Avengers For Sunday Night

Avengers: Infinity War

The Avengers and their superhero allies must be ready to risk everything to stop the almighty Thanos before his wave of destruction brings an end to the entire universe.

Released in 2018, it served as the first of the two-part storyline centered on Thanos, the most menacing villain in the MCU.

Countless characters try to claim their moment and shine, and the Russo brothers at the helm deliver strong directing work.

Infinity War revolves around the possibility of contemplating the unthinkable: annihilation, extinction, the end of the immortal Avengers.

It features plenty of large-scale action scenes, packed with effects, enjoyable character interactions with some genuinely funny moments. The Scarlet Witch–Vision romance lacked the emotional weight it needed, the nonstop cinephile references from Spider-Man are a delight, the Thanos battle against the Guardians, Dr Strange, Spider-Man and the rest is visually striking, as is Thor’s entrance in the final fight and the film’s opening sequence.

Josh Brolin as Thanos is outstanding, giving real depth to the CGI character he brings to life through motion capture, along with the threatening presence required for this type of story.

The entire runtime follows a single narrative that stretches across different locations and emotional beats. Still, for the most part, the film doesn’t stray far from the usual Marvel formula. Impressive battles and effects, some humor, and a degree of creative restraint.

The finale, shocking at first with its outcome, is of course left unresolved since the story continued the following year with Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame

After their defeat by Thanos and the disappearance of half the living beings in the universe, the Avengers pick up the pieces and try to plan their retaliation. The mother of all comic-book battles begins with a narrative surprise, continues with time-travel, and reaches its peak with a series of emotional farewells.

Released in 2019, it marked the end of a major era for the MCU with a three-hour spectacle that, in my view, left very few people unmoved. Its box office performance, which climbed close to 3 billion, speaks for itself.

It is an entertaining, grand film where every hero returns, everyone gets their moment and shines, some less and some more. Whatever flaws it has are easy to overlook because the spectacle satisfies and the experience is fun, even though there are some coherence issues.

In the final battle I would have preferred a longer sequence rather than spending so much time on how the team arrives at that point. The deaths are portrayed with genuine emotion and the ending offers a gentle epilogue. Despite its long runtime, it never bored me. It carries the fan service that many viewers hoped for, the finale is predictable but it does not hurt the film, and there are some narrative conveniences that simply help move the story along.