By Griffin Soderberg
Avengers Infinity War is the 19th movie inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe or MCU. The movie is about Thanos, a mad Titan who is hunting down the infinity stones and trying to destroy half the universe. This will be a spoiler free review that will only reference specific moments that have already been revealed in trailers or other MCU films. Avengers Infinity War was released on April 27, 2018 and was budgeted with the untitled Avengers Four at 1 billion dollars, making it the most expensive movie made in history. That budget was quickly earned back, as the first few days tickets were available for purchase, the movie made 1.64 billion dollars. It is predicted to make a total of 2 billion dollars.
First of all, the movie pulls you right into the action, even before the Marvel logo rolls. The filmmakers did not spare any moments to keep this movie a reasonable length while still including everything. There was never a dull moment because of this. Everything that happened from the Marvel logo to the credits was something, whether it was action, humor, or suspense, this movie never wasted any time. Despite this, it did not feel rushed, or like they were trying to fit everything into a small space. Every event flowed and built off of each other smoothly. One way they accomplished this was by not spending time on things established in previous movies that did not directly impact the story. They expect you to know what happened in Captain America Civil War, they expect you to know what Wakanda is, and they expect you to know how characters interact and play off of each other because there was not time for rehashing the last eighteen movies. This is a very good thing because to revisit all that would be a waste of time. Most, if not all people who saw this movie, already know the background information and wanted to see new events. That is exactly what they got. Even if you aren't an expert on the MCU, the movie is still enjoyable because, though it does build off of the previous movies, it does not rely on them for plot.
With the movie including 76 different characters, it would be difficult to fit them all in and make them matter, but Avengers Infinity War did just that. Characters were introduced into the movie smoothly and nobody seemed forced. Not only that but they all had a place in the plot and did not get in the way of the quality of the plot or dialog. Every character had a place to be and something to do, wherever or whatever that may have been. The dynamics of characters that hadn't met before, like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor or Doctor Strange and Iron Man, were done very well, and it made the movie feel new having these characters interact.
The main villain of the movie was the mad Titan, Thanos, accompanied by his Black Order made up of Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, and Cull Obsidian. The first thing to note about Thanos was that his CGI was incredible. The mad Titan looked extremely realistic throughout the entire movie and had been significantly improved since his first appearance in the mid-credit scene of The Avengers. Throughout the movie you learn alot about Thanos, his motivations, his past, and though it is clear he is a very bad guy, you can still sympathize with him and understand why he is doing what he is doing. Overall, this movie was about Thanos. He is a very refreshing villain. He his not like other, more forgettable MCU villains. Thanos is a force to be reckoned with, and it is interesting to see how the other characters react to that as they try to take down Thanos.
Overall, this was a great movie and some could easily argue that it is the best movie to come out of the MCU, so far. No matter where you are in the movie, even seconds from the end, you are still guessing what will happen next, and with the unnamed Avengers 4 coming out in 2019, we don’t have to long to wait.
By Desire Dillon
Following the imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that showcases that nothing is impossible.
A man who grew up with little becomes a world known showman who creates a business with others who do not belong.
This movie was especially inspirational, as it celebrated outcasts. It took people in society that did not fit in and were not accepted and made them be proud of who they were. This movie can teach people all over the world that just because someone does not look the same, it does not mean that they should be treated differently.
Although critics say this movie was a bust, moviegoers loved it.
“The Greatest Showman is the feel-good (and feel good about it) movie every holiday season needs”, said Steve Parsall, writer for Tampa Bay Times Newspaper. A mother who wrote a review about The Greatest Showman for Metacritic states, [“The movie was] visually stunning, [had a] magnificent musical score, [and] fun and amazing storytelling. Lovely family film your children will enjoy.”
It’s a story of possibilities, dreams, and heartbreak; a mixture for the whole family to enjoy.
Overall, this is a great movie for families to watch together, teens to watch over and over again, and for kids to sing to the songs that often get stuck in your head.