"Black Panther" threw down a powerful box office gauntlet this year as it became the top grossing superhero movie of all time with more than $681 million in ticket sales (and still rising as it remains in theaters). Any film that would dare open in the wake of such monumental success would have to be larger in superhero content, grander in its battle sequences and be filled with so many twists and turns anyone who missed seeing it on opening day may not be able to avoid all the talk about what happens just to have a chance of challenging the record.
That's what "Avengers: Infinity War" does.
It literally uses a massive universe-destroying gauntlet _ the weapon of choice for the super evil Thanos (Josh Brolin) _ as the driving element in this well-crafted and soundly entrenched in comic lore story that has been teased through other offerings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. "Avengers: Infinity War" isn't just another offering in the comic book film universe. It's the combination of the best of what the Marvel Comics-inspired films have been giving viewers since "Iron Man" blasted its way into theaters a decade ago.
Talking about what makes "Avengers: Infinity War" so good is difficult because it would not be fair to have any spoilers diminish the pure pleasure of seeing this Marvel-ous production unfold. Speaking in general terms, the overall arc is Thanos is on a quest that, if successful, would give him the power to complete a galactic plan that only a madman would think makes sense. Standing in his way is a herd of heroes including all of the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, most of the Avengers, a large group of Black Panther's team, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).
It would have been very easy for the film to become top heavy with all the muscle-bound and costumed characters running around. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo _ working from a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely _ manage to blend all the different characters in such a way that the numerous plot threads never get tangled.
One of the sterling accomplishments is how the different heroes are mixed and matched to create instances of both conflict and humor. The best of the teaming comes when the snarky Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) has to work with the no-nonsense Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Both actors have an uncanny ability to make even an innocent line sound like a blast from an insult cannon and they come out firing. Just behind them is the interaction between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) that is more comical than contradictory.
The only negative is there are so many characters, the Iron Man/Doctor Strange or Thor/Rocket personality clashes only get limited time. The upside is each change of location and configuration of players is better than the last. Whether it is a vengeful Thor or a confused Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), the way the directors navigate the characters through the gigantic series of battles manages to give the players time to show their inner feelings while still finding time for a no-punches-pulled fight.
There are even moments that show Thanos is more than just a planet killer. Despite the heavy special effects to turn Brolin into the gigantic purple-skinned creature, he is able to show a wide range of emotions through his facial expressions and his voice. Actors never get the praise they deserve when they work in such heavy special effects roles, but Brolin deserves high praise for getting so much out of what could have been just a lumbering space villain in less skilled hands.
"Avengers: Infinity War" is structured so it starts immediately with a big fight scene and then the directors never let off the action gas. As soon as there is even a slight pause in one area, the film shifts to another scene where the action is being ramped to the ultimate. Telling you where the action is unfolding definitely falls under the category of spoilers.
The movie is loaded with "aha" moments for those who love comic books and the film offerings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's nice to see the directors were willing to sprinkle some fan moments throughout but didn't saturate the movie to the point of distraction the way a movie like "Ready Player One" overdid it.
"Avengers: Infinity War" has taken all of the elements that have made past films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe work and given them a shot of steroids.
