Avengers: Infinity War packs a punch in Marvel's longest movie to date

Movie Title:    Avengers: Infinity War

Grade:  A

Rating: PG-13, 156 minutes  (the longest Marvel film to date)

In a Nutshell:  Starring…well….EVERYONE!  All of your favorite Marvel superheroes get spotlighted, a difficult task that the Russo brothers capably tackled.

As the 19^th film released by Marvel Studios in the past 10 years or so, with more to hit the Big Screen next month and into the summer of 2018, clearly, Marvel is the big boy at the Box Office.

I've been looking forward to this movie for a long time and I don't want to include a bunch of spoilers here, so this review will be, surprisingly, quite short!  I want you to be able to experience all of the fun excitement and heartbreaking drama for yourself. 

The one word that truly describes this movie is EPIC.

                                            

Uplifting theme: 

·    Hope and desperation

• Sacrifice for others
• Revenge
• Love
• The price of war
• Friendship, forgiveness, mending old wounds
• Genocide

Tips for parents: 

• Some profanity, but no F-bombs.
• LOTS of violence, sometimes with bloody, brutal deaths.  Super high dead body count.   
• LOTS of destruction and people in perilous situations.
• Some characters we have come to know and love actually die in this movie.  Your heart will break.  It’s a bit surprising and especially sad for people who really love these characters.
• Some creepy, scary monsters and characters.

                                                         

Things I liked:

• I loved it when the superheroes met each other for the very first time. The audience I watched the movie with especially howled with laughter when the Guardians of the Galaxy (my favorite Marvel characters) meet Thor.
• Josh Brolin as Thanos is awesome.  Thanos is a truly evil villain because of his motivation.
• The humor is perfect.  The characters play off each other really well with extremely entertaining banter.
• I’m not a fan of the “shaky cam” technique, so I was grateful that the Russo brothers were careful not to use it much.  There is, however, a LOT of action, so you'll want to sit towards the back of the theater in order to see it all without getting dizzy.
• Marvel’s storytelling has an unpredictability to it that makes it even more fun for viewers and fans. You just can't always predict what's going to happen.  
• Keep watching after the rolling credits for a final scene that hints at what’s to come.  The good news is that there is more to come! 
• I love it when Marvel gives Stan Lee a cameo spot.  It’s always so fun to see where they put him in the movies.
• Iron Man’s new nano-tech uniform was super cool.
• I adore Paul Betany and loved seeing him “not” red for a short time.
•  Fantastic fight and action sequences.
• Impressive CGI.  It's truly amazing what they can do in film nowadays.

Things I didn’t like:

• When you mix that many bigger-than-life characters, the film is bound to be crowded, busy, and uneven in tone.
• The ending is a bit vague and unfinished.  We don’t quite know what happened, but one thing is certain…there will be a grand finale!  It kind of feels like the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which was good, but somewhat unsatisfying because you knew you’d have to wait another year for the rest of the story.
• Quite a few Avenger-related characters were not present.
•  You really need to have seen all of the recent Marvel movies in order to understand the back stories of the characters and appreciate the many Easter eggs and jokes.

Funny lines:

• “Fun isn’t something one considers when balancing the universe, but this does put a smile on my face.” – Thanos (Josh Brolin
• “Hunk a Hulk of burning love is our favorite.” – Wong (Benedict Wong)
• He’s not a dude.  You’re a dude.  He’s a man.  A muscular man.” – Drax (Dave Bautista) talking about Thor.
• “It’s like a pirate had a baby with a angel.” – Drax talking about Thor
• Kevin Bacon joke.  Ha ha Love it.
• “I seriously don’t know how you fit your head into that helmet.” – Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.)
• “You speak Groot?” – Rocket (Bradley Cooper)

“Yes, they taught it on Asgard.  It was an elective.” – Thor (Chris Hemsworth)

• “We do not want another single pop culture reference out of you during this trip.” – Ironman to Spiderman

Interesting lines:

• Why would I lie?” – The Collector (Benicio Del Toro)

“I imagine it’s like breathing for you.” – Thanos

• “Reality is often disappointing.” – Thanos
• “You’ve got some nerve.” – Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt)

“You could use some of that right now.” – Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson)

• “If life is left unchecked, life will cease to exist. It needs correction.” – Thanos
• “The hardest choices require the strongest will.” - Thanos

Movies you need to see to better understand this one:

      

                                                           

                                           @trinaboice