THE WAR BEGINS

Rating: 10/10 (20 August 2018)

I will admit to feeling a certain amount of joy the first time I watched THE AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Having just watched it a second time I can let those who felt the same that it holds just as much impact the second time around. No doubt it will on repeated viewings as well. It is that good of a movie.
If you've been a fan of the Marvel movies based on the comics from the same company then you'll already know what some may not, that every single movie released to date has led to this point in time, to this very film. Hints of things to come were dropped like breadcrumbs along the way with each becoming more revelatory the closer we got. If you haven't been watching them then by all means go back and start with the first, IRON MAN, before watching this. It's not that you won't enjoy it watching it on its own but you'll miss so much of what takes place. Warning there are a few spoilers in this review.
The film opens aboard a spaceship last seen in THOR: RAGNAROK which holds the remnants of Asgard. The evil plunderer of the Universe, Thanos (Josh Brolin), holds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in his grasp and has beaten him in search of the second jewel he seeks, the Space Stone, having already found the first one, the Power Stone. Presented the stone by Thor's brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) he kills Loki and heads out to find the next stone. Also on board is the Hulk who too is beaten by Thanos but who escapes with the help of Heimdall (Idris Elba).
Thanos has had a glove made specifically for his singular purpose, to collect all 6 of the Infinity Stones. With all of them combined (missing yet are the Time Stone, the Mind Stone, the Reality Stone and the Soul Stone) it will provide Thanos with the power to alter reality and time itself, to control all things. His goal is to eliminate half of the population of the universe with the intent of "saving it" from overpopulation as resources dwindle. In his twisted mind he is to be considered a hero rather than someone responsible for mass genocide.
Hulk, now in the form of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) crashes into the sanctum sanctorum of Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and warns him of the upcoming arrival of Thanos and his minions. No not THOSE minions. Strange contacts and returns with Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) just as the evil doers arrive seeking the stone Strange possesses, the Time Stone. A nearby Spider-Man (Tom Holland) also swings in to help. Before Stark can reach out and contact Capt. America (Chris Evans) he, Spider-Man and Strange are onboard the spaceship heading towards Thanos.
Rather than continue with each story point I'll stop hear. And this so far only accounts for perhaps 30 minutes tops of this 2 hour and 29 minute masterpiece! With the exception of only 3 heroes already seen in the previous Marvel movies (Ant-Man and the Wasp which is explained in their own movie and Hawkeye) every single hero shows up to do battle in this one. Every Avenger, Black Panther, War Machine, the Winter Soldier and all the Guardians of the Galaxy are on hand to face off against Thanos. The question though is are they enough? Can they take down the most powerful being in the Universe? And if he gets all of the stones, will he be able to achieve his goal?
The answer is yes and no. When you get to the final moments of the film, a heart wrenching moment in heroic film history, the answer is still unknown. Yes know going in that the final answer is not on hand to be seen here. A second film is on the way and will no doubt pick up with the remains of this film. Not all of the heroes we've come to know and love will survive. None of those that remain will be left unscarred. And in a battle to save the known Universe all will lay their lives down on the line as a last defense to do so.
Our civilization has always used mythology to move us forward, to teach valuable lessons. They began with drawings on cave walls, altered to stories passed down verbally, reached the printed page, changed slightly to four color comics, moved to radio and then to the big screen. Movies have become the current medium in which mythology has decided to rest. The Marvel movies which began as comics and have since embraced movies are there to provide a way of continuing the tradition of teaching valuable lessons to those who witness them. Sacrifice, loyalty, heroism, love, failure all are on display in these films and this film combines all into a massive epic that has to be seen to be believed.
The end result of watching this film is not total sadness or joy but an anxious feeling, one in which the viewer wishes that the months were over between the viewing of this film and the next. Until that time this movie will be viewed repeatedly by fans who will wait for the next, ticket money in hand and hoping for the best for those heroes that they've come to love to be among those who will survive. This is the movie that has long been developing and it delivers on every single level expected of those who love movies.