By Liz Lopez
Rating: A
The highly anticipated “Avengers: Infinity War” kicks off the summer blockbusters as it opens tonight in theaters. The 19th feature in the Marvel Comics Universe, viewers will get to see all of the beloved superheroes (all comic-book icons) come together to fight evil for the sake of humanity. If you have enjoyed the ride of each of the films that have come before “Avengers: Infinity War” then be prepared to get a little “dizzy” as each of the characters are introduced by the screenwriters, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and as directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (“Captain America”). Fans of the Marvel Comics Universe will find “Avengers: Infinity War” highly entertaining, especially when the characters meet up for the first time in some scenes and they each show off their talents and skills. Each hero or heroine has plenty to do, and remind us why we are their fans.
Be sure to be as alert as you can be when you go to the theater to view “Avengers: Infinity War” as it is fast-moving and as several pieces of the story are introduced, you don’t want to miss what it is that everyone is uniting for.
It has been a while back since we have viewed the film’s villain, Thanos (played by Josh Brolin in a fantastic motion-capture performance that gives the actor his time to shine). The Dark Lord of Titan, the wrecked planet, is out to gain all the power he has wanted and he does not care who pays the price. For a large part of the film, he reminds me of the Hellboy in a Hulk – like size. Thanos’ plan is simple, but in the film’s storyline, our favorite superheroes characters will fight him with all their might. “Avengers: Infinity War” has spectacular combat sequences, just be prepared to view some beloved lands in the Universe destroyed at the whim of the evil ones.
The Infinity Stones are gems for the Mind, Soul, Time, Power, Space, and Reality. As we have seen in the past films, several of our heroes have them or knowledge of them. Vision (Paul Bettany) has one in his forehead. Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has his. The others are; well you will have to see the film. Thanos success in securing them all will mean his ability to destroy who he wants in the universe.
Thanos is reunited with Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and she also sees her android half-sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan), in a way that tears at her heart. Saldana gives an emotional performance and her conflict with Thanos will be a difficult moment to view.
Be prepared to view some fan favorites from “Iron Man,” “Thor,” “Black Panther,” “Dr. Strange,” “Spider-Man,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and a few varied characters who may have caught your eye from before.
Some of my favorite and memorable scenes from the film are Tony Stark and Strange face to face; Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), calling for his inner Hulk; the back-and-forth machismo between Thor and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans sporting a beard) as he appears with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and War Machine (Don Cheadle) and of course, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman).
The cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dave Bautista, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Karen Gillan, Peter Dinklage, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vin Diesel, Benicio del Toro.
Enjoy this film in the theater and then, wait on the sequel due one year from now!
MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 149 minutes. Opening nationwide in theaters today.
Source: Walt Disney Studios, Marvel Studios