Friday, April 27, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War / ***½ (PG-13)

Marvel Studios
Tony Stark/Iron Man: Robert Downey Jr.
Thor: Chris Hemsworth
Bruce Banner/Hulk: Mark Ruffalo
Steve Rogers/Captain America: Chris Evans
Natasha Romanoff: Scarlett Johansson
James Rhodes/ War Machine: Don Cheadle
Doctor Strange: Benedict Cumberbatch
Peter Parker/Spider-Man: Tom Holland
T’Challa/ Black Panther: Chadwick Boseman
Gamora: Zoe Saldana
Nebula: Karen Gillan
Loki: Tom Hiddleston
Vision: Paul Bettany
Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch: Elizabeth Olsen
Sam Wilson/Falcon: Anthony Mackie
Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier: Sebastian Shaw
Heimdall: Idris Elba
Okoye: Danai Gurira
Mantis: Pom Klementieff
Drax: Dave Bautista
Groot (voice): Vin Diesel
Rocket (voice): Bradley Cooper
Pepper Potts: Gwenyth Paltrow
The Collector: Benicio Del Toro
Thanos: Josh Brolin
Peter Quill/Star-Lord: Chris Pratt

Marvel Studios & Walt Disney Pictures presents a film directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo. Written by Christopher Markus & Stephen Feely.  Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Captain America created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Star-Lord created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan. Rocket Raccoon created by Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen. Thanos, Gamora & Drax created by Jim Starlin. Groot created by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. Mantis created by Steve Englehart and Don Heck. Running time: 149 min. Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references).

I struggle to find exactly what to discuss about Marvel’s latest epic cinematic enterprise, Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel is very good at building toward big events such as this one, and they’ve spent several movies worth over the past few years building to this movie in particular. Just look at that cast list. Don’t think I’ve listed the only faces you’ll recognize from other Marvel movies either. The subjects of those movies have their own unrelated adventures, and little details and credit cookies in them lend hints toward the greater story that they all are building toward. Now it is here. It is a good story and a fitting one considering the grandeur of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The set ups are done and the players play their part and to say any more than that would spoil everything they’ve built. So, I will leave you with this biblical verse, which in itself may be saying too much.

“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
                                                                                                                        Genesis 3:19

No comments: