Avengers: Infinity War

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

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Anthony and Joe Russo direct an epic Marvel universe in “Avengers: Infinity War.” The film is engaging, action-packed and satisfying. It is very much a nostalgic throwback in feeling and scope to the Spielberg matinee thrills of the 1980s. Though we have seen all these caped and iron-clad heroes many times, cinematic endorphins do pass through us and our senses leap. The directors have the good sense to treat the material as it should be treated: a serial hero story. But better still, it has form, heart and heft. 

Yes, of course something wicked falls upon us and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) approaches Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr) for help. Apparently, a magenta-faced giant named Thanos (Josh Brolin) has a Gargantuan ego problem; he is after the Infinity Stones that will allow him to conquer and rule the entire universe. Chaos consumes New York City and numerous locations, both world and galaxy wide.

This could have been a non-stop slug-fest but to its credit it isn’t. No matter what these characters face (and they face an extraordinary amount of struggle) they never forget the human within. Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) can’t seem to summon his emerald Id, The Hulk. He is forced to be cocooned in Iron Man’s metal alloys and his condition is surprisingly touching when his small head pops out from the giant suit: the little guy with a big will wants to save the world, by any means or method.

Most of the squad heads undercover to a crowd-pleasing Wakanda and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) while Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is sent out to space meeting up with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt)’s crew from “Guardians of the Galaxy.” This is played more for laughs — except for the fact that Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is considered by most to be Thanos’ stepdaughter.

Above all, these humans and humanish gods are treated as empathetic beings and the film never forgets this concept, even through all of the bashing and crashing, mostly given at the film’s last quarter. All cosmic firepower and metaphysical might is thrown at the purple jawed juggernaut and it invariably falls to his feet like glitter, a spritzer from wizards, now harmless and amusing. 

This is as existential as Marvel gets, almost a kind of Gothic melodrama in the mode of William Friedkin. Evil has the upper hand. The unsung actor here is Brolin, who like Ruffalo gives his role a quiet poetry. Thanos is a Luciferic person exiled from himself and others, consumed by unquenchable desire.

The best part of “Infinity War” is that it shows the perils of both winning and losing. No one figure has the world on a spindle.

In the first Avengers films and to a great extent this one, the story takes its time, making a kind of Pop Art version of mythology, a visual “Paradise Lost.” Despite energy, ego and exoskeletons, these beings are consumed by envy, guilt and shame, all obstacles of the human condition. Despite familiarity, watching these demigod dilemmas unfold before your eyes remains ebullient eye-jumping fun through and though.

Write Ian at ianfree11@yahoo.com