Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, for example, spends too much time off on a quest with Rocket and Groot (now teenaged and as annoying to the grown-ups as any teenager) – albeit one that culminates in an emotionally cathartic burst that’s literally accompanied by the Thunder God’s lighting. There’s no getting around the abundance of characters and subplots that are feeding into Thanos’ bigger story. (That said, the score is mostly Alan Silvestri compositions, but key character themes – like Captain America’s – are the most memorable musical moments, kicking in at crucial scenes.) Inevitably, though, Infinity War does suffer at times from a certain bloat. The pop song sets the stage for Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and the gang so effectively that one can’t help but wonder how much Guardians director James Gunn might’ve chimed in on certain scenes. The collaborative creative spirit that drives the MCU is often felt at these junctures, such as when the Guardians are first introduced to the musical strains of “The Rubberband Man” by The Spinners. Play Also kind of amazing is how seamlessly the various pieces of the MCU fit together, whether it’s the spacefaring Guardians meeting the Avengers, Iron Man squabbling with Doctor Strange – truly a contest of egos there – or Bruce Banner incredulously catching up on everything he’s missed on Earth while he was off being Space Gladiator Hulk for the past few years. The film is all the stronger for it, as it consistently subverts the expectations it sets up for the audience. Yes, many of our expectations are satisfied, but at the same time there are curveballs thrown that will keep viewers guessing. Then again, much of Infinity War dwells in the murky area between what it has promised, and what it wants to surprise us with. That the origin story of Gamora, and Thanos to a certain degree, have such a prominent role in a movie called “Avengers” is a refreshing surprise, and getting a glimpse at what Gamora endured as a child is a fairly remarkable moment as we witness the insidious power of Thanos at his twisted worst. Zoe Saldana’s Gamora and Karen Gillan’s Nebula play a larger part in this film than one might’ve expected. If we can’t empathize with his reasoning for wanting to wipe out half of the universe’s inhabitants – the highest stakes ever for the Avengers, which are effectively established throughout the movie – we can at least understand his perspective and believe his pain when he must make true sacrifices to achieve his ultimate goal. The big purple CGI villain (played by Josh Brolin in a mo-cap performance) commands perhaps the strongest arc of the film. Play As promised, Avengers: Infinity War is very much a Thanos movie. It wastes no time establishing real stakes – though there’s always an unavoidable question of permanence in Marvel movies – with Thanos delivering a gut punch right out of the gate that won’t soon be forgotten. Infinity War also delivers by refusing to pull its punches. For every effective Peter Parker/Tony Stark scene, there’s a “wait, these two characters didn’t even meet up this time” moment of realization. Though that said, many of the familiar pairings of this universe (to comics fans, at least) just don’t happen here. Funny how Tony and Steve can be so alike and yet so often at odds with one another. And Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers is Captain America no more, yet still strives to do the right thing at all times. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark continues to struggle with balancing a more normal life spent with Pepper Potts with being a superhero. Thor is a chief example, as his fear and grief in the wake of Thor: Ragnarok is convincingly conveyed (to Rocket Raccoon, no less!). Not a bad investment considering Infinity War just had the biggest opening weekend of all time, with a global haul of $630 million so far.19 Images Continuity of character abounds, and mostly effectively. While $300 million dollars might seem like a lot of money (it is!), if you compare it to Disney's overall entertainment budget of $5.9 billion, Avengers: Infinity War only makes up around 5.4% of the total pie. These public records give us a unique glimpse into the amount of money and resources it takes to make Marvel's blockbuster titles. Most studios keep their total production costs a secret, but in the UK, "the costs of movies filmed in Britain are consolidated in single companies that have to file publicly available financial statements," according to the outlet.
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