Friend Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War

After two months of movie watching preparations, we saw Avengers: Infinity War last Thursday night. It was a grand evening of birthday bliss. I was with people I love watching characters I enjoy. You can't really tell in the picture but Sister got us matching Avenger Infinity Stone shirts and I'm wearing my new Infinity Gauntlet scarf with matching Infinity Gauntlet earrings. I was ecstatic...for most of the night.  

I recommend seeing Avengers: Infinity War. In fact I plan to see this movie again tonight. I also recommend seeing Infinity War without spoilers. This is a movie I think most people will enjoy more if it is they are spoiler free. With that in mind I am changing the order of my review categories. I have the rating first for those who might want to know what we thought but the numbers. I then am adding fun spoiler free videos to leave an information gap before the actual review. Know that there will be spoilers after the videos. We give our reactions and thoughts which include details, plot points, surprises, and facts about about the ending.

Rating:
Susi: 3 infinity stones out of 5
Stuart: 3 freshly forged axes out of 5
Jonathan: 4.5 dead heroes out of 5
Brendan: 4.5 broken dreams out of 5 because I am so pissed off. My heart wants to give it a 1
Sister: 4.52 Wakanda chants out of 5
Me: 4.6 destroyed planets out of 5


We also has fun trying to describe this movie poorly. Our favourite answer was "purple father convinces his children to start a rock collection." Enjoy the rest of the review.

I just found this cute Tonight Show clip of the Infinity War cast singing the Brady Bunch.

If you know me, you know I am a geek. So it won't surprise you one of my favourite things to watch a weekly show where three amazing people talk comic for two hours. It is called the Wednesday Club with Taliesin Jaffe, Amy Dallen, and Matt Key. Last week they talked Thanos and the Infinity Stones/Gems in comic history (I missed the episode because I was watching Thor: Ragnarok again). They ended the episode with this five minute question:

Avoid Spoilers don't read past this video.

We haven't taken the same oath of silence as the cast. We are going to talk about things that happen in the movie. But this is your last warning, DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT if you want to stay spoiler free. You have been warned.

Reaction:
Susi: ahhhhhhhh. I loved and hated this movie in equal measure
Stuart: I liked the movie till the end, it was a lot like the Perfect Storm. They are so close to victory and then it is utter defeat.
Jonathan: Great entertainment. It gives much for the imagination to ponder.
Brendan: *the extended profanity has been removed*  I care way too much about these movies
Sister: I didn’t come here to watch my favorite tree with emotions get killed by a giant purple man with a gold glove and stupid rock collection.
Me: I am stunned. I am so stunned and yet this is exactly what I had expected. Not the specific details but the over all outcome. I haven’t been this emotional walking out of a theater since passion of the Christ. I need to see this again.

Good:
Susi:  I loved and hated this movie in equal measure. The reunion was great till everyone dies. I'm surprised that I came to understand Thanos, not that I agree with him but they told the backstory well.
Stuart: This was a great movie till the end. Even the end is good. The things I enjoyed was the reunion, the humour of Hulk refusing to show up and therefore letting Banner down. I also agree with Susi about the The Thanos backstory was good portrayal of Thanos and depth of his personality was great. Dr. Strange grew so much from the end of his movie. I didn't really care for him in Dr. Strange but thought he was great in this movie.
Jonathan: The best part of this movie was seeing everyone come together. Not just the reunions but also the new team-ups. I am super fan; it was neat seeing groups I didn’t know were connected connect.
Brendan: I can’t think critically about this movie yet...I need to see it again. What I can say is that all the separate storylines and locations blended together well.
Sister: All entrances were phenomenal. I love Wakanda, the Wakanda battle was brilliant. And the chants. Chants are cool. Also the movie-pop culture death of Squidward (Ebony Maw). 
Me: To quote an anthropomorphic cucumber, "I laughed, I cried, it moved me Bob."  I agree with everyone's good. Seeing everyone together was great. Also the new suits and looks were fantastic. I loved Spiderman getting discovering his upgraded suit. Also that Captain America and Black Widow look different because they've been on the run for two years. The movie comes out hard hitting; I did not expect so much devastation so early. They pick up first after the end scene of Ragnarok and it is intense. The stakes are high and no one has plot-armor. After the early deaths the story keeps the momentum through out the movie.
I loved the meet-ups and new parings. I was floored by the Soul Gem guardian reveal. I was not expecting to ever see Red Skull again. Also the price of the soul stone was good story telling. I appreciated seeing the backstory of Gamora and Thanos. I loved Dr. Strange in this movie so much more than his named one. And Wong is still great. The Banner-Romonoff was...I can't decide between sweet of funny. Either way it made me smile. And lastly, I love the Captain Marvel end scene. I was the only one freaking out in our theater. I am excited to see what they do with her movie.

Less Than Good:
Susi: Other than the deaths…I can't see where they are going to go from here. How was MCU recover from this conclusion?
Stuart: There is no Hawkeye! And the restarting of the forge was problematic, has Thor always been able to breath and survive in space?
Jonathan:My comment is more an annoyance, it felt like Thor has been dumbed down. He seemed like an idiot (Brendan and Stuart disagree). With that, what was the purpose behind scene with Thor’s "rabbit of a therapist". it didn't help the plot and why did Thor think Rocket was a rabbit? Lastly, there was no Corg (the rock alien from Ragnarok).
Brendan: I can’t think critically about this movie. But Peter Quill is an idiot. This is all his fault. Why didn't Dr Strange put Thanos in mirror dimension (I-Liz, suspect Thanos would have stopped that with the reality stone)? We didn’t see the taking of the power stone from the Nova Core.
Sister: Dramatic music is cool but in this movie it was over used. When everything is emphasized with dramatic music that nothing is dramatic.
Me: My emotions at the end of this movie were high. I was feeling everything and it really is a good thing, in the fact that I was reacting. They ripped my heart out, Thanos stomped on it, and then it turned to dust. So much that I am seeing the movie again. The director/writers did good. I loved the reunions but it made it clear who wasn't there. No Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Wasp, Corg, or Karglin, the Sean Gunn character on the Guardians team who got Yondu's arrow at the end of Guardians 2. I was also thinking Quicksilver might return...he did not and that made me sad. Stark has a habit of calling others movie references, such as calling Hawkeye Legolas. I think it was a missed opportunity that he didn't call Dr. Strange Gandolf (and if he did I missed it). Beyond those things I can't think critically about the movie yet. I said it on Facebook, this movie need Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, she would have saved the day.

Worst Death:
Susi: Gamora
Stuart: Groot
Jonathan: T'Challa/Black Panther
Brendan: Spiderman
Sister: It's not the "worst death", I just thought that Loki's death was really good. T'Challa's death pretty sad, Spidy's death was just heart wrenching.
Me: I'm with Sister, all of the ones mentioned were heart wrenching. I hated seeing Heimdall die so early and it set the tone for the movie. Gamora's death made me tear up. Then the whole montage of death was just....hard to witness. I echo Brendan's reaction, "I care way too much about these movies." The hardest moment connected to a death was War Machine calling for Sam right after Sam had vanished.

Quotes:
Susi: Okoye: When you said you were going to open Wakanda to the rest of the world, this is not what I imagined.
T'Challa: What did you imagine?
Okoye: The Olympics, maybe even a Starbucks.
Stuart: Peter Quill: Where is Gamora?
Dr. Stephen Strange: I'll do you one better, Who is Gamora?
Drax: I'll do you one better, Why is Gamora?
Also "Whip that off" one of the Guardians about Thor on the ship windshield

Jonathan: Dr. Stephen Strange: I'm Dr. Strange.
Peter Parker: Oh, we're using our made-up names? In that case, I am Spider-Man.
Also,
T'Challa: Evacuate the city! Engage all defenses! [points at Steve Rogers] And get this man a shield!
Brendan:Tony Stark: You can't park here, buddy. Earth is closed today. Take your tractor beam and skedaddle.
Also
Stan Lee's Bus Driver: What's the matter with you, kids? You've never seen a spaceship before?
Tony Stark: "Piss off Squidward"
Sister: Tony Stark: And I swore off dairy, but then Ben and Jerry's named a flavor after me. So...
Dr. Stephen Strange: Stark Raving Hazelnuts.
Also
Groot: [after Thor introduces him to Rogers] I am Groot!
Steve Rogers: I am Steve Rogers.
And
T'Challa: Yibambe!
Wakandans: YIBAMBE!
Me:   Peter Quill: The Avengers?
Thor: The Earth's mightiest heroes.
Mantis: Like Kevin Bacon?
Thor: He may be on the team, I don't know
Also,
Bruce Banner: Who's Scott?
Steve Rogers: Ant-Man.
Bruce Banner: There's an Ant-Man and a Spiderman?
And,
Peter Parker: [Referring to Drax and Mantis] Ah, what exactly is it that they do?
Mantis: Kick names, take ass.

Questions:
Susi:  Where do they go from here?
Stuart: How tony stark get home?
Brendan: If they plant Thor's axe in the ground will we get a new Groot?
Jonathan: Where is the handle?

Sister: Is the M'Baku (The Jabari/Ape tribe leader) the new Black Panther?

Me: Where was Ant-Man and the Wasp? I'm not the only one...

 

Everyone is asking what happens next. I am not going to make an predictions for next May's Avengers. However I hope based on the following quote that Dr. Strange is playing the long game:

Dr. Stephen Strange: I went forward in time... to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict. 

Peter Quill: How many did you see? 

Dr. Stephen Strange: Fourteen million six hundred and five. 

Tony Stark: How many did we win? 

Dr. Stephen Strange: ...One.