by Monica Hayes
Please don’t read if you don’t want SPOILERS!!!
The days of post-credits and minor glimpses of Thanos has ended. The Russo brothers have finally brought the Mad Titian to do battle in Avengers: Infinity War and it is every bit of epic awesomeness we waited for!
Infinity War starts off with a bang! There is no slow build-up to the first battle scene, nope not here. We see Thanos (Josh Brolin), standing over the bodies of refugee Asgardians from Thor: Ragnarok, already in possession of the power stone. He has Thor in a headlock with just two fingers, he then turns to Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and asks for the space stone. At the same time, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) comes out of nowhere and proceeds to Hulk Smash. Well you know that didn’t go well. It went so wrong that the next time we see crash-landed has crash-landed in the New York Sanctum Sanctorum where he meets Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Seeing this, Loki hands over the space stone.
Down on earth, since we last saw the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, they have split into two factions and are no longer on speaking terms. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) have become an item, Tony (Robert Downy Jr) and Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) are discussing future family plans, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is back on another school field trip, Captain America (Chris Evans) is on the run somewhere and the rest are unknown.
Everything seems like a normal day until Dr. Strange and Banner show up catching Tony and Pepper by surprise in the park. Dr. Strange tells Tony about the six infinity stones and Thanos’ plans to destroy the world as we know it. Banner explains that Thanos has two infinity stones and he is out to get the remaining four. At this time, Banner who is totally unaware of what happened since he left at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, begs Tony to call Cap and get the team together. You can imagine how awkward that conversation went. Tony thinks this is just some BS until a Q-ship and two members of the Black Order show up in New York. The Avengers must now put their differences aside and team up to stop Thanos in one big battle for Earth.
Ever since Iron Man hit the screen in 2008, comic fans have been talking about the massive diversity of the MCU and wondering what characters would make their debut. Fans also wondered if at some point, the powers that be would green light an Avengers movie. In 2012, fans got to see The Avengers and it was there that we got our first tease of the Mad Titian and fans have been salivating waiting for him to be written into the story. Well, the wait is over, the Mad Titan Thanos is here and he is playing for keeps.
The way writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus managed the different characters, storylines and plots where Thor and the Guardians in space, Tony Stark, Spiderman and Dr. Strange in New York, who are later joined by Captain America, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) along with the Banner who take a trip to Wakanda, home of the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). Then balancing the Children of Thanos and the Black Order plus a host of other supporting characters is beyond great. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo took that script (or several as the rumor goes) and did exactly what we knew they would do; seamlessly weave all the characters and storylines together giving us an outstandingly epic superhero movie.
Whoever suggested and cast Josh Brolin as Thanos deserves their weight in gold. Since he was teased in post-credits of The Avengers, I have been waiting to see how well Thanos would transition from the pages of the comics to the big screen. There are just some villains that you either do it right or you don’t do it at all. Fox’s epic fail at bringing Apocalypse to the big screen in X-Men: Apocalypse is a perfect example of don’t do it. AT. ALL. This is not the case with Thanos. HE was executed perfectly almost as if they literally lifted him off the pages of the comics and placed him into the movie. Brolin’s mannerisms, voice and his interpretation of how much of a bad ass Thanos is incredible. The only issue I have with this depiction of the Mad Titian is he was a bit too emotional. Other than that, from this point on, Brolin is Thanos and Thanos is Brolin in my mind.
Overall, Infinity War is action packed from start to finish, the battles and fight scenes are superior add in the comedy and one kick-ass supervillain and there you have it. Comic fans will love it and hate it at the same time. Stay for the mid and post-credits.
Grade A