A number of pundits and journalists were recently treated to an advance screening of Avengers: Infinity War, and their praise for the movie has been nothing short of extravagant.
We learned in April that in an effort to ward off spoilers, Disney and Marvel planned to give Infinity War the Star Wars treatment by scheduling the red carpet premiere and theatrical release as close together as possible. The embargo on social media posts was just lifted, and if critical reaction is any indication, this strategy has been quite effective.
The critics’ tweets indicate that most agree that the Russo Brothers flick lives up to all the hype about its humor, heart, shock, and surprises. The action sequences in particular are drawing rave reviews.
Jaw on ground. You are not ready for Avengers: Infinity War. All you have to know is AVOID ALL SPOILERS! Seriously. Go in knowing as little as possible. The @Russo_Brothers did the impossible. Wow. pic.twitter.com/noKZ5cQWdc
"” Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 24, 2018
After 10 years of investment in this series and these characters, boy, does #AvengersInfinityWar knock you on your ass. Humor, sky-high stakes, and a truly overwhelming amount of emotion in it. Russos did a great job spreading screentime for the ensemble, but my MVPs – The Guardians.
"” Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) April 24, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War is a spectacle. It’s enormous. It’s bigger than anyone is ready for, and it’s an absolute roller coaster.
It’s dark. It’s fun. It’s heavy. It’s thrilling. Infinity War is unlike anything that has ever come before it.
"” Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) April 24, 2018
Avengers: INFINITY WAR is basically Captain America: Civil War times 20, except with less hero-on-hero fighting. I think people who loved the airport fight in Civil War like I did will go nuts for this film, and people who were bored will be 20 times as bored here. #InfinityWar
"” Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson) April 24, 2018
#InfinityWar is everything you want, nothing you expect. It's funny, surprising, dark, filled with delightful interplay between characters never seen on screen before. I know many filmmakers say they are trying to make a sequel in the vein of Empire Strikes Back; this succeeds.
"” Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 24, 2018
You are not ready for what #AvengersInfinityWar is about to bring. I have so many emotions…This is a roller coaster filled with twists and turns. If you haven't bought your ticket, what are you doing? Go. See. It.
"” Wendy Lee Szany (@WendyLeeSzany) April 24, 2018
I've left every Marvel movie with a sense of where the franchise was going. The strong Avengers: Infinity War is the first time where I'm utterly perplexed about what's next. There were audible gasps at the NYC screening. pic.twitter.com/xouqNzh7ps
"” Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) April 24, 2018
Buy a ticket for a second viewing of #AvengersInfinityWar now. The movie delivers, it’s huge, and no one in your theater is going to be able to sit quietly through this one. Expect the unexpected. pic.twitter.com/8eobaAYrSF
"” Jill Pantozzi ♿ (@JillPantozzi) April 24, 2018
#Avengers #InfinityWar: Wow. Just…WOW! I was NOT expecting THIS! What a ballsy movie! Blown away! See this NOW! Do not get spoiled! Can't believe what I just saw!!!! pic.twitter.com/dITeGTHTsu
"” Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) April 24, 2018
#AvengersInfinityWar: #Marvel puts it all on the table and wipes it off. Stress-inducing, full of dread, darker than usual, yet funny as hell and super entertaining. Terrifying Thanos razes the ground without mercy. Blockbuster noise? Yes, but with emotional stakes attached. pic.twitter.com/3zWP5LtCCk
"” Rodrigo Perez ??? (@YrOnlyHope) April 24, 2018
My God. #AvengersInfinityWar was Incredible. Incredible. Incredible. The visuals, the story, the GUTS. The action is non stop, the movie grips you and never lets you go. EVERYONE gets a moment to shine. And that ending…My God, that ending…Best film the MCU has ever done!
"” John Steven Rocha (@TheRochaSays) April 24, 2018
#AvengersInfinityWar is my second fave @Marvel movie after #BlackPanther. The superhero interplay is hilarious and surprising at every turn. The action is monumental. And there are actual stakes this time around. Kevin Feige is not f-cking around with this one.
"” Nigel M. Smith (@nigelmfs) April 24, 2018
With just a few exceptions (Loki, Vulture, Killmonger), the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s villains have been notoriously bland. However, the following bouquet-tossing tweets from critics demonstrate their nearly unanimous approval of Thanos.
Thanos is genuinely scary.
"” Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) April 24, 2018
Here’s what astonished me most in #InfinityWar: I actually thought that by MCU standards, Thanos is a reasonably compelling antagonist. He’s not going to singlehandedly change views on Marvel’s villain problem, but for yet another alien with a destroy-ey McGuffin, he’s not bad.
"” Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson) April 24, 2018
MVPs: Thanos!!! Thor, most of the Guardians, Peter Parker, best ending of any Marvel movie, possibly the best end-credits scene of any Marvel movie. Cons: CG villains other than Thanos, teenage Groot, not enough Black Panther leads.
"” Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 24, 2018
Holy Hell. Avengers: Infinity War is the real deal. Was left breathless sitting in the theater. Real consequences, stunning moments, awesome character interaction, and some BIG and often devastating surprises. Oh, and Thanos is terrifying and amazing. Damn. pic.twitter.com/WWhsT12GTa
"” Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) April 24, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War blew my mind. I have never left a film this awestruck. Ever. Thanos is a force of Nature. Thor is the MVP. Marvel Studios lays down the Infinity Gauntlet with this one.
"” Nate Brail (@NateBrail) April 24, 2018
Even with all these accolades, we may want to avoid the assumption that Rotten Tomatoes is sure to give Infinity War a perfect approval rating. On the contrary, some critics apparently didn’t enjoy the movie as much as others. Check out their tweets:
I liked #Avengers #InfinityWar more than a few other folks I'm talking to after the premiere. It's hugely emotional and very funny but some might find it…I need to sleep on this.
"” Jim Vejvoda (@JimVejvoda) April 24, 2018
INFINITY WAR is exhausting. *Exhausting.* It all just turned into noise for me after a while. But the amazing ending almost made up for the rest of it. And Thanos is a good, sad villain.
"” Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) April 24, 2018
#AvengersInfinityWar: Despite some truly thrilling moments, feels like less than the sum of its parts. A definite step down after that epic run of GotGV2/Spidey/ Thor 3/Black Panther, but what else did I expect?
"” Angie J. Han (@ajhan) April 24, 2018
This final tweet confirms that the movie offers at least one post-credits scene, but keep in mind that press screenings often omit stingers.
Stay all the way through the credits of Infinity War for the ONE post-credits scene.
"” Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) April 24, 2018
Last, but not lease, check out this recently released Infinity War TV spot!
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
