(File photo)

In the past few days, the film Avengers: Infinity War has continued to spark an upsurge of popularity in China. Both the reputation and the box-office achievements of Marvel’s films have paid tribute to Marvel Studios 10th anniversary.

Avengers: Infinity War is the 19th creation of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The relationship between the characters and plots is inextricably linked with the previous works. For instance, the eye-catching levitating cape in “Dr. Strange” still holds the limelight. And the prosthetic eye that Rocket Raccoon grabbed in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” helped Thor to replace the eye that he had lost in the battle with Hela. Through the joining of details, 19 relatively independent but interrelated films constitute an organic wholeness, creating a world of heroes and imagination in the Marvel universe.

Avengers: Infinity War is not just another Hollywood blockbuster with graphic depictions of violence, but an important milestone of the shared universe. The enlightenment was not to simply cast bizarre special effects. A good movie is, first of all, a good story. As a super-villain, Thanos has his own ideal order: rebalancing the universe by eliminating half of the intelligence. His self-righteous immoral actions set the Avengers into action to defend Earth and the universe. This movie uses the paradox of means and goals to demonstrate the complexity of justice pits tribulation against rebellion, setbacks against persistence, and love against growth and shows the painful choices that are made in the battle of great ideals. A wonderful story, rather than special effects, makes it a wonderful film.

The heroes in this story are flesh and blood. One could bet that not many people will remember the story of Marvel’s first movie “Iron Man,” but many people still like the playboy in the film, Tony Stark, who has a heart of salvation under his cynical appearance. Similarly, the mercurial and controversial character Loki, the younger brother of Thor, makes fans have a love-hate relationship with him. There are more than 20 heroes in the shared universe, and each one has a unique personality and set of skills. For example, Captain America is righteous, Vision is depressed, Dr. Strange is rational, and Bruce Banner, who cannot control his transformation into the Hulk. The characters are the souls of the stories. The superheroes are attractive, and they also show the way forward for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Avengers: Infinity War is a tragic story filled with optimism, an epic with a sense of humor, and a grand narrative flowing with delicate emotions. In such an era where technical effects can be easily added, the success of this film indicates that a film’s competitiveness depends on the ability to construct stories and characters, as well as the ability to reflect on humanity and the future of the world.