At this point in the release of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, we’ve come to expect high-quality films that aren’t just a sci-fi-gasm replete with cool, colorful special effects and hackie, drawn-out fight sequences.

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Blu-Ray Review

Instead, stories that began as comic books beloved by generations past have now been adapted into multi-million-dollar flicks that include a charismatic, all-star cast. These actors genuinely know how to transmit the genius blend of witty humor and pathos that mark the scripts they had to learn. Thank god they all signed long-term contracts because they all truly deliver in Avengers: Infinity War. 

Ten years after the first Iron Man movie was released, we see the Avengers unite to stop a threat bigger than any other one they have ever faced: Thanos (Josh Brolin). The giant, strong intergalactic tyrant from the planet Titan seeks to compile six so-called “Infinity Stones,” each corresponding to a given power or aspect of existence. Thanos hopes to steal all six gems in order to rule and control the universe, which means Earth’s mightiest heroes — including Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Dr. Strange, (Benedict Cumberbatch), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) — must jump/fly in to save the day.

Every major hero from the Marvel Universe — except for Ant-Man and original Avenger Hawkeye — is in this film, and that alone is a huge plus. Even the Guardians of the Galaxy come to help the Avengers, and teenage Groot is utterly delightful. And despite all of the trademark Marvel humor, there is a significantly higher dose of pure drama than we have seen in perhaps any other MCU film, even more so than in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, which had already upped the ante on this front.

The lush background of the fields of Wakanda simply adds to the glamour of the final battle scene. [WARNING: MILD SPOILERS] The ending — which of course saw several protagonists erased from the face of the earth — unsurprisingly drew strong reactions from thousands of fans, primarily shock and anger. However, remember that Infinity War — Part II is still set to be released next year, and it would simply be impossible to finish the mission of saving humanity without the efforts of a large team. The post-credits scene strongly suggests that Captain Marvel (who will be played by Brie Larson and will get her own film in March 2019) will surely play a large role in Infinity War — Part II. If you’re concerned that no dead characters can ever return, don’t fret! There’s always other possibilities: perhaps one of the remaining Avengers will use the Time Stone to go back and save everyone, or maybe one of the other gems will be used to completely change the nature of the universe.

Blu-ray special features include “The Mad Titan,” a featurette that explains in more detail exactly who Thanos is, and “Beyond the Battle” featurettes for both Wakanda and Titan. Deleted scenes and an audio commentary from directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely is also included. The Russo brothers also discussed spoilers in this exclusive Entertainment Tonight clip:

There’s a reason Avengers: Infinity War scored the largest-ever box office revenue on opening weekend and also became the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time: these superhuman vigilantes are characters whose affability will remain engraved in the minds of Marvel fans for years to come.

 

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