The Villain makes the movie work

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2018)

Infinity War is movie number 19 in the current installment of the MCU. Some say that the movies have lost steam. Or that they're burnt out on superhero movies. To those naysayers, Infinity War may not be enough to revitalize their interest. But to anyone who still loves Marvel movies, Infinity War is a welcome and satisfying addition to the collection.
There was good reason to be concerned about this movie. The marketing pitch pegged it as the most ambitious crossover event in history, which sounds kind of cool but also comes with its share of challenges.
Crafting a story that juggles this many characters seems impossible, and choosing the correct combinations of heroes to group together is tricky. Finding a villain worthy of taking on the entire universe worth of Avengers is perhaps the most daunting of all.
I worried about each of these going in. After seeing the movie, I can comfortably say that Infinity War delivered on all fronts.
Thanos (a commendable Josh Brolin), delivers in a huge way as the star baddie. He's the key to whole movie. It does not work if he doesn't deliver. Fortunately, he does.
The plot revolves around Thanos and his pursuit of the six Infinity Stones, which he hopes to use to eliminate half the population of every planet in the universe. Most would call this genocide. He calls it mercy. He believes if life remains unchecked, populations will grow too large and civilizations will eventually suffer and starve.
So, it's up to the Avengers to stop him. You get the idea.
For as crazy as Thanos may sound, he comes across as a somewhat reasonable guy at times. His past even makes him empathetic. Also, and this is absolutely crucial, he's scary. Every time he appears on screen, the audience knows that anyone could die. Any Avenger could die. Thanos is that powerful and that ruthless.
Though all characters did not receive as much screen time as they deserve, this was only the case because so many characters deserve and have had their own movies. Kudos to the Russo brothers for handling the situation as well as could possibly be expected.
The character pairing choices were brilliant. Fortunately, Marvel benefits from the fact that the funniest Avenger, Thor, also happens to be the Avenger most likely to end up in space for a meeting with the hilarious Guardians.
The group immediately strikes a comic chemistry, as Starlord struggles to maintain his confidence as his crew oohs and aahs over the hunky Thor.
Spiderman and Ironman boast a similar dynamic. Peter calls Tony "Mr. Stark" and Tony calls Peter "kid." There's a certain father-son/mentor-protégé sort of never completely clear vibe that lends itself to comedic gold, especially when Spiderman proves himself to be as capable as anyone else, despite his age. Tom Holland is distinguishing himself as far and away the best Spiderman ever.
Nearly all the good guys and gals have their chance to showcase their skills (except for a couple absences, which I won't name). Captain America, the Guardians, and Black Panther all receive well-deserved grand entrances. The filmmakers did such a great job using music to smooth the transitions in a few key scenes without overdoing it. You can probably guess which ones get their walk-up music.
Looking back, this movie opens with a bang and never really lets up until the credits roll. It's fun, funny, thoughtful and fulfilling. I only have three complaints.
1. I don't care about the romance between Vision and Scarlet Witch. They seem like fine people, but I just can't get there. Romance is not why I watch these movies. Also, her calling him "Vizz" is objectively hilarious, even though that wasn't the intention.
2. There's one scene with Thanos and Gamora that felt clunky and thin. This becomes problematic because it's pivotal to their relationship and the rest of the movie. You'll know what I mean when you see it.
3. The movie has a problem with stakes. Are there any? Again, you'll know what I mean when you see the movie.
Despite my minor gripes, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It seems like most viewers did. Join the phenomenon and see Infinity War today. If you love superheroes, you will probably love this movie.