THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN
THROUGHOUT the span of 10 years and 18 films, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has presented us with an intergalactic view of how the world could have ended at the hands of fearsome villains numerous times — think Ultron (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Hela the Goddess of Death (Thor: Ragnarok) and more.
However, thanks to the gallant efforts of formidable and gifted heroes of this comic book universe, the dastardly plans of these wicked beings are always thwarted. Even on the verge of total destruction, the superheroes would still save the day. Thanos (Josh Brolin) is a villain to be reckoned with.
But what if this formula has become just too formulaic?
After a decade of Marvel Studios productions which portray enduring protagonists, the time has come for the status quo to be shaken up. With Avengers: Infinity Wars, directors Anthony and Joe Russo deliver a Marvel movie like you have never seen before.
After helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), the Russo brothers return with a sharper outing that is just as fastpaced and entertaining as it is dramatic and poignant.
In this 19th film in the MCU franchise, the superheroes face an ominous and lethal threat in the form of Thanos.
Having caught glimpses of him in previous movies, we are aware of the gargantuan purple villain’s persistent quest for the Infinity Stones. A force to be reckoned with, he aims to lay his hands on the six colourful and all too powerful Infinity Stones (comprising Space, Mind, Power, Time, Reality and Soul Stones) so that he can decimate some of the universe’s crowded population at a snap of a finger.
His logic is simple. The universe has just too many inhabitants whilst its Superheroes wear black. (From left) Black Panther/ King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Captain America/ Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Widow/Natasha Romanova (Scarlett Johansson), and Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) with the Wakandan army. resources are finite; so, if left with only half of the life forms, the universe can realise its potentials and prosper once again.
Well portrayed by Josh Brolin in a motion-capture performance, the Titan lord is a thoroughly complex figure.
His reunion with adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana) show a softer side which we could empathise with. In spite of this, he is an enormous evil incarnate who will not let anyone stand in his way. Firmly believing that his genocidal cause is a wise and noble one, Thanos would go to great lengths and sacrifices to realise his mission.
Infinity Wars pits Thanos and his ruthless — and not to mention horrid-looking — Black Order alien sidekicks against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and their allies. Their intergalactic showdown traverses the deep space and planets such as Knowhere and Titan; right down to Earth’s Wakanda where the climactic battle takes place, complete with terrifying cosmic hounds.
Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely expertly weaved the multitude arcs from predecessor films into one predominant theme.
Audaciously working on the notion that viewers are already familiar with the returning household names, the movie dives straight into the story without giving too much limelight on any particular hero.
Featuring the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Black Panther and his Wakandan army, as well as a host of other existing and new characters, this is a silver screen experi-
ence of huge proportions. Yet it does not come across as being too overwhelmingly crowded.
Allocated with just the right amount of, albeit limited, lines and screen time, heroes such as Captain America (Chris Evans), Drax (Dave Bautista), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and a few more are still able to shine individually as they work alongside each other.
Expect the usual healthy dose of humour and witty one-liners that one gets with a Marvel production, courtesy of the repartee between Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) as well as the banter between Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth).
These lighter moments help to balance out the film’s heavy emotional weight and the heroes’ growing sense of melancholic despair as the narrative plays out to reveal a catastrophic confrontation. There is just too much at stake this time round. Unfortunately, when the plot unravels, the heroes discover that they are getting more than they bargained for.
By far the most epic MCU film to-date, Infinity War is a piece of storytelling marvel like no other. The film’s ending may render you speechless because honestly it is nothing like you would expect; but even so, do stay on your seat a bit longer for a postcredit scene.