I guess you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs - but know this: Avengers: Infinity War is one hell of a damned omelette. I've only seen Infinity War once so far, but that's enough to realize it's the shadow-casting monolith of all superhero movies - a film we've been building up to since Iron Man changed everything back in 2008 - and as the 19th entry in Marvel Studios' massive movie mosaic, humbling evidence of extraordinary foresight and planning, that leaves an emotional blast crater amidst the pop culture landscape.
By now, most eager beavers have experienced Infinity War, but I'm still going to try to stay spoiler-free here, then get more in-depth and specific in a week or so, after I've had my second helping. These days, as we keep seeing with the Star Wars franchise, the greater the anticipation for a film, often the more polarizing and indignant the fan response. We've been waiting for this movie since we got our first glimpse of Mad Titan Thanos in a post-credits scene of 2012's The Avengers. That's a lot of build-up.
This picture does not disappoint. Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Captain America: Civil War), Infinity War is an incredible decade-spanning example of deft execution. Imagine the complexities of taking five or six of your favorite franchises and whipping up multiple overlapping sequels that suddenly allows for the interaction of numerous unrelated characters: Thor meets Rocket. Doctor Strange meets Spider-Man. Black Panther meets Captain America. It could easily feel muddled and obligatory. Not so here.
Make no mistake: Thanos is the most satisfying villain in ages. Too often our heroes' antagonists are one-dimensional behemoths who bluster and bore, Wonder Woman and Justice League being the most recent and egregious examples. With Thanos, we're finally getting a villain who's a character. Who's got depth. Like the all great villains, he's the hero of his story, and from where he sits, he's more than justified in undertaking his agenda. Scattered throughout the cosmos are six Infinity Stones - artifacts that when combined, endow the wielder with unlimited power - the ability to annihilate countless billions with the snap of his fingers.
Josh Brolin is simply iconic as Thanos. He's in nearly every scene, and he rules. We've seen motion-capture performances evolve mightily over the last couple of years, and Brolin's performance is of equal stature with Andy Serkis's Apes work here. He crafts a tremendous character, rich with emotion and malevolence, and the effects work is so stellar I kept asking myself where they found this twelve-foot-tall actor at.
The Russos aren't screwing around, and Infinity War opens at full throttle, with dire stakes from the very outset. It's jarring to board a ride that’s already going at full speed and you feel you'd better not let go. Thanos has a goon squad - The Black Order - that quickly establish themselves as formidable and cool. I particularly enjoyed Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), though they're all unique with great character design.
The chess pieces are scattered across the board on several different planets, so we're frequently moving between small groups of characters - a dynamic that works and never becomes tiresome. Because we've had years to invest ourselves in these characters, the stakes feel incredibly dire to us. The outcome matters because we truly care about these people. Nearly every character has been given ample moments to shine, though for me, Zoe Saldana's Gamora is a particular standout. She's amazing here, as is Chris Hemsworth's Thor.
It's fairly common knowledge that this is the first of two Infinity War films, with the second as-yet untitled installment arriving next year. So while you may be expecting an Empire Strikes Back cliffhanger, Markus, McFeely, and the Russos take a more Thelma and Louise approach to cliffs, driving the audience right off the edge.
Audiences crave the thrill of the new and the shock of the unexpected, and may find they get more than they bargained for. Like me, I suspect they'll be wanting to head right back for a second viewing as soon as possible. It's a lot to take in, but Marvel has succeeded wildly, and the shock waves of Infinity War will be with us for a long time. Make haste and drink deep, True Believers: Thanos is here.
By now, most eager beavers have experienced Infinity War, but I'm still going to try to stay spoiler-free here, then get more in-depth and specific in a week or so, after I've had my second helping. These days, as we keep seeing with the Star Wars franchise, the greater the anticipation for a film, often the more polarizing and indignant the fan response. We've been waiting for this movie since we got our first glimpse of Mad Titan Thanos in a post-credits scene of 2012's The Avengers. That's a lot of build-up.
This picture does not disappoint. Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Captain America: Civil War), Infinity War is an incredible decade-spanning example of deft execution. Imagine the complexities of taking five or six of your favorite franchises and whipping up multiple overlapping sequels that suddenly allows for the interaction of numerous unrelated characters: Thor meets Rocket. Doctor Strange meets Spider-Man. Black Panther meets Captain America. It could easily feel muddled and obligatory. Not so here.
Make no mistake: Thanos is the most satisfying villain in ages. Too often our heroes' antagonists are one-dimensional behemoths who bluster and bore, Wonder Woman and Justice League being the most recent and egregious examples. With Thanos, we're finally getting a villain who's a character. Who's got depth. Like the all great villains, he's the hero of his story, and from where he sits, he's more than justified in undertaking his agenda. Scattered throughout the cosmos are six Infinity Stones - artifacts that when combined, endow the wielder with unlimited power - the ability to annihilate countless billions with the snap of his fingers.
Josh Brolin is simply iconic as Thanos. He's in nearly every scene, and he rules. We've seen motion-capture performances evolve mightily over the last couple of years, and Brolin's performance is of equal stature with Andy Serkis's Apes work here. He crafts a tremendous character, rich with emotion and malevolence, and the effects work is so stellar I kept asking myself where they found this twelve-foot-tall actor at.
The Russos aren't screwing around, and Infinity War opens at full throttle, with dire stakes from the very outset. It's jarring to board a ride that’s already going at full speed and you feel you'd better not let go. Thanos has a goon squad - The Black Order - that quickly establish themselves as formidable and cool. I particularly enjoyed Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), though they're all unique with great character design.
The chess pieces are scattered across the board on several different planets, so we're frequently moving between small groups of characters - a dynamic that works and never becomes tiresome. Because we've had years to invest ourselves in these characters, the stakes feel incredibly dire to us. The outcome matters because we truly care about these people. Nearly every character has been given ample moments to shine, though for me, Zoe Saldana's Gamora is a particular standout. She's amazing here, as is Chris Hemsworth's Thor.
It's fairly common knowledge that this is the first of two Infinity War films, with the second as-yet untitled installment arriving next year. So while you may be expecting an Empire Strikes Back cliffhanger, Markus, McFeely, and the Russos take a more Thelma and Louise approach to cliffs, driving the audience right off the edge.
Audiences crave the thrill of the new and the shock of the unexpected, and may find they get more than they bargained for. Like me, I suspect they'll be wanting to head right back for a second viewing as soon as possible. It's a lot to take in, but Marvel has succeeded wildly, and the shock waves of Infinity War will be with us for a long time. Make haste and drink deep, True Believers: Thanos is here.
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