Here's my non-spoiler movie content review after seeing the film last night...
Thanos, an intergalactic supervillain with diabolical plans for the future of the universe, sends his minions to Earth to finish collecting the Infinity Stones that will enable him to carry out his wishes with absolute power by bending the rules of space, time, and even reality. The only hope for the survival of our world is the Avengers team, who must restore their fractured forces and fight off the threat by combining their unique individual abilities and talents. None of them have ever encountered an evil like Thanos before, however, and the ensuing battles, which take place on multiple fronts, raise the stakes with the possibility of unthinkable casualties and losses. The intellect of heroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man, the charismatic bravery of Captain America, Black Panther, and Black Widow, the strengths of Thor and the Incredible Hulk, the mystical supernatural abilities of Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, and Vision, and even the foolhardy space adventure recklessness of the Guardians of the Galaxy may not be enough to save the day.
Avengers: Infinity War is the dauntingly ambitious epic that the previous 18 films in the Marvel Universe have been working toward since 2008, and, like its predecessors, it manages to live up to the hype with a thrillingly multifaceted narrative that takes immense risks while only rarely making a misstep. Instead of being a mere “Marvel's Greatest Hits” cash cow full of obligatory short cameos and storytelling bloat, as the trailers have suggested, this latest entry hits the right notes with each and every character, and draws its strengths from the endearing personality nuances that we have been introduced to in all of the origin stories and ensemble adventures to date. If you are not well-versed in the previous films, then I recommend that you revisit them before lining up for this latest feature. Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, who helmed my two favorite Marvel movies so far, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, hit the ground running with the opening sequence, which blends tragedy and levity to a splendid result. From there, this film continues to build momentum, and the final scenes, which had all of us in the audience tonight gasping out loud and even had several people around me in tears, give us a cliffhanger for the ages.
Thanos, as played by Josh Brolin, is an unexpectedly pleasant surprise here. He is the most formidable Marvel villain so far, and his ultimate mission, to “save” the planets of the universe by committing genocide on a mass scale to prevent overpopulation, is depicted not as insane folly, but as a calculated decision of losses and rewards, like the choices that are made by numerous military leaders and rulers in the real world. Viewers may not love Thanos in the end, but everyone will ultimately understand him.
Be sure to stick around for the post-credits scene, which shocks and surprises us even more, instead of merely serving as a comical cooldown from the weighty dramatics that have preceded it.
Avengers: Infinity War is not the best entry in the Marvel franchise, but it's pretty great.
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