Avengers: Infinity War

"You've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet" 

- Nick Fury

If Fury knew what he was talking about, "bigger" is quite an understatement. But "Infinity War" is finally here. This is the grand finale that we have all been waiting for, and it took 10 years for everything to finally coalesce together. For obvious reasons, the hype was unreal. Pre-sale tickets were already more than the last 7 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films combined, including "Black Panther". The box office has a reached a whopping $250 million in North America in its opening weekend, which is the highest grossing opening ever. There is no doubt that more box office records are poised to be broken as this juggernaut plows through the summer of 2018. Let's also not forget that a colossal sum of money ($321 million) was budgeted towards "Infinity War". Seriously, how else can the all-star ensemble be paid? Not to mention the CGI and make-up costs that go into a grand total of 149 minute run time are simply unimaginable. Indeed, the producers made absolute sure to deliver on "Infinity War"

"Infinity War" makes it clear in the beginning that we are in for a very very serious time. The immediate hint is the deafening silence in the iconic Marvel opening sequence that is normally paired with upbeat superhero-esque themes. After that, there are tons more other reasons on why "Infinity War" does not ride on an ordinary superhero story template. Anything else said beyond that is huge spoilers. To balance out and alleviate this overall melancholy direction , there is an abundant amount of witty jokes and one-liners that rescues the film from an abyss of sadness. It has always been a thing for MCU films to do that, and for the most part, almost all of them were able to mesh multiple themes in perfect balance without overshadowing one another. However, you will definitely walk out of the theater with a heavy heart. The last time the same thing happened to me was when "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" rolled the credits after Yondu's heartfelt death, but it does not compare at all to "Infinity War". Unfortunately, this time, we are not talking about just one death. The tears and sadness here are on a much grander scale, and you will never see the Marvel Universe in the same way again.

The plot is very well-written considering that it juggles so many different characters and storylines. The overarching story is still pretty straightforward. Thanos, a powerful Titan warlord, is pursuing the six Infinity Stones to wipe out half of the universe. During his hunt, Thanos's legion invades Earth to complete the collection and needless to say, the Avengers have something to say about that. Except, when I say the Avengers, I mean literally every superhero that has appeared since the first Iron Man (notably except for Hawkeye and Ant-Man for reasons that will be clear in this film). Well, that is quite a lineup against one supervillain. And remember, it took a grand total of 18 Marvel films for a final showdown against Thanos, like it is the final boss fight in a video game. 18 films is indeed an overwhelming number for any person who isn't familiar with the backstory of "Infinity War". But first of all, I find it impossible for anyone is watching or is planning to watch "Infinity War" has yet to even touch any of the prequels. Secondly, "Infinity War" is completely enjoyable without watching the prequels at all. Although certain important scenes can appear confusing and blank, the level of excitement from the cool factors are virtually the same. If plot-holes are not your cup of tea, then the following titles are the MCU films that you must watch in order.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Marvel's The Avengers

Thor: The Dark World

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Guardians of the Galaxy

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Captain America: Civil War

Doctor Strange

Thor: Ragnarok

Black Panther

This list is only cutting 8 films out of the equation, but to sum up the origins of the Infinity Stones and the magnitude of threat that these superheroes are up against, it is sufficient. Nevertheless, a MCU marathon run on Netflix doesn't hurt to ease up the summer

The producers of "Infinity War" boast their project as possibly the greatest crossover event in the history of cinematics. Be that as it may be, what I personally look for in a classic good vs evil storyline is a worthwhile villain. In this case, it would be Thanos, a self-proclaimed savior who believes that destroying half of the universe is his destiny and for the greater good. Let it be clear that among the many MCU villains so far, none comes close to Thanos in greatness. Loki, Ultron, Ego, Red Skull, Helmut Zemo, Hela and Killmonger were fairly imposingly villains not just in the MCU, but in comparisons to other contemporary action films as well. Thanos is perceived to be stronger than the Hulk, godlier than Thor, more intelligent than Tony Stark, more durable than Captain America,more ruthless than Loki, more calculating than Ultron, more cunning than Hela and more cosmopolitan than Ego. Comic accurate or not, this ultimate enemy of the MCU impresses me as the greatest superhero villain ever. That is quite a statement because there is still Heath Ledger's The Joker at the back of my mind. But having witnessed a spectacle, I've got to give it up for Thanos. He very much reminds me of Darth Vader. Like Vader, Thanos is a ruler of his own empire, is a wielder of universal power, stops at nothing for further domination, and has a soft spot. Given the fact that he will stick around for several more sequels, Thanos comes off as very relatable, which was a trait that was lacking in other MCU prequels. "Infinity War" is most definitely dedicated to introduce Thanos and seeing how Josh Brolin nailed his performance as an iconic villain, both of their names have earned the right to be next to Darth Vader, Voldemort, The Joker, Freddy Krueger, The Terminator and the likes. 

"Infinity War" is the most important installment of the MCU. It is the 10 year culmination of Marvel Studios' efforts on the big screen, marking the end of many things and very likely the beginning of even more things. There are already 2 new titles slated to be released next year as a follow-up to "Infinity War", and possibly 10 more years of MCU films after that. In Hollywood, I daresay that Marvel Studios is the most profitable production company, perhaps ever. If they are ambitious enough, they may even extend their work by 20 years because the Marvel Comics is a very big universe in itself, and once again, "big" is a huge understatement. Renowned director James Cameron may beg to differ on our capacity to maintain our interest in superheroes, as he calls it "Avengers fatigue". Nevertheless, if Marvel Studios can diversify and change up their direction over the next 20 years, I don't think anybody's wallet will feel guilty. At that point, it really is a matter of artisanship, rather than lack of ingredients, which is what Cameron is truly saying by "Avengers fatigue", a much more positive and constructive criticism than people make it out to be on the surface. For a moment, you may feel down as you are leaving the auditorium that played "Infinity War", but in a day or two, excitement starts to overshadow sadness. Once you learn about the lineup that the MCU has in store for the future, there is no reason to dwell on "Infinity War" anymore. And for that, the youth of this generation is blessed. 

Verdict: Legendary 10

Box Office: $1.843 billion

Release Date: April 27, 2018

Rewatchable: Yes

The scene that started it all.