Avengers: Infinity War
Big (pulling together over 22 superheroes drawn from 18 predecessor films) and sprawling (running time: 2 1/2 hours), AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR somehow manages not to feel overpopulated (mostly) nor to descend into a chaotic mess. In short, this is what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building towards since its first flick: The coming of Thanos (digitally altered Josh Brolin), a richly realized villain who, if he acquires the six Infinity Stones that grant mastery of the fundamental forces of the cosmos, will obliterate half of all living beings. Naturally, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and the Guardians of the Galaxy (Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, et al.) try to stop him. Even more shocking than the film’s relative coherence and narrative drive, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR departs from the Marvel formula in at least one unusual way, which…well, spoilers. This may be yet another superhero movie, but it’s a doozy. –YSM