The success of Avengers: Infinity War isn’t just because the film lived up to the hype. Don’t get me wrong, it was a huge part of it but it isn’t the only reason. The way that the Russos, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely put all the massive number of heroes into one cohesive film is simply mind-blowing. Their plan to faction off these heroes and put them on different paths is a genius idea. Not only does this not overload the film but you get the same sense of unity as if they were all there at the same time.
Be that as it may, the film is relentless from beginning to end. The film has “breathers” in there but they’re few and far between. Not to mention, that these “breathers” are the most emotional scenes in the film. In other words, when you think you’re going to take a break from the action, the film delivers you with a gut punch.
That gut punch comes from none other than Thanos himself. The character is one of the best villains in Marvel Comics. Avengers: Infinity War is able to show this side of him and more. He may not be looking for the love of Lady Death (a figment of his imagination, by the way), but his motives are much more sympathetic in nature. It’s the type of motive that causes fans to debate whether or not Thanos was right. This is why Thanos is such a great villain.
Most of that is due to the stellar job done by Josh Brolin. After teasing him for several films, Brolin finally gets to let loose and give it his all. Despite his character being CG, he still gives Thanos such a wide emotional range. Now, purists will say that it’s the CG doing the job for him. Yet, as we’ve seen from Andy Serkis plenty of times before, the actor’s performance is still able to come through.
But as amazing as Thanos is, his Black Order doesn’t fare the same way. With the exception of Ebony Maw, practically everyone gives wooden performances.
But as it is the case with heroes in the previous Marvel films, they did a phenomenal job in their roles. After all, they’ve grown into these characters throughout several films now. It’s just a shame that certain characters don’t get a chance to shine in this film. Nevertheless, everyone gives it their all as they go through the proverbial ringer here. Also, those who survive display a ton of emotion as that infamous ending is unfolding.
Overall, Avengers: Infinity War lives up to the hype in every way imaginable. It’s epic, action-packed, and suspenseful. Once again Marvel has given us a villain that is as sympathetic as he is dangerous. Despite giving us that gut-punch ending, Infinity War takes no prisoners. That’s why it’s one of the greatest superhero films ever made.
Movie Rating: 5/5 atoms
Video
Avengers: Infinity War hits 4K Ultra HD with an HDR10 4K transfer and a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Now, there is a bit of controversy regarding the video presentation. Although the film was entirely shot on IMAX cameras, the 4K Ultra HD release doesn’t include the IMAX aspect ratio. Regardless, the video is still really clear. Each stubble, wrinkle, and strand of hair is crisp and well-defined.
The black levels are jet black but there are several scenes where the blacks are a slightly lighter shade. Nevertheless, you won’t find any crushing in any of the shadow details which is great considering the number of dark scenes in the film. The brightness is also vibrant and luminous. The brightness doesn’t bloom or bleed either. The contrast is definitely spot on here.
The colors don’t necessarily pop on the screen a lot. However, whenever Thanos uses the infinity stones, the colors are vivid. Otherwise, the colors look very natural. This also includes the skin color of all the characters. Despite the lack of IMAX footage, this is still a great video transfer.
Video Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Audio
Avengers: Infinity War hits 4K Ultra HD with a Dolby Atmos and a core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD track. The review will reflect Avengers: Infinity War‘s core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. As epic as this film is, there isn’t much weight in the audio mix. The LFE rarely shows itself even during the epic battles. Nevertheless, this lack of a hearty soundstage doesn’t deter from the film’s excellent dynamic immersion. The sound effects seamlessly pan from all over the soundstage. Not to mention, the music and atmospheric effects fill up the soundstage so there’s never a quiet moment throughout the film. But there are times where certain audio gets drowned out. Nevertheless, the dialogue never gets drowned out. It’s crystal clear through all the channels. Overall, this is a very good mix.
Audio Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Special Features
Avengers: Infinity War‘s 4K Ultra HD disc doesn’t have any special features on it. However, you can find the following special features on the Blu-ray:
- Featurettes
- Strange Alchemy
- The Mad Titan
- Beyond the Battle: Titan
- Beyond the Battle: Wakanda
- Deleted Scenes
- Happy Knows Best
- Hunt for the Mind Stone
- The Guardians Get Their Groove Back
- A Father’s Choice
- Gag Reel
- Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Audio Commentary
“Strange Alchemy” talks about what we already know which is everyone talking about how all the fans want all the heroes to interact with each other. Although it is nice to see everyone’s excitement to work with the other actors in the MCU. “The Mad Titan” is primarily about the importance of Thanos in the MCU. It breaks down the character through interviews with various producers, filmmakers, and actors. It doesn’t go totally in-depth but it does provide some insight into the inception of the character. Now, the most in-depth featurettes are the two “Beyond the Battle” featurettes. These featurettes thoroughly go through the filmmaking process for the film’s two biggest battles.
As for the deleted scenes, one can see why they were left on the cutting room floor. Seemingly every scene, if included, would have slowed the film down. Yet the only one that would have made sense to include is the Guardians scene. This scene would give poor Drax more lines than what he had in the film. Unfortunately, the gag reel isn’t as funny as other iterations. However, it’s nice to see the cast having a lot of fun while on set. Now, the audio commentary is where it’s at. The Russos, Markus, and McFeely all provide so much information. Not to mention, they seem to answer some of the fans’ biggest questions after the release of the film. It’s definitely worth a watch.
Special Features Rating: 3.5/5 atoms
Overall, Avengers: Infinity War lives up to the hype. Ten years of storytelling have led up to this and it everything that we fans wanted in an Infinity Gauntlet film. Sure, the ending still hurts but that’s the reason why it’s so effective as a film. It takes no prisoners. Despite the controversy behind the decision to not include the IMAX footage, the video still looks phenomenal. In addition, the audio mix is great despite the lack of weight in the mix. The special features are a bit lacking but the audio commentary and “Behind the Battles” makes up for the lack of content.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
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