The gasps don’t end. At least they didn’t for me. Ten years in the making, the new instalment of the Avengers franchise is full of twists and turns that aren’t always kind to superhero lovers.
Following the immense success of Black Panther, pop culturally and at the box offices around the world, it’s easy to assume that eyes will be on Avengers: Infinity War as a result.
We go back home, I mean to Wakanda and, wow, what a turf for war it is - but getting there takes a series of jaw-dropping fight scenes and even some touching moments. Let me fill you in.
Following Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and the initial The Avengers (2012), it’s safe to say things aren’t all good between the gang that’s meant to safeguard Earth against all evil. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) are getting ready to tie the knot and start a family, even though he’s not ready to let Iron Man go.
But it’s a good thing that he doesn’t. There’s a war ahead and it’s going to be one that moves heaven and earth and space. Some of the places it will occur in house the infinity stones, which have special powers that will allow whoever holds them in their possession to pretty much play god.
Thanos (played by Brolin) is intent on collecting all six of the stones and he won’t stop until he’s tried everything in his and other beings’ powers. It’s going to take pretty much everyone in the Marvel Universe to try to stop him. It’s incredibly fun to watch.
But, I have to be honest, this is the first superhero film where I have felt it was predominantly made for the die-hard fans. It’s not necessarily that you have to have absolutely seen everything Captain America is in or that you must know everyone’s real name and how they fit into the Universe but it sure does help.
There is some backstory, like how come Thanos and his family’s dynamic is the way it is, but it’s not like there’s time to go through that with everyone. We’re already two hours and 40 minutes in, fam. So if you’re watching this because you enjoy the genre or if you’re suffering from FOMO, you might find yourself going: Who is that again?
That aside, I might also be the only person who has a strong affinity for perceived villains. I’ll take it. But there’s just a humanising that happens with guys like Thanos that make him seem like he’s better than the guys Usain Bolting away from cameramen, so that they don’t have to own up to not paying papgeld.
There is the signature dry humour particularly spewing from Tony’s mouth, but that offsets the eye-roll-worthy comments that are sometimes said by the zygote that is Peter Parker. But at least he’s useful in war. Vision? Man, if there was an opportunity to stop the war, climb into the screen and evict someone because they are slowing our whole thing down, I would reach in and tell Vision he has to go.
Paul Bettany also gives him this sorry face that’s annoying. But that all goes to show that Infinity War is the kind of film that reels you in and you become emotionally invested. I’ll definitely be watching again.