Avengers: Infinity War

Having caught up with the MCU franchise of superhero films, I was eager to see Avengers: Infinity War and how it would take the series forward but unfortunately I missed it in the cinemas and had to wait patiently avoiding spoilers. This would be the film that fully introduced the new bad guy Thanos and his quest to control all six 'infinity stones' that would grant him full control across the universe if the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy fail to stop him.

But the Marvel series faced two main problems; one being that most of their villains are often forgettable and that the average viewer probably didn't know who Thanos even was besides two brief appearances before this. Of course, this film would also have to juggle the challenge of bringing so many characters together but the Russo brothers returning to Marvel dodge this problem through wisely focusing the film on the villain for the first time. It is an ensemble piece in many ways but this really should have been called 'Rise of Thanos' or something cheesy like that!

Starting not long after the end of Thor: Ragnarok, we are immediately introduced to Josh Brolin's CGI turn as Thanos and the effects are truly amazing, capturing so much of the actor's performance to create this giant and imposing threat. Much of this is in thanks to the two directors who just about succeed in pacing this two-hour plus adventure, which does admittedly see some highs and lows. The Russo brothers prove themselves again as masters of drama (my favourite of theirs still is The Winter Soldier) but with a little more editing, this could have been even better. The main weakness is the CGI mutant battle which we've seen a dozen times before but is only a minor gripe and this steers very clear from the pitfalls that plagued Age of Ultron.

The final closing moments are great to watch even if the end didn't all convince me but I will keep this clear of spoilers. Avengers: Infinity War is almost the perfect balance of Marvel's much talked about humour with enough action and drama to truly satisfy fans, and I truly hope the sequel doesn't disappoint.