Avengers: Infinity War

The point where a ten year run of films is gathered. Thanos is collecting six stones. With them he will destroy half the living things in the universe, and he describes this as mercy. The film is built from his side. He has already destroyed a ship when it opens, and the journey the narrative follows is his collection. From there the film splits into several groups. One in space, one on Titan, one in Wakanda, and none of them knows what the others are doing. What the narrative is interested in is not rescue but cost: each group at some point refuses to sacrifice someone, and the film punishes each refusal in turn. The Thanos line carries the emotional weight. What he pays for one of the stones sits in the middle of the film and stops the character being a simple villain. There is a meeting where the heroes do not know each other. The first encounter between the space group and the Titan group is the most relaxed writing in the film. The last scene is not a victory. The film ends by losing, which was not what this kind of production was expected to do at the time. Thanos was produced entirely from an actor's movement and facial capture; Josh Brolin was on set with the other actors for most of it. It was shot largely on IMAX digital cameras and was the first major Hollywood feature made entirely in that format. It was made back to back with its sequel in a single shooting period. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldaña, Tom Holland and Josh Brolin are in the cast. Anthony and Joe Russo directed. Who it is for: anyone who has watched the earlier films. Who it is not for: anyone starting here; the narrative rests on nearly twenty films and explains none of them.