Marvel scores again

Rating: 8/10 (26 August 2018)

Epic superhero team-up from Marvel Studios and directors Anthony & Joe Russo. When an alien named Thanos (motion capture and voice performance from Josh Brolin) begins to collect all six of the Infinity Stones, incredibly powerful artifacts that grant their possessor unimaginable abilities, it's up to the galaxy's greatest heroes to try and stop him. Original Avengers Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Captain America (Chris Evans) join forces with newcomers Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and even the Guardians of the Galaxy, among others, but will their combined might be enough to stop Thanos' apocalyptic plan?
The culmination of plotlines 10 years in the making, this is one of the biggest gambles in movie history, and it seems to have paid off. The directors and screenwriters somehow manage to juggle this many characters and keep the balance just about right, with memorable moments doled out to all of them. The plot itself is very basic ("Stop Thanos"), and much time is spent on well-executed action scenes and eye-candy science fiction set-pieces. The dialogue is very humorous, and the various character combinations are amusing. There are usually three or four story directions going on at once, with the action switching from location to location frequently, but never in such a way as to become a distraction or disorienting. The biggest question mark of the film was how well Thanos would turn out, a villain that's been teased for the last 6 years in these movies. I was dubious about Brolin's casting, as while I like him in many things, he never struck me as intergalactic demi-god alien appropriate. I'm happy to say that he works out fine, and while the effects work done on him is very good, his voice sells the character, arguably one of the best developed out of any of the Marvel movies thus far.
I won't go into spoiler territory, but I will mention that the ending may befuddle or even anger some viewers. As a former comic book reader, I wasn't upset by it, and even expected it (even before the internet spoiled things for me). But those going in blind should be prepared for an unconventional finale.