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Avengers: Infinity War – A comical Minds Review

Avengers Infinity War Characters

The quick snapshot of Infinity War

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

  • A start to finish ride of excitement and emotions
  • A thank you to those who have watched since the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
  • A great mixture of introductions for the characters
  • One of the better villains in cinema

The Time has come to Assemble the Stones

Avengers: Infinity War bar none is an excellent movie! There really is no way around it. From the moment Tony Stark announced to the world that he was Iron Man we were awaiting this moment. We knew it was going to be epic when caught a glimpse of Thanos at the end of Avengers, but we had no idea how epic it would be. War has come to the Avengers and all the decisions and mistakes that were made have finally caught up to them.

The Story

The story is very simple as the build up has been traced through several of the previous movies. The story here is to stop Thanos from collecting all six of the Infinity Stones. If he gets them he will wipe out half of the Universe. This is not a spoiler so don’t roll your eyes, it was in the trailer. This is all the story you need. I will warn you; however, do not go see this move as your first venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

You need to see the following movies first to truly appreciate this film:

  • Iron Man
  • Captain America: The First Avenger
  • Thor
  • The Avengers
  • Thor: The Dark World
  • The Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Captain America: Civil War
  • The Black Panther
  • Thor: Ragnarok

The Heroes

Each character has their own moment to shine in this film. It is amazing how the Russo Brothers are able to make the characters meld and mold so fluidly. Part of their magic is that they do not force friendships on groups. It is fun seeing the different dynamics between people in and out of battle. Watching Dr. Strange interact with Tony Stark is just as fun as seeing Thor interact with the Guardians of the Galaxy. You are reminded quickly that plot elements from past movies are still in play because this is a not simply a cinematic universe, but a connected universe. It goes without saying that care was taken into remembering open plot threads and closing them where they could.

The Villains

It has always been my opinion that the “villain” problem in movies is because Hollywood believes that villains have to be laughing lunatics hell bent on telling jokes or being insane to be plausible. There was none of that here. Thanos and the Black Glove had a purpose for every action they took and the stakes were never at their highest. There were moment where chills went up my spine when seeing Thanos deal with the Avengers.

The Final Verdict

This movie is worth seeing and worth your silence so that others have a chance to see it and enjoy. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has unfolded for 10 years and this represents the culmination of that Universe. Enjoy!

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Examples of true character development

The Captain and the Bat

I have been thinking about what it takes to create true character development after discussions about recent movies and I know of two characters that are perfect examples. This post is about Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and the Captain America trilogy. It is amazing how similar the beat patterns in the movies, but that is what makes them excellent trilogies. Note that I am not trying to pit them against one another. I enjoy both trilogies equally.

Character Development the right way

A character goes through true development when the audience can understand their motivation. Batman is driven by the loss of his parents, which drives him to eradicate crime. Captain America is driven by the desire to stop the Nazi’s and protect the little guy from bullies. Both Batman and Captain America are taken to the brink, mentally and physically, in their journeys.  Both characters grow and change throughout the course of their respective trilogies and you are able to see their perspective change. This is the definition of character development. Characters who are one dimensional are good for the short term, but is never able to capture a monumental spark.

How are the trilogies similar?

Consider the following:

  • Bruce Wayne and Steve Rogers faces tragedy that changes them fundamentally
  • They both train to become who they are destined to be. Bruce joins the League of Shadows and Steve joins the Army
  • They create symbols to embody their mission.
  • They undertake huge sacrifices for betterment of others
  • Their beliefs are questioned by their opposite, The Joker and Winter Soldier respectively.
  • They realize that their sacrifices ultimately meant nothing
  • They give up their symbols

Lessons learned from these movies

Christopher Nolan took major risks in his trilogy of Batman. It is not often that we see a Batman that is flawed and making mistakes, but that was a part of the trilogy. Bruce did not want the burden of being Batman forever. He knew he was going to give up the mantle once his heir presented himself. Batman is not typically portrayed as vulnerable, but we accepted it without question in this trilogy.

Captain America went from being the star-spangled hero, to the destroyer of SHIELD and ultimately a war criminal. It is true that his story is part of a larger narrative; however, his trilogy is the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Risks were taken to deconstruct his character in such a way that would make him vulnerable as well.

It is no surprise that The Dark Knight and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are both viewed as excellent sequels and overall films. The key is not to be afraid to explore the characters from all aspects. They must grow mentally and physically. Also, it is important to put the right opponent in front of them to make things meaningful. Just because a villain is cool in one medium does not mean it works in others, Im looking at you venom! My suggestion for anyone wondering what it means to have great character development is to study these movies.