Joe Russo (1) (1971–)

Following Thanos's universe-shattering victory, the Avengers are broken and defeated. After the appearance of thought-dead hero Ant-Man, our heroes discover a way that they can undo Thanos's cataclysmic actions and bring the universe back to the way it was in a time-bending adventure -- but one with dire consequences.

Infinity War is hailed by many as the greatest MCU film, and it definitely sits at the top of the pile for me -- but it doesn't quite overtake Endgame for me. While I recognize that Endgame has more flaws than Infinity War and is not as good of a film, I find it more enjoyable. It has such a fun and hopeful feel to it, something that is missing from the morbid feeling that we often feel permeating throughout the previous installment. It also has a better opportunity to focus on the main heroes without as many players as Infinity War, yet they still are able to juggle their appearances all in tandem with one another. It all comes together in a payoff that make the entire journey worth every moment and every film. The performances are great, the effects are great, and the story -- while a bit jumbled and messy at times -- is still fun and exciting every single watch. I can't recommend it enough.

Content Concerns: Superhero violence permeates the film, with its fair share of some mild blood and character deaths -- even ones that are permanent and fatal. There are also over 20 uses of vulgarity -- among them a pair of "g-dd-mn."

(June 10, 2023)… (mere)

The Avengers must reunite and put aside old quarrels in order to battle the ultimate villain Thanos, alongside new heroes like the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and more in the culmination of a decade of storytelling.

If you can say nothing else good about Infinity War, you have to admit how seamlessly the team behind it was able to pull together a decade of movies and nearly twenty films worth of storytelling to make such an exciting, action-packed adventure is this. Luckily for us, though, there is a lot more good to be said. The characters, while high in number, are all integrated perfectly and are (for the most part) in keeping with their previous iterations in other films. The stories and plot points carry over and make sense, and it is all done in a way that is both emotional and sensible. The story is there, it isn't just a mess of a movie to incorporate pointless fan service; this is fan service done to perfection. Each character has their place, and every brings their best to the table. And the suckerpunch of an ending has to be one of the hardest-hitting in all of cinema -- it even takes the cake from The Empire Strikes Back in that regard, and it had the hardest of suckerpunches as its conclusion. All in all, Infinity War is the MCU (and all comic book movies, for that matter) at its finest. Highly recommended -- although it is much more impactful having watched the previous entries, of course.

Content Concerns: One of the most violent MCU films, with tons of death, destruction, and mayhem throughout, sometimes with blood. Not only is the violence intense, frenetic, and constant, but it is actually REAL this time around -- people don't always just take it on the chin and get back up swinging, they actually die. There are also 19 uses of profanity throughout (varying counts of "d-mn," "h-ll," "-ss," and "sh-t").

(June 2, 2023)… (mere)

For my money, this is as good as the Marvel Cinematic Universe gets. Building to an event following 19 other films, combining countless characters into a single narrative, making any of it land emotionally and having the story be easy to follow and make sense -- on its own, that is an accomplishment. It also being one of the best films in the entire series is frankly more than I had ever dare expect from it. I think I might still hold a slight preference for the original "Avengers", but the sheer accomplishment of this film is mind-boggling enough whether or not it is best, second best or third best out of 20. It's up there, is what matters. All the thumbs all the way up.… (mere)