Avengers Infinity War Reviews: Read Critics' First Reactions
Get excited.
The first reactions to Avengers: Infinity War are in! The much-anticipated Marvel movie hits theaters later this week, and although full reviews won't appear until later today, April 24, critics have had plenty of say about the film on Twitter.
Unsurprisingly, the consensus opinion is overwhelmingly positive. While most critics have thankfully avoided giving very much away about the movie's plot, there is plenty of praise for the its ambition and scope. Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta singled out the fact that the movie's is full of surprises and compared it to another much-loved sequel:
#InfinityWar is everything you want, nothing you expect. It’s funny, surprising, dark, filled with delightful interplay between characters never seen on screen before. I know many filmmakers say they are trying to make a sequel in the vein of Empire Strikes Back, this succeeds.
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 24, 2018
Want to clarify: I’m not saying this movie is Empire Strikes Back great, it was a comparison of sequel direction/tone/execution.
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 24, 2018
Screenrant's Molly Freeman also praised the movie's successful mix of action, drama, and humor. "There's a lot of really fun character interactions, some cool action moments (Thor's powers, Iron Man's suit), and a few powerful emotional beats," she said. Similarly, Playboy's Daniel Barna said the movie contained "genuinely funny jokes that felt effortless, real emotional stakes, payoffs from a decade of world building and character development, crisp, inventive action sequences, and an ending that left my jaw on the floor."
AVENGERS #infinitywar felt like Marvel just dunking all over DC: Genuinely funny jokes that felt effortless, real emotional stakes & payoffs from a decade of world building and character development, crisp, inventive action sequences and an ending that left my jaw on the floor.
— Daniel Barna (@RealDanBarna) April 24, 2018
I saw #AvengersInfinityWar earlier tonight and I can say that it delivers. There's a lot of really fun character interactions, some cool action moments (Thor's powers, Iron Man's suit), and a few powerful emotional beats. Most of the humor is ?? Also Captain America is ? pic.twitter.com/WoZNPDpGXk
— Molly Freeman (@mollyrockit) April 24, 2018
Josh Brolin's villainous Thanos came in for praise too, with some critics stating that he was one of the best villains in the MCU so far. "The performance-capture on Brolin is incredible. You feel every emotion," said writer Kevin McCarthy. The Tracking Board's Brandon Norwood agreed: "Thanos is a fully realized villain with understandable motivations."
This will set standards on juggling multiple characters & storylines. So fluid and beautifully executed. Inspired filmmaking that flew by.
— Kevin McCarthy (@KevinMcCarthyTV) April 24, 2018
No exaggeration, the film felt like it lasted less than an hour.
The performance-capture on Brolin is incredible. You feel every emotion. pic.twitter.com/OVQ7cuqZNM
Is #AvengersInfinityWar the best MCU film? No. #BlackPanther just came out (and dropped the mic). But this is top tier MCU. Thanos is a fully realized villain with understandable motivations.
— Brandon Norwood (@bwood0824) April 24, 2018
Some critics were also blown away by the movie's ending. Without telling us what actually happens, The Verge's Tasha Robinson said, "I've been reviewing films for decades now, and I have never heard an audience react to the end of a film like the #InfinityWar audience reacted tonight."
#InfinityWar is mostly great, somehow managing to mix all the elements of the MCU into one big mix-tape of fun, thrills, emotion... and despair. The ending is brilliant.
— Scott Collura (@ScottCollura) April 24, 2018
Another thing: I've been reviewing films for decades now, and I have never heard an audience react to the end of a film like the #InfinityWar audience reacted tonight. It was an astonishing experience. (And it's another reason I want to see the film again in a packed house.)
— Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson) April 24, 2018
However, while there were no particularly negative reviews for Infinity War, a few critics did comment on the movie's relentless pace and huge number of characters, as well as the fact that it is essentially half a movie, with Avengers 4 due next year. "It's for sure the first half of a two part movie and I left a little unsatisfied/frustrated, maybe by design," said Uproxx's Mike Ryan. The Village Voice's Bilge Ebiri called the movie "exhausting," but still admitted, "the amazing ending almost made up for the rest of it."
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR has like ten legit "chill down the spine" great moments. But it's for sure the first half of a two part movie and I left a little unsatisfied/frustrated, maybe by design ... at least that's how I feel right now three hours later.
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) April 24, 2018
INFINITY WAR is exhausting. *Exhausting.* It all just turned into noise for me after a while. But the amazing ending almost made up for the rest of it. And Thanos is a good, sad villain.
— Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) April 24, 2018
Check back later today for GameSpot's full Avengers: Infinity War review.
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