Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

 

This is it, the big Wahoonie, the mother of all cumulative universes coming together. You can say a lot about Marvel, but that this one was 12 years coming and set up through literally all the films they have made about the Avengers (solo and combined) is pretty bloody impressive, to say the least. That is some long term planning, y'all. And they actually pulled it off in making a film that is both exhilarating to the fans and just plain good for even non-fans. 

But if you like this sort of stuff, you'll be squealing on the edge of your seat the entire time. Otherwise, perhaps not so much.

Finally, the big bad Thanos gets his moment to shine, whereas before he was just occasionally seen as being a sort of puppet master, pulling the strings in order to get the 6 Infinity stones so he can execute his plan. 

What might this plan be, you ask?

It's simple, ingenious and brutal: because the universe more often than not is on the brink of war and famine, Thanos has decided that everyone would benefit from the decimation of all life by half. No more scraping for resources, less reason to bash one another's head in, that sort of thing. His reasoning actually makes sense, even if his method is rather wrong on several levels. But that is what makes him a compelling villain: he absolutely believes that he is doing the right thing and will go to great lengths to see it completed. Nothing will stand in his way and he is not going for some bizarre scheme to rule. 

Most of this film is the lead-up to when Thanos will finally have all the stones in his possession so he can achieve his goal, but there are some people that want to thwart his genocidal nature: the Avengers and assorted Marvel heroes/heroins. Yes, it helps if you know them all already, but they throw in a lot of characters and yet it doesn't feel too bloated. Thanks to the earlier films, they are all clearly defined and that leads to some fun interactions. Take the goofy nature of the Guardians of the Galaxy with the wisecracking Iron Man and the sarcastic Doctor Strange: it works. 

The film looks gorgeous and the locales are strikingly different, so as not to confuse us all too much. Sure, most of everything is completely CG, but with a story on this scale, it's fairly tough to do all in a practical way, unless you want the budget of several nations. 

On second thought, this film probably cost as much as the budget of several nations combined. 

It's fun to see some of your beloved characters again, but this film pulls no punches. The opening scene on an Asgardian ship is pretty brutal and harrowing, letting everyone know that this is no mere fun adventure. Shit just got real (or as real as a comic book can become) and there's no telling who will survive in the end. 

But the best part of this film by a mile is the portrayal of Thanos by Josh Brolin. He swung for the fences and got a home run. He is thàt good in the role. Cool, collected, yet with a drive and intensity that is just beneath the skin. He is confident, and it doesn't come across as arrogance, but merely that he knows what he is capable of. His reasoning and demeanour are engaging and even though he is a genocidal maniac, you cannot help but think that somewhere, somehow, he is right. 

Although I wouldn't necessarily kill half of everything in the universe. Just saying.

'Infinity War' is a blast and because everything goes to hell in a handbasket, it is one of the best thanks to this tragedy. It also leaves you hungry for the follow-up, so well done there. Must see!