The First AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Reviews Are Here And They're A Little More Mixed Than Expected
The first reviews for Avengers: Infinity War are finally online but what do critics think about Marvel's latest movie? Does it live up to expectations or fall flat? You guys can find out after the jump...
We've brought you the first reactions and even our own review of Avengers: Infinity War but the critics have finally weighed in and it probably won't surprise you that the buzz surrounding Marvel Studios' latest movie is overwhelmingly positive. There are those who find something to complain about - as is their right - but it certainly doesn't sound like the epic ensemble will be plagued by any major issues.
In fact, it's fair to say that the Russo Brothers may have delivered one of the greatest superhero movies of all-time based on what's revealed here and it seems that Rotten Tomatoes score will be high!
However, we should also point out that many of the positive reviews are of the 3*/4* variety as opposed to glowing 5* verdicts. The movie gets plenty of those but there's a surprising amount of negativity in places and it doesn't look like this will be Black Panther style critical darling. To give you a good idea of what to expect, we've included reviews from magazines, newspapers, and websites.
Now, there's nothing below which could be considered a spoiler but you may want to avoid heading over to each of these sites if you wish to remain totally unspoiled as they do mention some pretty big things here and there. Rest assured that there's nothing listed in this article which will ruin your experience, though! So, to check out the review roundup in its entirety, click on either of the buttons.
Yet it is a little hard to talk about Avengers: Infinity War in full, if only because we’ve only seen the first half of this story. The Marvel Cinematic Universe began 10 years ago — this film’s studio logo nods to that anniversary, too — and was built on the notion of an interconnected world full of heroes with shocking new powers. But a number of those films felt like stand-alone pictures, especially the recent run culminating with Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. Infinity War, by design, feels like one half of a completed puzzle, with the other pieces strewn about waiting to be put together. Maybe once it’s whole, the puzzle will be wholly satisfying. For now, Infinity War suggests that Marvel is able to wrangle together a massive, charming cast, but not quite create a story that deserves their presence. [6/10]
SOURCE: Slash Film
By the end of Avengers: Infinity War, it’s almost hard to get your mind around everything you’ve seen—to the point where you may start planning your next screening as you walk out of the theater. Marvel’s Phase Three isn’t over—it won’t be until Avengers 4 next year—but to say every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been leading up to Infinity War is absolutely true. And it’s a chapter fans will never forget.
Ultimately, the latest Marvel event is ‘Civil War’ on steroids and as enormous a spectacle as you’ll ever see on the screen that’ll leave you shook. For a movie plot this thin and basic, ‘Infinity War,’ is remarkably gripping, supersized entertainment that should exhilarate audiences, electrify the box office and continue the Marvel hegemony for years to come. [B+]
SOURCE: The Playlist
“Avengers: Infinity War” can, at times, make it feel like you’re at a birthday party where you got so many presents that you start to grow tired of opening them. But taken on its own piñata-of-fun terms, it’s sharp, fast-moving, and elegantly staged. It also has what any superhero movie worth its salt requires: a sense that there’s something at stake.
SOURCE: Variety
No question about it, barely two months after the release of Black Panther, Marvel (and Disney, of course) has returned with another of the most expensive films ever made that will pull off another of the biggest commercial hauls of all time. This franchise isn't going away anytime soon.
SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter
Avengers: Infinity War upends the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as promised. It's a spectacle unlike any movie before it, offering a ferocious narrative which fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will love but the average or young moviegoer might have a bit of trouble with. It is dark, it is fun, and it is bigger than anyone could have imagined. It substitutes some of the focus seen in previous Marvel films with wider-ranging narrative to create a sprawling, jaw-dropping, utterly relentless epic.
If you’re a viewer who binges TV dramas because you can’t wait a week to find out what happens, the implied “to be continued” at the end of “Infinity War” may drive you batty. But if you’ve been solidly along for the Marvel ride up to this point, you’ll enjoy this leg of the journey even if it hasn’t yet reached the terminal.
It’s both arresting plot development and efficient solution; like so much in the Avengers series, Infinity War is really a feat of good management above anything else. As Marvel nears the end of this particular saga—or, at least, this particular lineup of actors—it’s a mild, partly begrudging thrill to see them pull it off. Insanely, exhaustingly we’ve two more side films to go—July’s Ant-Man and the Wasp and next March’s Captain Marvel—before Thanos’s last stand. (Presumably, he’ll take some big heroes with him.) But Infinity War is an intermittently rousing reminder that we’ll get there eventually. What lies beyond it, I’m sure we’ll know soon enough. For now, I’m enjoying Marvel’s version of denouement—excessive and inevitable.
SOURCE: Vanity Fair
Avengers: Infinity War may be the biggest Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far, it is nowhere near the best. It is essentially set-up for whatever comes next year. But it works as big-scale entertainment. And, come what may, I'm willing to presume that is merely table-setting a finale for the ages.
SOURCE: Forbes
Prior to this weekend, Captain America: Civil War served as the pinnacle of ambition for the MCU, if not for comic book films in general. But when it comes to scale and scope, Civil War pales in comparison to what the Russo brothers have accomplished with Avengers: Infinity War. This is the kind of film that comic book fans have spent their entire lives dreaming about, one that breathes life into events that heretofore could only have existed on the page, or in the imagination. It's an exhilarating epic overflowing with action, humor, drama and emotion, a film that rewards fans for their dedication over the past decade and paves the way for a very, very different future in the MCU.
Coming back to the question of whether Avengers: Infinity War lives up to the hype and anticipation, the movie doesn’t exceed expectations even though it does meet those expectations. What happens when a movie that many are hoping to exceed expectations only manages to meet those expectations – even if those expectations mark a massive achievement for a Hollywood franchise? Well, in the case of Avengers: Infinity War, we get a solidly entertaining event film that still may leave viewers wanting more, even if they’re unsure what more the writers and directors could have done. Thankfully, Marvel Studios, the Russos, and Markus and McFeely will be back next year with Avengers 4 to bring the first three phases of the MCU truly to completion. [3/5]
SOURCE: Screen Rant
Using the strength of its powerful and interesting villain to set the stakes higher than ever, Avengers: Infinity War successfully brings together the past 10 years of Marvel movies into a largely effective cocktail of super-heroic dramatics. The fact that it manages to give nearly every member of its admittedly overstuffed cast at least a moment to shine is its greatest feat. Sure, it ends on a cliffhanger, but those final moments elevate the entire series in a poetic, if horrific, coup de grace.
SOURCE: IGN
This is event cinema at its best and most ambitious. Avengers: Infinity war is an exhilarating and heart-aching cinematic event that will leave you breathless – and desperate for the next installment.
Here’s to destiny’s arrival. Here’s to 10 years of movies. Here’s to living in a world where these stories are allowed to be told in the way and on the scale that we see them. Infinity War might not be your favorite MCU movie but it’s a pretty cool piece of history.
But this movie is also a minor miracle. Here we are, at the end of this review and I haven’t mentioned Captain America or Black Widow or Scarlet Witch or Hulk or Black Panther or Vision and they all have important roles to play in this movie. And somehow Joe and Anthony Russo pull it off, giving each character his or her due without anything feeling forced. (Okay, there’s one minor part that feels a little forced but it’s too spoiler-y to mention.) Joss Whedon’s first Avengers shouldn’t have worked and he was dealing with a fraction of the characters that Infinity War has… and somehow it all, mostly, works.
Sometimes, of course, the scheme does pay off, if rarely as often as it should. Marvel-wise, 2018 will go down as the year that gave us "Black Panther," an exhilarating, empire-rejuvenating reminder that, with a little faith and a lot of smarts, Hollywood really can build bolder, better, more original blockbusters. And it will also go down as the year of "Avengers: Infinity War," a movie with a cliffhanger, a body count and some pretty great one-liners where its Soul Stone should be.
While it’s hard to beat the wonder of that original Avengers film — remember when superhero team-ups were still a novelty? — Infinity War does its best to change the game again. There are unexpected returns, true surprises, real sacrifices and a cliffhanger ending that’s going to freak fans to their superhero-loving core, yet is, quite simply, marvelous.
Well, that was a night out. It’s after midnight on 4/24/18, and I’m sitting across from my 15-year-old daughter, who claims not to like movies much but is an exuberant Marvel fan, and who rocked and laughed and gasped throughout the long running time of Avengers: Infinity War. Before the film, she couldn’t believe she was seeing it days ahead of the rest of the world, which made me feel like Super Dad. Now, I feel extra puny. She is curled up in a chair, repeating, “What the f— just happened?” over and over. Her eyes are still red from crying. She begs me to do the movie justice.
Avengers: Infinity War cares a bit too much about being "Part 1" and holding enough development for "Part 2," but MCU fans should see their 10-year buildup expectations met - not exceeded, but met. [3.5/5]
SOURCE: We Got This Covered
But this time the Russos achieve the impossible. Not only did they bring all these disparate characters and stories together, but they made it look effortless. And the ending laughs in the face of carbonite when it comes to raising the stakes for next time. “It’s not overselling it to say that the fate of the universe is at stake,” says one character, early on in Infinity War. If the universe he meant was the Marvel one, there’s no need to worry. We couldn’t tear ourselves away now if we wanted to.
SOURCE: Empire Online
There are quibbles: Thanos’ ‘children’ don’t make as much impact as you’d hope, and can feel indistinct at times; the stone-collecting can feel a touch repetitive and certain plot threads are set in motion that won’t be resolved until the untitled Avengers 4 in 2019. But any complaints are small fry in a film this bold, ballsy, satisfying, and dramatic. [5/5]
Still, there is something thrilling about watching just how much fun the Russos and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are having messing with the fans here. Even if, in the end, that little subversive act of freaking them out only lasts until the next sequel. [B]
SOURCE: Entertainment Weekly
Ultimately, Infinity War is very much a Part One movie. It’s not hard to see why they filmed this and Avengers 4 back-to-back and why Avengers 4 was initially supposed to be Infinity War: Part Two. We’re going to need that as-yet-untitled next movie in order to be fully satisfied. But the end of Infinity War is earned, and it’s going to blow you away. All I can really tell you about this film is that I’m seeing it again on Thursday, and I can’t wait. [4/5]
SOURCE: The Mary Sue
I appreciate the sheer logistical achievement of Infinity War (and the chutzpah of its ending). I laughed a bunch of times, and some of the scenes are definitely exciting. But I would be lying if I pretended this movie ever grabbed me the way the best MCU movies did. Time is a finite resource just like the ones Thanos worries about, and I can’t really envision myself spending much time in the future rewatching Infinity War the way I do the first Avengers or Spider-Man: Homecoming. That’s pretty typical for comic-book crossovers too. They’re important to read once. But they rarely become the stories you return to over and over. [6/10]
What is this, a crossover episode? After 18 films, the overlords at Marvel Studios have gathered almost all of their indentured servants, er, star-studded stable together into the ever-crashing, ever-booming, and ever-banging extravaganza Avengers: Infinity War. Whether you look at this whirling dervish and see a gleefully grandiose entertainment or a depressing exemplar of the culturally degraded present moment will depend on your investment—in all senses of that term—in Marvel's carefully cultivated mythos. [2/4]
Avengers: Infinity War knows what a big deal it is. Just about all the Avengers together, in one two-hour-and-forty-minute movie, battling the most power-mad villain there ever was: Wow! Better not blow this one. And so the movie treats audience expectations like a set of ice-cube trays to be filled, and in the end, you have to admit it’s very thorough. That’s not the nicest thing you can say about it; it’s the most damning.
SOURCE: TIME
“Avengers: Infinity War” is packed to the brim with excitement. You may need a drink when its all finished. You may even need a pack of tissues to get you through the experience but rest assured, it’s one of the grandest things you can endure this summer. [3.5/5]
Avengers: Infinity War was a project literally conceived to have all the pressure in the world riding on it, but really in the end it's not exactly challenging to see why it works. It's arguably the best writing and directing teams that Marvel Studios has hired orchestrating one of the greatest ensembles (in terms of both talented actors and beloved characters) ever put together in the history of cinema. It's a unique, exceptional achievement that somehow leaves you both fully satisfied and desperate for more, and ranks among the best adventures we've seen yet from this stellar franchise.
Before the start of the world premiere for Avengers: Infinity War in Los Angeles, the entire cast took the stage at the Dolby Theater. The Guardians. The Wakanda crew. The past/present villains, from Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to Bucky (Sebastian Stan) to Thanos. The original Avengers. The turn-out was so impressive that legit A-listers such as Cooper, Cumberbatch and Vin Diesel (Groot) were relegated to the back row. Downey gave a speech and noted that the assembly of this caliber of talent for a comic book movie was nothing short of “a miracle.” Truth. So let’s commend a movie that manages to maneuver this group like a chess board, give every character a special moment to shine and pay homage to Hemsworth’s biceps. Powerful stuff, indeed.
Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War -- an overstuffed sausage of summer entertainment -- is the Ocean's Thirteen of spandexed heroism, if you can imagine a version of that movie with two times as many Brad Pitts and no poker dealers. [3/5]
SOURCE: Time Out
A superhero-space-opera that will knock you off your feet and quite possibly bring a lump to your throat.
SOURCE: Newsday
In theory, all these superheroes crammed into one movie should trigger the law of diminishing returns and the Travelling Wilbury effect. And yet somehow in its pure uproariousness, it works. It’s just a supremely watchable film, utterly confident in its self-created malleable mythology. And confident also in the note of apocalyptic darkness. I know it’s silly. And yet I can’t help looking forward to the next supersized episode of mayhem. [4/5]
SOURCE: Guardian
As for what to expect - well, prepare to laugh just as much as you’ll gasp in shock at surprises. Oh and maybe bring some tissues. As teased by Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr, ‘It’s Armageddon. Heads will roll.’ Marvel fans need to prepare themselves for a satisfying geek out, while the causal movie fan can just sit back and enjoy the ride. [5/5]
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