Avengers: Infinity War (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
After 10 successful yrs. of Marvel Comic Universe films (dating back to 2008's Iron Man), we've arrived at the biggest one yet, 'The Avengers: Infinity War' (directed by Anthony & Joe Russo). The main plot thrust here involves megalomaniacal galactic villain, Thanos (an enormous motion-captured Josh Brolin); who wants to get his hands on 6 rare, but all-powerful Infinity Stones. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has the Space stone. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has the Time stone. The Collector (Benicio Del Toro) has the Reality stone. Vision (Paul Bettany) has the Mind stone embedded in his head. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) & his Guardians of the Galaxy have the Power stone. And there's also the elusive, sacrifice-demanding Soul Stone.
When combined in his Gauntlet, Thanos would be able to control time, space & energy, along with altering the laws of physics & reality. His end game: to save those in the universe from themselves by using cosmic genocide to get rid of 50% of the population. The movie picks up where Thor: Ragnarok left off and has eye-less, hammer-less Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki & The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) having a less than favorable bout with Thanos. When Hulk's alter ego, Bruce Banner ends up crashing into the estate of Dr. Strange, he warns him, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) & Spider-Man (Tom Holland) of he doom that will soon arrive.
But before Iron Man can even hope to summon The Avengers for aid, Thanos' Black Order henchmen, led by telepathic Ebony Maw (creepy Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), shows up to try to snatch one of the all-important infinity stones from Dr. Strange's neck. Ebony Maw manages to capture these heroes, and the plot continues by reacquainting us with our good friends, The Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-Lord, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel) & Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The group ends up saving Thor, who is adrift in outer space after the initial battle with Thanos. They learn about Thanos' plans from Thor, but so too do we learn that Gamora & her sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) were 'adopted' by Thanos as children {after he had massacred their kin}.
Also under attack by Thanos' henchmen are Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) & her android boyfriend, Vision; said henchmen find them in Scotland and battle for the infinity stone that's lodged in Vision's forehead. Luckily for them, Capt. America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle) & Falcon (Anthony Mackie) swoop in to save the day. Realizing that they need serious reinforcements, they head-out for the clandestine, high-tech city of Wakanda.
There, they join-up with Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), his military leader, Okoye (Danai Gurira), Cap's best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) & Shuri (Letitia Wright); who tries to figure out how to get the stone out of Vision's forehead without killing him & before Thanos & his Black Order break through Wakanda's protective force field to attack. It's up to The Avengers (and co.) to try to prevent Thanos from unleashing murder & havoc upon the universe ... but at what cost? Proceedings end on a cliffhanger; setting up a conclusive 2019 sequel.
To say that this film is ambitious is an understatement -- a colossal culmination of 10 yrs. of MCU blockbusters, 20+ superheroes & subplots galore. Watching this entry is an almost overpowering experience; particularly if you have an emotional connection to any of these beloved characters. To raise the stakes {a major criticism of these otherwise highly-regarded MCU films}, a plentitude of 'deaths' occur. Some shook me. Some I was okay with. Some confound me. That said, with oodles of sequels to come, it's safe to say that some of those 'deaths' might be somehow resurrected. We shall see.
This movie has it all; perhaps only lacking in character depth, although, character interaction is at its peak. Working from a quippy, wisecrack-filled script, the directors deftly move these crossover superheroes & planet-trotting set pieces around like chess pieces. While there IS humor throughout the 150+ minute film, this is ABSOLUTELY the most serious, solemn, emotional MCU film to date. And the relationships aid that emotion -- the camaraderie, romances {Tony Stark & Pepper Potts; Scarlet Witch & Vision}, bromances {Thor & Drax), rivalries {sibling & otherwise}, & even the father/son-like dynamics of Tony Stark & Peter Parker.
Best in show includes Josh Brolin, who brings terror, pathos & complexity to Thanos; Chris Hemsworth, whose Thor lends humor but is also compelled by vengeance; and both Zoe Saldana & Tom Holland lend their own memorable moments. New characters played by the likes of Peter Dinklage & Carrie Coon pop-up. Thor's designation of Rocket as 'sweet rabbit' makes for an intriguing dynamic; while also offering plenty of amusement. The Guardians of the Galaxy are always a hoot. And as mentioned, there are some truly emotional, heartbreaking incidents that occur throughout {cue the tissues}.
Now, I can't say that 'The Avengers: Infinity War' is some stunningly artistic achievement. It lacks some actual plot propulsion. Some of the copious battle scenes include monotonous segments with blurry CGI. I laughed harder at individual moments from other MCU films {like Thor: Ragnarok}. And as is the case with these superhero films ... it all gets to be a bit too much after a while. I enjoy them all. But I can't say they're ever some singular, game-changing, unique experience that wallops you intellectually, as well as visually {a Dark Knight, a Mad Max, or even a Black Panther}.
'TA:IW' remains firmly settled within the stamped-out, traditional comic book milieu that has worked for the masses since '08. But all of this is nitpicking because the overall sense I got while watching this film - and thereafter - is still highly positive. I enjoy the spectacle & look forward to subsequent viewings. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it thrilled me, and it reaches Shakespearean levels of drama in the end that left my mouth agape & frozen in my seat to await what might come next.
When combined in his Gauntlet, Thanos would be able to control time, space & energy, along with altering the laws of physics & reality. His end game: to save those in the universe from themselves by using cosmic genocide to get rid of 50% of the population. The movie picks up where Thor: Ragnarok left off and has eye-less, hammer-less Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki & The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) having a less than favorable bout with Thanos. When Hulk's alter ego, Bruce Banner ends up crashing into the estate of Dr. Strange, he warns him, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) & Spider-Man (Tom Holland) of he doom that will soon arrive.
But before Iron Man can even hope to summon The Avengers for aid, Thanos' Black Order henchmen, led by telepathic Ebony Maw (creepy Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), shows up to try to snatch one of the all-important infinity stones from Dr. Strange's neck. Ebony Maw manages to capture these heroes, and the plot continues by reacquainting us with our good friends, The Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-Lord, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel) & Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The group ends up saving Thor, who is adrift in outer space after the initial battle with Thanos. They learn about Thanos' plans from Thor, but so too do we learn that Gamora & her sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) were 'adopted' by Thanos as children {after he had massacred their kin}.
Also under attack by Thanos' henchmen are Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) & her android boyfriend, Vision; said henchmen find them in Scotland and battle for the infinity stone that's lodged in Vision's forehead. Luckily for them, Capt. America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle) & Falcon (Anthony Mackie) swoop in to save the day. Realizing that they need serious reinforcements, they head-out for the clandestine, high-tech city of Wakanda.
There, they join-up with Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), his military leader, Okoye (Danai Gurira), Cap's best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) & Shuri (Letitia Wright); who tries to figure out how to get the stone out of Vision's forehead without killing him & before Thanos & his Black Order break through Wakanda's protective force field to attack. It's up to The Avengers (and co.) to try to prevent Thanos from unleashing murder & havoc upon the universe ... but at what cost? Proceedings end on a cliffhanger; setting up a conclusive 2019 sequel.
To say that this film is ambitious is an understatement -- a colossal culmination of 10 yrs. of MCU blockbusters, 20+ superheroes & subplots galore. Watching this entry is an almost overpowering experience; particularly if you have an emotional connection to any of these beloved characters. To raise the stakes {a major criticism of these otherwise highly-regarded MCU films}, a plentitude of 'deaths' occur. Some shook me. Some I was okay with. Some confound me. That said, with oodles of sequels to come, it's safe to say that some of those 'deaths' might be somehow resurrected. We shall see.
This movie has it all; perhaps only lacking in character depth, although, character interaction is at its peak. Working from a quippy, wisecrack-filled script, the directors deftly move these crossover superheroes & planet-trotting set pieces around like chess pieces. While there IS humor throughout the 150+ minute film, this is ABSOLUTELY the most serious, solemn, emotional MCU film to date. And the relationships aid that emotion -- the camaraderie, romances {Tony Stark & Pepper Potts; Scarlet Witch & Vision}, bromances {Thor & Drax), rivalries {sibling & otherwise}, & even the father/son-like dynamics of Tony Stark & Peter Parker.
Best in show includes Josh Brolin, who brings terror, pathos & complexity to Thanos; Chris Hemsworth, whose Thor lends humor but is also compelled by vengeance; and both Zoe Saldana & Tom Holland lend their own memorable moments. New characters played by the likes of Peter Dinklage & Carrie Coon pop-up. Thor's designation of Rocket as 'sweet rabbit' makes for an intriguing dynamic; while also offering plenty of amusement. The Guardians of the Galaxy are always a hoot. And as mentioned, there are some truly emotional, heartbreaking incidents that occur throughout {cue the tissues}.
Now, I can't say that 'The Avengers: Infinity War' is some stunningly artistic achievement. It lacks some actual plot propulsion. Some of the copious battle scenes include monotonous segments with blurry CGI. I laughed harder at individual moments from other MCU films {like Thor: Ragnarok}. And as is the case with these superhero films ... it all gets to be a bit too much after a while. I enjoy them all. But I can't say they're ever some singular, game-changing, unique experience that wallops you intellectually, as well as visually {a Dark Knight, a Mad Max, or even a Black Panther}.
'TA:IW' remains firmly settled within the stamped-out, traditional comic book milieu that has worked for the masses since '08. But all of this is nitpicking because the overall sense I got while watching this film - and thereafter - is still highly positive. I enjoy the spectacle & look forward to subsequent viewings. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it thrilled me, and it reaches Shakespearean levels of drama in the end that left my mouth agape & frozen in my seat to await what might come next.