First Reviews for Avengers: Infinity War Are In
At long last, Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War" is set to open this Thursday evening, and with press screenings having taken place over the last couple of days, we finally have the first full reviews of the film pouring in. From the 63 reviews posted on Rotten Tomatoes, it currently sits at 90% with a score of 7.7/10, while the film currently has a 70 on Metacritic from 31 reviews.
Here just a small sampling of what's being said so far:
"Marvel has pulled off all sorts of cinematic flavors in its 10-year legacy, from heist films and political thrillers to space operas and fantasy epics. Now it boasts a full-fledged Shakespearean tragedy." - Brian Truitt, USA Today (3.5/4)
"What saves Infinity War from being just another bloated supergroup tour - and what will end up being the thing that blows fans' minds to dust - is the film's final stretch." - Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly (B)
"If, for decades, the metaphor for propulsive blockbuster filmmaking was the "ride," then watching "Avengers: Infinity War" is like going to a theme park and taking three spins on every ride there." - Owen Gleiberman, Variety
"What "Infinity War" accomplishes, with surprising ease, is complete immersion in this elaborate world, reflecting how deft Marvel has been in assembling it." - Brian Lowry, CNN
""Infinity War" is big, blustery and brave, taking viewers to places that they may not be used to going." - Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post (3/4)
"The Russo brothers have clearly never learned the concept that less is more. They've used the premise of an Avengers reunion to put on a fireworks explosion of action and laughs (those roguish Guardians!) that won't quit." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"The noisy, bloated spectacles of combat were surely the most expensive parts of the movie, but the money seems less like an imaginative tool than a substitute for genuine imagination." - A.O. Scott, New York Times
"There's no pacing in Avengers: Infinity War. It's all sensation and no pulse. Everything is big, all of the time." - Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine
"Not even the threat of universal annihilation, it seems, will keep this assembly line from chugging ahead with its signature polished, mechanized efficiency." - Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
"Even by Marvel's own standards of serviceable mediocrity, Infinity War fails." - John Semley, Globe and Mail
Definitely some opposing viewpoints going on here. Hopefully the film will end up being as fun and grand as the incredible trailers have made it look. Fans still have to wait another few days, but from the way most critics have been describing it thus far, it seems safe to say that the film is at least a decent and epic entry in the MCU. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that this one actually lives up to expectations.
"Avengers: Infinity War" opens in theaters everywhere this Thursday evening.
Follow me on Twitter @BeckFilmCritic.