TO ‘INFINITY’ AND BEYOND
Marvel epic busy but super fun
‘The Avengers” franchise is back — with a vengeance — in “Infinity War.” The new picture opening Friday is the epic Marvel has been promising for years — and for months, the internerds have worried it would kill off at least one beloved superhero. But who? No spoilers here.
But be warned, the film has plenty of surprises. Kevin Smith was three seats away from me at the New York premiere. Two hours in, at one climactic moment, he suddenly screamed “Nooooooo!”
It’s that kind of movie. Later, I yelled “No!” too. That was when Peter Dinklage showed up onscreen with a fright wig and a weird accent as the universe’s tallest dwarf. No, seriously.
But Dinklage’s silly cameo is a rare misstep in a movie that mostly gets it right — and isn’t afraid to go for truly dramatic moments, or remind us that even superheroes can be mortal.
The story brings back those “infinity stones” from earlier Marvel movies. This time, supervillain Thanos is close to completing his collection. And once he does, it’s apocalypse now.
Time for the Avengers to assemble, again — even though half of them aren’t talking, and a couple aren’t quite all there. (The poor Hulk seems particularly messed up).
Showing up to lend a hand? Black Panther, the recently recruited Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy, who’ve tangled with Thanos before.
The allstar cast confirms a sad suspicion: The Avengers are getting boring, particularly compared to the hip Guardians.
These movies don’t need Iron Man. They need irony, man.
But even if Robert Downey Jr. looks like he’d rather be reading his stock portfolio, Chris Hemsworth brings back some of Thor’s
old, sweet swagger. Josh Brolin makes a great, grim Thanos, too. And the Guardians are all terrific, from the sullen teenage Groot to Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, forced to confront her own heritage as Thanos’ adopted daughter. Family issues — what superhero hasn’t got them? It’s a busy film — sometimes too busy. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who did the two “Captain America” adventures, still think the best fight scene is the one with the most people on the screen. But the script is surprisingly smart, pulling together all the subplots and cutting among all the locations.
Chris Pratt’s Star Lord has some clever lines. Thanos is a far more complex villain than we usually get. And the movie ends on a stark and shocking note.