Avengers: Infinity War
It’s all come down to this moment. Marvel’s ultimate villain has struck. Thanos (Josh Brolin) is hunting down the infinity stones. With all six, he would be unstoppable. When he decides to strike, it’s a whirlwind of events. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is left floating in space, injured and unconscious. Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is blasted to Earth, alerting Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who in turn alerts Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Thanos’ children attack, which catches the attention of Spiderman (Tom Holland). Spidey, Strange, and Stark find themselves aboard their ship, then off into space. Meanwhile, Thor is found by the Guardians of the Galaxy. He knows too well what Thanos is capable of, and enlists Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) to forge a weapon capable of killing him. Back on Earth, Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Falcon (Anthony Mackie), now fugitives, come to the aid of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), who has an infinity stone stuck in his forehead. They rush off to Wakanda with Rhodey, aka War Machine, where they meet up with familiar faces such as T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Shuri (Letitia Wright), and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The entire universe is threatened, and this time, the odds are against our heroes.
Thanos is Marvel’s most dangerous villain, bent on genocide. Thor has nothing else to lose now. Bruce Banner, aka Hulk, is finally back on Earth after years in space. Doctor Strange knows his priorities and isn’t afraid to voice them. Tony Stark, Iron Man, has been a staple in the Marvel universe since day one. Peter Parker wants nothing more than to impress Tony, who at this point is his father figure. The Guardians include Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), aka Starlord. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is Thanos’ adopted daughter and hates him as much as anyone else. Drax (Dave Bautista) is bent on avenging his family’s death by Thanos’s hand. Rocket plays frustrated parent to an uninterested teenage Groot. Mantis (Pom Klementieff) is innocent and playful. Nebula (Karen Gillan) is Gamora’s sister and shares her feelings about their ‘father’. Steve Rogers, even though he’s now an outlaw, is still the hero he always was. Natasha Romanoff and Sam Wilson, awesome as always, are right at his side. In their two years on the run, Wanda and Vision have developed a relationship. T’Challa, the Black Panther, is every bit a king and a warrior. His sister Shuri is Wakanda’s top scientist at only sixteen. Her work includes wiping 70 years of brainwashing from Bucky Barnes, who has his old personality back. Others include Okoye, M’baku, Wong, Loki Odinson, Pepper Potts, Maria Hill, and Nick Fury.
Josh Brolin is cast in the upcoming Deadpool 2. Chris Hemsworth got his start as Thor in 2011. Mark Ruffalo is not only an actor but a filmmaker and an activist. Benedict Cumberbatch is well known for his role as Sherlock in the TV series of the same name. Robert Downey Jr. is the mirror image of Tony Stark. Tom Holland got his start as Spiderman in 2016. Chris Pratt is known for his role as Owen Grady in Jurassic World and its upcoming sequel. Zoe Saldana is a dancer as well as an actress. Dave Bautista is a former bodybuilder and wrestler. Bradley Cooper is one of the world’s highest paid actors. Vin Diesel is an actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. Karen Gillan starred as Ruby Roundhouse in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Chris Evans has starred not only as Steve Rogers but as Johnny Storm in The Fantastic Four. Scarlett Johansson is among the world’s highest-paid actresses. Sebastian Stan originally auditioned for the role of Captain America before being cast as Bucky Barnes. Anthony Mackie has played Sam Wilson since Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Chadwick Boseman played Jackie Robinson in 42. Letitia Wright started as Shuri in Black Panther. Don Cheadle took over the role as Rhodey in Iron Man 2. Stan Lee, of course, made his creepy old man cameo.
Infinity War is tying off ten years of anticipation. All of Marvel’s films have been leading up to this one. It’s definitely not as light or upbeat as films like Thor Ragnarok or Antman. Grief, death, and sacrifice are constant shadows. The entire universe is at stake. Thanos is a villain, unlike anything we’ve ever seen. He puts villains like Obadiah Stane, Ultron, and Red Skull to shame. What makes him so terrifying is that he thinks he’s right and is willing to sacrifice anything to achieve his goals. Yet, despite this, the film was exciting and kept you at the edge of your seat. This is the first time we’ve seen some heroes since Captain America: Civil War. It was interesting to see how they’ve grown and changed. Characters that fans had never dreamed of seeing together were suddenly interacting and fighting side by side. Same goes with the plot. Certain scenes were unexpected but not unwelcome. Yet, despite how good it was, there was no resolution. This was Infinity War Part 1, and the film ended in what would normally be the climax. Part 2 will be released this time next year.
Anyone who enjoys action, war, drama, and/or sci-fi stories would find something in Infinity War. Of course, Marvel fans were all first in line to see it. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who likes romance, comedy, or light-hearted pictures. That being said, some scenes were very funny. Lots of dry humor. My rating? Four stars. MPAA rating: PG-13. Can’t wait for Part 2!
