By Joan Alperin
Marvel Studios' AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR..L to R: Okoye (Danai Gurira), Black Panther/T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) and Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)
Photo: Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2018
I think writing excessively about the plot is really not necessary when it comes to this film because everyone, fans or not will, probably go see it, and they should because it is so over-the-top funny.
Here's the gist of the story. Thanos (voiced brilliantly by Josh Brolin), a powerful Titan warlord and a threat to all mankind, is searching for six power stones. These stones will allow him to be unstoppable in his goal to rule the universe. Well to be exact, he wants to destroy most of the universe which is his solution for over-population.
It's odd that such a crazy villian would care about such a thing, but the big boy does.
Thanos' quest to find the stones, takes him to New York where we meet Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), who is having a real hard time 'hulking'. Seems the green guy has lost his abilities to transform. Watching him try over and over again to 'hulk-out' is some of the funniest scenes in the film.
Marvel Studios' AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR..L to R: Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Wong (Benedict Wong)
Photo: Chuck Zlotnick.©Marvel Studios 2018
Unfortunately, these above mentioned 'super heroes' just won't be enough to stop this overgrown villian. Luckily we have Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and the Guardians of the Galaxy led by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) onboard to help.
Seems that one of its members, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) has a special hatred for Thanos. He just happens to be her adopted father. Now a shrink would definitely have a field day with that one.
The battle for humanity's survival also takes us to Wakanda, where Black Panther (Chatwick Boseman) starts to feel that maybe his drop dead gorgeous warrior goddesses won't be enough to stop this evildoer. So in comes Captain American (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to help out.
Avengers: Infinity War directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, is definitely loaded down with Superheroes and at times, some of the action scenes feels repetitive, but on the whole, the film succeeds brilliantly.
At the screening I attended the audience went wild with applause every time a familiar character from past films appeared on screen. I think the biggest round of applause came when Thor encountered Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper). This meeting also earned the biggest laughs especially when Thor kept calling Rocket a 'rabbit'.
Avengers: Infinity War opens in theatres on Friday, April 27, 2018 and it is a 'must-see.