Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Back in 2008, Iron Man kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and none of us had any idea where it was headed. Ten years later, the Russo brothers deliver the closest thing to a payoff we’ve gotten: Avengers: Infinity War.

Loosely based on Jim Starlin’s The Infinity Gauntlet, the movie follows the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin), as he hunts down all six Infinity Stones to wipe out half the universe with a snap. Standing in his way is an unlikely team-up of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Brolin has played Thanos before, but this is the first time he gets to carry the movie, and he makes the most of it. Thanos isn’t your typical villain, because he doesn’t think he’s the bad guy. He truly believes he’s saving everyone, and that conviction is what makes him so unsettling. Between the writing and Brolin’s performance, he might be the best villain the MCU has produced.

The cast is great across the board, as you’d expect by now. Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Hemsworth, and Zoe Saldana were my standouts, though that might just be because they get the most screen time. Which brings me to the film’s biggest flaw.

Thanos has infinite power, and the cast list feels like it has infinite characters. It’s an impressive ensemble, but a lot of fan favorites get stuck with a few lines and an action beat or two. No movie can serve everyone, but I wish this one could have.

Alan Silvestri, back from the first Avengers, delivers a score that’s both stirring and haunting. The action is huge, too. Some viewers may find it exhausting, but it worked for me. In scope and length, this is the MCU’s Return of the King: armies of CGI creatures clashing with our heroes for most of a nearly three-hour runtime.

My favorite part, though, is the emotional weight. Unlike most Marvel movies, this one has real consequences. Characters get hurt, lost, and killed, and it lands hard. That’s a big part of why it works so well.