In a Wired magazine interview in 2003, famed physicist and futurist Dr. Michio Kaku suggested that time travel is possible, stating, “Once confined to fantasy and science fiction, time travel is now simply an engineering problem.” The very core of the new Marvel adventure film “Avengers: Infinity War” focuses on that chilling premise.
“Avengers: Infinity War” is the 19th push into the Marvel Comics Universe and is offering up the big idea that their universe is real and not confined by anything, and that includes being handcuffed to time itself.
Act one begins in deep space, where genocides of all types are occurring at the order of Thanos (Josh Brolin), the complicated Dark Lord whose goal is to bring balance to the universe. The story unfolds in myriad lands, including New York, Wakanda, Titan and Knowhere.
It’s the ultimate galactic battle for the fate of the universe and that means connecting together the six original Avengers and the Marvel superheroes who’ve recently been gifted their own origin stories, which include Dr. Strange, Black Panther and the youngest version of Spider-Man. Also on the quest are the Guardians of the Galaxy and a few other figures who’ve been there on the fringes.
In truth, it’s a wacky mashup of Marvel marvelousness, but it’s the fate of the world and it’s all hands (or whatever you have to work with) on deck.
The idea that a visit from space is forthcoming has been planted and watered by movies for a long time, and most recently by officials such as Guy Consolmagno, the Vatican scientist who suggested in 2010 that aliens might have souls and could be baptized if they asked for it.
So that’s what happened. A donut-shaped alien spaceship lands in midtown Manhattan and the first to get into the fight is Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor). Then comes Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who tries and fails, and gets stuck inside a ship. Then it’s Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to the rescue with an awesome assist from young Spider-Man (Tom Holland).
The chemistry between quick-witted Tony and equally witty Strange produce some of the best moments and dialogue in the film. That’s a tall order because Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) can’t get his inner Hulk to fully appear.
“Avengers: Infinity War” keeps its focus, which is outpacing Thanos who wants to destroy half the beings in the universe. He reasons that the universe’s resources are limited and that is the only way it will thrive.
An eloquent sociopath, all he needs is all six of the Infinity Stones (bright colored gems named for soul, mind, power, space, reality and time). Most of these stones are safely in the hands of several of the boldest heroes, such as Vision (Paul Bettany), who has one of them embedded in his forehead.
The war does get messy and personal when Thanos is reunited with Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the adoptive daughter that he rescued as a girl while in the process of wiping out her planet. He loves her, so he tells her over and over again. He calls her “daughter” and Gamora shivers.
Once an effective killing machine, now she won’t give into her father, even when he’s got her android half-sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan), suspended and torturously stretched into her metallic body parts.
Gamora’s hilarious Guardians are off doing what they do: saving the entire cosmos to the tune of the Spinners’ “The Rubberband Man.” In one of the best introductions in cinema, the two Marvel franchises are forced together when the bloodied Thor (Chris Hemsworth) lands on the windshield of the Guardians’ ship. The humor paints these exchanges with Drax describing Thor like “a pirate had a baby with an angel!”
The Guardians split into two factions, with Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and the now teenage Groot (Vin Diesel) heading off with Thor.
Moving on and entering the story is Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Chris Evans), leading his team, which includes Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and War Machine (Don Cheadle).
“Infinity War” has great combat sequences, but there is no question who will win.
The climax is set in Wakanda, where T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) orchestrates a battle against an army of ravenous alien beast-like monsters.
The ending of “Avengers: Infinity War” is shocking. It makes the audience ponder motivation, prayer and time itself.
“Avengers: Infinity War” is now playing.