

And for that same reason, if you’re wondering how there can be an Ant-Man and the Wasp after Infinity War, it’s because Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place before (and apparently also during Infinity War?), since it makes no sense for it to take place after. Infinity War ended on such a cataclysmic note that a standalone movie that takes place after that and can’t resolve what Thanos did will be laughably inconsequential.)

Things that puzzle me

Why did Thanos spare Mantis and Drax and Star-Lord on Knowhere? In fact, I thought he killed Mantis and Drax when he messed them up with the Reality Stone but he restored them when he left with Gamora. Also, nearing the end of the battle on Titan, Drax, Star-Lord and Nebula was about to charge at Thanos when Thanos uses the Power Stone to send a shockwave that knocks them out immediately. Why weren’t they dead then?

Conclusion

I love the movie, but the ginormous cast of characters and multiple plotlines made it a little unwieldy at times. Nevertheless, because I loved all of them and wanted to see what they were all doing, I didn’t mind the uneven switching back and forth of the different storylines.

I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Where to watch Avengers: Infinity War

Streaming services: Avengers: Infinity War is on Netflix US but not Netflix Singapore, Amazon Prime Video or Hulu. It’s expected to leave Netflix US and move to Disney+ in June 2020.

Rent/Buy: Get it on iTunes, Amazon (with bonus content), Vudu, FandangoNOW, Microsoft