AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR - second thoughts

If you haven't checked out my non-spoiler review, click through HERE!

THIS IS A SPOILER REVIEW, SO IF YOU CHOOSE TO READ ON AND HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE, YOUR LOSS.

I liked this movie a lot. Here's a list of the main characters who have had a solo movie and their roles in INFINITY WAR, and a little blurb on what I thought. I loved that this movie depends on your belief and the trope that the good guys always win and will find a way to overcome obstacles. 

P.S. Thank you to friends for talking these things out and giving me inspiration for some of these points. 

***THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK NOW BEFORE BEING SPOILED.***

• Thanos

  • In GUARDIANS 1 and the post-credits scene of AGE OF ULTRON, it seemed like the internet made Thanos the punchline to many a joke. He was just sitting around, letting other people do the job for him. But the first five minutes establishes just how powerful and intimidating a behemoth he is. Killing Loki and playing with Hulk makes Thanos scarier. We knew coming into the movie with the feeling that people were going to die, and his badassery puts each of our heroes in peril every time they battle Thanos.

  • I was surprised to see that AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR is actually a Thanos movie. The Avengers are mainly just reacting to everything happening around them and are on the defensive for most of the movie. Thanos’ backstory is well integrated, with the flashbacks and using the Reality Stone as an expositional device. He’s the protagonist here, and the Russos do a great job of making him feel dangerous. He has an interesting motive, and I like how they focused the story around Thanos’ desire for balance in the universe, rather than his desire for the love of the physical embodiment of Death.
    • Thanos turning Gamora’s head away from the violence has to be one of my favorite scenes. It’s framed tragically, with the half of the screen dying behind Thanos, while the half left to live are behind the innocent Gamora. It’s a touching moment that made me sympathize with and understand Thanos, if ever so fleetingly.
  • GUYS. THANOS WINS. WUT. I would’ve gladly sat through another two and a half hours to find out what happens next and actually see our heroes win. It’s a ballsy way to end the movie, and I respect the hell out everyone’s decision to finish on that note.
  • PREDICTION - He’ll definitely be vanquished by the end of AVENGERS 4. I think the remaining heroes will go back to where Thanos found the Soul Stone, then sacrifice themselves to get all the other heroes back and they, along with Captain Marvel, will defeat the Mad Titan.

• Iron Man

  • When Thanos stabbed him, I thought that was the perfect time for Tony to die. His first scene with Pepper was about having a child, a well worn trope that signifies a character’s death. New life can poetically begin once a life is sacrificed; a main theme of the movie. But Tony is still cursed with having his friends dying around him while he still lives.
    • The flash forward at the beginning of AGE OF ULTRON (when Scarlet Witch makes him see things) isn’t exactly reflected here, but he still is haunted by the visions of his dead and disintegrating friends.
    • PREDICTION - he’ll travel back to Earth with Nebula in AVENGERS 4 and will die by the end of it. Pepper will find a recording that says he uploaded his consciousness to his systems. It’ll be an easy way for Downey to keep on participating in the MCU without actually being in it.

• Hulk

  • Banner is luckily sent to Earth via Heimdall’s bridge. He’s mainly the messenger in the first, what, fifth of the movie, then is relegated to the heavy, as he is in much of the other films. This time, he doesn’t get much of a primary arc. Hulk gets his ass handed to him by Thanos in the beginning, and is too scared and scarred to come back out. Banner does get a quiet moment of acknowledgement with Black Widow, and you can tell they still have feelings for each other. I wish this relationship was explored a little bit more or built upon more here, but there’s bigger business to take care of in this universe.
  • PREDICTION - Bruce Banner will sacrifice himself in AVENGERS 4. The MCU may need another Hulk in Amadeus Cho or Jennifer Walters (either of the current Hulks in the comics) at one point or another, but they should build it without a Hulk.

• Thor

  • I didn’t think he’d be one of the MVPs of the movie. He, along with the Guardians, get a lot to do (them all being the cosmic-y characters in the MCU), and Hemsworth carries on his hilarious and emotional performance from RAGNAROK into this movie. His scene with Rocket made me emotionally unstable, laughing at how nonchalant and macho he attempted to appear, but also heartbroken at how tragic his life has been. There are lots of qualities of a true king shown in his leadership and willingness to sacrifice throughout. We know he’s going to survive, but holding that portal open for the heart of a dying star was still a rousing scene. (If you think that scene is super lame and out of the realm of possibility, have you read a comic?)
    • As Thor, Rocket and Groot teleported to the Wakandan battlefield, I don’t know if I’ve heard an audience cheer louder. Some of Thanos’ last words were “You should’ve aimed for the head” (or something like that), and it’s just another instance of the Avengers almost winning, had Thor only done so. It’s not a character flaw or anything, just an unfortunate circumstance.
  • PREDICTION - He’ll begin a new Asgard and lead as Odinson. Valkyrie will become the new Mighty Thor. (see: A:IW Unfounded Predictions.)
  • TANGENT TIME - Where are Korg and Valkyrie? I really hope they survived, along with the other Asgardians.

• Captain America

  • Saving Scarlet Witch and Vision in Edinburgh (I’ve traveled from that train station!), Cap reappears. He and the rest of his team travel to Wakanda and attempt to remove the Mind Stone from Vision and destroy it. Not much of an arc here, either, but he still is dependably and distinctly Captain America, always willing to help and lead.
  • PREDICTION - Cap will sacrifice himself, and Falcon/Sam Wilson will take over the mantle from Steve Rogers. (See: A:IW Unfounded Predictions.)

• Guardians of the Galaxy

  • Another character’s thread I didn’t think I’d get emotionally attached to is Peter Quill’s/Star-Lord’s. His relationship with Gamora was well established in previous movies, and their scenes reaffirmed that, so I could really feel that anger from Chris Pratt’s performance. Quill is usually so funny and nonchalant, that when he gets serious, it’s quite a moment. He gets to do a lot of that, especially during the Gauntlet removal.
    • Quill’s decision to let his emotion get the better of him, when they could’ve vanquished Thanos at that moment is extremely frustrating from a story perspective, but makes sense character-wise. That tiny moment ruins the fate of the universe, but at least the seeds have been planted throughout his appearances for him to make the choices he did.
  • Gamora meets her end, as Thanos sacrifices her to acquire the Soul Stone. I believe this relationship because of what was set up in GOTGv1 and the way she and Nebula talked about their father (and bonded through that) in their second movie. She is the heart of the movie, the reason why Thanos gains the power he gets. Gamora begins to laugh when Thanos is told he needs to sacrifice someone he loves. She thinks he finally loses, and  alas, is thrown off the ledge. It’s a truly tragic end, but there seems like there was no where left for her to go, as she was so closely tied to Thanos’ story.
  • Drax serves as the comedic relief in his groupings. Not much for him to do, but he does get a moment of revenge during the Battle on Titan. His arc was well set throughout the first two GOTG movies so his motives for killing Thanos didn’t need to be overexplained here.
  • Rocket travels with Thor and Groot to Nidavellir and helps Thor on his quest to forge a new weapon. Again, not much of an arc but lots of fun to be had with him wherever he goes.
  • Teen Groot plays his handheld game and gets a moment as he sacrifices (but will regrow) his arm to be the handle of Thor’s axe. He participates in the Battle of Wakanda, and gets to smash a bunch.
  • I could’ve sworn Nebula had the Soul Stone in her head, but the audience was a bit rowdy so I couldn’t hear every line of dialogue. That would’ve been an interesting but too easy place to put the stone, though. She escapes with relative ease and helps to fight Thanos on Titan.
  • Mantis gets a lot of great laughs and tide-changing moments, especially because of her powers. She’s the main reason why the Avengers were in control on Titan and came extremely close to removing the Gauntlet.
  • PREDICTION - Well, everyone (except Nebula and Rocket) died, so they can’t really do much aside from coming back in time for GOTG3, right?

• Doctor Strange

  • As the Master of the Mystic Arts, his main motive is to protect the Time Stone. He sacrifices potential friendships/teammates in order to do so, but decided to give the Time Stone to Thanos. Only then would Thanos cease to kill the Avengers left alive on Titan and taking the stone by force.
  • PREDICTION - also disintegrated, so… I mean Marvel can’t set up the world of magic and not come back to it…

• Spider-Man

  • Oh boy, if that disintegration scene didn’t make you tear up, I’m sorry. Peter Parker spent the whole movie assisting his pseudo-father, Tony Stark/Iron Man, on their way to Thanos on Titan. It was an incredible sight to see Spidey swinging around in space. He gets a good mini-arc due to his growing up and being treated like an adult and fighting a battle he never thought to prepare for.
  • PREDICTION - SPIDER-MAN 2 (MCU) is already announced, so…

• Black Panther

  • He only appears in the Wakanda scenes, predictably, but doesn’t get to do much else, rather than go do the punchy-punchy. It was pretty refreshing to come back to Wakanda, even though it’s only been, like, two months since we first went there. But ho. ly. crap. I thought Okoye would disintegrate when they touched hands, not him. Ugh… the feels…
  • PREDICTION - BLACK PANTHER 2 is already confirmed, so…

Check back for Part 2 coming on Monday!!! I'll talk more about the additional/secondary characters and their roles in the movie.