Disclaimer: This post's main focus in on the movie, therefore I will leave out any comic connections (such as panel comparisons, or naming Dr. Stranges magical attacks). Also, english isnt my first language, so excuse my expression.
Thanks go out to all redditors that wrote down their opinions and knowlegde!
This is a summary of the main thoughts about the movie. I have structured it into three main parts:
-> overall impressions
-> chronological order
-> speculations
1. Overall
- a great movie, especially because because the writers were able to give each character their time to shine
- best scene: Thor arrives in Wakanda
- main criticism*: weak 3D, Wakanda fight without impact and generic (until Thor has his moment)
- Why doesn't Thanos just create more ressources instead of killing off half the universe? *
Consent is, while being mighty powerful, the infinity stones can not break the laws of thermodynamics. Therefore, while they can alter, redirect and manipulate matter/energy, they can not create it.
- Thanos doesn't kill „for sport“:
that's why he doesn't kill any of the avengers in Wakanda (except Vision to get the stone). Captain America survives his punch, because he isn't out for a kill. He is true to his mission: all deaths should be randomly, affecting rich or poor people in the same way In the same vain, ALL of his „deals“ with others are honoured by him: Iron Man, Thor, Nebula – all survive the snap, because the made „deals“ with others (Strange, Loki, Gamora), who gave their lives to spare them, and he sticks to it. - Why did he wait until now?
He already tried to get some of the stones by his henchmen, even lending Loki an infinity stone (Tesseract) and his army to get it from earth (Avengers 1). So when he decides „I'll do it myself“, he had to be sure to get at least two of stones in rapid succession: Power & Space. Obviously, this is to overpower his enemies and to teleport in a short time to the location needed. Furthermore, he needed to know the location of the other stones to act quickly, because once he would start to collect them, all higher beings of the universe would be on the hunt for him, if they got knowledge of his plan. Except the soul stone, he knew the locations of the other ones, so he could start.
Note: whenever Thanos uses the stones, they light up in the infinity gauntlet
- the trailer for IW was deliberately edited to avoid spoilers: in the final movie there was no hulk charging in Wakanda, even infinity stones were edited out of the gauntlet
- It's Thanos' movie!
when revoking the titles Infity War Part 1 and 2, people were confused. Isn't it a big clliffhanger, the way the movie ends? It is, for Marvel movie fans, but not if you look at it as Thanos' movie. He had a goal and achieved it, enjoying his victory at his farm. Since no other character needed introduction or origin story, this movie could focus on our big purple villain. - Meta knowlegde hurts this movie
As you all know, several MCU movies are already confirmed (e.g. Spiderman 2, GotG 3, BP2), which makes it a little difficult to not sense a death-reversing solution in Avengers 4, even more so when taking into account that all survivors of the snap are the OG avengers (who may very well sacrifice themselves in A4 to ressurect all „snap-deaths“)
while we are at this: Ridley Scott saved the world
It is now canon that the movie „Alien“ exists in the MCU, which is the inspiration for Spider Man to get rid of Ebony Maw- therefore saving Dr. Strange, who brings our heroes to the „endgame“. Furthermore there are several „Alien“ references, e.g. the shape of Iron Man's weapon when threatening Drax or the shape of the crashed „donut“ spaceship after it's crash (looks like the space jockey ship).
It is now canon that the movie „Alien“ exists in the MCU, which is the inspiration for Spider Man to get rid of Ebony Maw- therefore saving Dr. Strange, who brings our heroes to the „endgame“. Furthermore there are several „Alien“ references, e.g. the shape of Iron Man's weapon when threatening Drax or the shape of the crashed „donut“ spaceship after it's crash (looks like the space jockey ship).
2. Chronological
- Hulk gets manhandled by Thanos
This is a great accomplishment by the screenwriters, because even causal moviegoers know Hulk can stop a threat by brute force. Since this isn't the case with him vs. Thanos everyone immediately knows Thanos is a force of its own. That's first class screenwriting there, giving the audience a feeling of the strength of this movie's villain. Note: the power stone doesn't light up while fighting hulk, so Thanos defeats him just by his own strength and – more important – his fighting style. While hulk just „smashes“ his enemies, Thanos calculates his moves. - Dr. Strange explicitely states that he will protect the time stone over the lives of everyone else..but then gives it to Thanos in exchange for Starks's life.
This is because he saw the one future where „we“ win against Thanos, in which Tony is the main key. So trading stone for his life is part of this future (which presumably will play out in A4). Quote „this is the in only way“. This is also true for his (non) action when Peter Quill flips out and ruining the taking off of the gauntlet by his emotions (=punshing Thanos) - Star-Lord ruins everything!
Many people complain about his emotions ruining Iron Man and Spider Man's efforts to take of the gauntlet on Titan. But this is perfectly in line with the established character we know from GotG2. His reaction to his most loved one(s) is the same as he reacted to Ego revealing he killed his mother by giving her cancer. Nothign to complain about. On the contrary, IF Strange stopped him, presumably Thanos would have continued his quest of killing of half the universe in a old-fashioned way (like we saw on Gamora's home planet). - EASTER EGG: When Thanos threatens The Collector for the stone, it might be a reference to the movie „Snatch“, where Benicio del Toro himself asks „Where is the Stone!!!??“
- „All that for a drop of blood“
When Iron man fights Thanos on Titan (the best scene of the movie), throwing everything at him, combining all of his skills with the possibilities of his nano-suit, he achieves to injure Thanos in his face, and he is slightly bleeding. This might be a reference to IM2 - Why didn't Dr. Strange use one of the portals to teleport back to earth?
His portals seem to only work on the same planet. - Why is Vision so weak?
The first injury he gets from one of Thanos henchmen weaknes him for the rest of the movie, barely able to stand up for himself. Scarlett Wich never gets enough time to heal him, and since the stone in his head is the target of the main baddies, he is constantly hunted and never can go full strength. - How can Thor transport to earth?
His new weapon, „Stormbreaker“, can summon the Bifrost and therefore teleport him everywhere. - Spidey-Sense
The now famous „I don't feel so good Mr. Stark“ line is possible because his enhanced sense (as shown in the bus, with his him sensing the spaceship) warns him. Furthermore his advanced healing powers try to avoid his death, but it is futile. Thats why he has a „little“ more time before he vanishes.
3. Speculations
- the Number 17:
This number occurs on several occasions (Iron Man sends spider-suit „17A“ to Peter Parker, Black Panther opens section „17“ on the battlefield) – What does it mean?? - Does anyone speak Groot?:
What does Groot say in the introduction scene, when everyone freaks out about how seemingly rude his remarks are?? - Hulk:
Hulk will get his redemption in A4 somehow, main thought now is he will merge with Banner and form a clever fighting force of nature (instead of just smashing) - The main theme of this movie is „trading lives“:
Thanos could have easily been stopped if some characters didnt give up the stones for saving one beloved person (e.g. Gamora-Nebula). Thats why A4 will probably „trade“ the lives of the OG Avengers for the next generation, and most importantly, Captain Marvel (who presumably will be the leader of the „new“ Avengers). - Hawkeye and Antman:
Concerning Ant-Man, most certainly we will have an after-credits scene in "Ant-Man and The Wasp" showing him in the quantum realm during the events of IW – since the infitinity stones „only“ effect the universe they are in, A-M maybe spared. Hawkeye on the other hand will most probably see his loved ones vanish and decide to join the Avengers once again to have his revenge. Remember: it is rumoured that A4 will take place after 5 years of the events of IW! - End Credits:
Nick Fury is paging Captain Marvel, who will have her own movie next march, just two months before A4. She seems to be the Superman-equivalent for the MCU and might have the power to lead all things into the next phase...
Have fun to comment!
