Avengers. Infinity War

[avrelia]

Running to the best place to post my thoughts on Infininy War. I watched it yesterday, at noon showing – not having a paid job does have some perks.

The theater was full. When the trailers ended, someone shouted “Don’t leave until the very end! Please! I’ve seen it already!” Amid resulting laughter there were several cries “So have I! Me too!” and more laughter and the mood was set.

It’s really not a movie for someone who has never seen any Marvel movie before that, or hates superhero movies. It needs some kind of previous envolvement in the characters and their Universe. But to watch all previous movies and read all previous comics is unnnecessary. I, for one, haven’t read many (I mostly read about Squirrell Girl, and she isn’t there.)

Now, onto the spoilers.

When I was thinking about this movie before watching it, I thought that the heavy tall is expected. And the Thanos should be victorious – otherwise what would we need Avengers 4 for? And I wasa joking that everyone will die. But, damn. They really did. And the deaths that went unmentioned hit almost as hard. Zandar, that was charged with safekeeping of Power Stone. Asgardians, who happily escaped Hela… (It seems some of Asgardians escaped again, with Valkyrie, but watching the bodies was painful.)

I mourn Heimdall and Loki, but their deaths were meaningfull and their action were important.

The more I think of it, the more I notice one notion, in big red letters: sacrifice. Thanos sacrifies Gamora for what he believes is right.

Everyone else is ready to sacrifice themselves, but not their friends and loved one. “We don’t trade in lives” - the phrase said a couple of time, but proven throughout the movie.

Every time our heroes have to choose, they choose a life, a person. Loki gives out the Tesseract to save Thor’s life. Heimdall’s last action is sending Hulk on Earth. Strange gives Time stone in exchange for Tony’s life… and so forth.

In mirror cases of Peter/Gamora and Wanda/Vision, it was self-sacrifice from the latter, and the refusal to the last moment from the former part of the pair. Stopped by Thanos, to his ends.

It was an only way – Strange’s last words. He saw only one road to possible victory. And it probably not the exact action of all the people envolved, but the directions of those actions. Not only letting Thanos win, but why he wins and what that victory costs him and everyone. Individual lives matter. And sacrifice can only be your own live, not everybody else’s.

Some actions of our heroes were pretty stupid, though.

But. We basically are left with the original Avengers. Which, I guess, means they are going to die in the next movie. Damn. I had enough deaths, I don’t feel I need any more. It’s hard to top this movie, anyway. Even if I believe lots of deaths will be undone, it shouldn’t cost other lives.

Other things – lots of funny moments. Lots of good moments.

Thor&Rocket and Groot – priceless.

That whole storyline is great, and we have a perfect Thor, hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

Natasha & Okoye – a perfect. Now, that’s two ladies who understand each other.

I immensely dislike Natasha’s and Bruce sudden romance in Age of Ultron, and I found much more intersting chemistry between Valkyrie and Bruce (and her and Hulk, of course). But Natasha had good friendship vibes with Steve and Clint, but with Okoye – it could go any way (though it won’t – on screen).

Vision and Wanda- I wasa ok with those. I know they have complicated history in comics and almost none on screen, but it was enough for me. Not terribly invested, but not annoyed either.

And the last moment- yes. Very nice one. And Sam J. got to say his favorite word, too. In Disney movie.