With the release of “Infinity War” on itunes and other streaming services this week, we thought it would be a good time to re-examine the character Thanos, the mad titan, the villain we have been waiting 6 years for and throughout multiple films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His eventual arrival has been foreshadowed as the ultimate showdown with the Avengers. Marvel Studios has produced 19 films with 13 more in production. It is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time and it culminates here, at its apex, in “Avengers Infinity War” with Thanos, the ultimate villain. A big gamble that certainly pays-off.
Thanos first appeared during the mid-credits of the 2012 film The Avengers, and we have been eagerly awaiting his arrival ever since. In the new film, “Avengers Infinity War” released this weekend, Thanos is no longer lurking in the shadows and the wait was well worth it. Thanos was voiced and played by Josh Brolin, whose performance was motion captured with state of the art techniques. After watching the final cut Brolin described it as such “I was watching every twitch, every blink, my actions, my intentions. This certainly helps makes Thanos more realistic and imposing. The computer generated imagery cant help but be awkward at times, but this is still one of the best CGI performances ever. Brolin’s voice fits like a glove; or a gauntlet. Warning “”Major Spoilers Ahead”
In the opening scene they set the stage quickly and we are immediately made aware of how much of a dick Thanos can be. His wrath and power is apparent as he defeats two of the toughest Avengers and slaughters half the Asgardians as they are fleeing their recently destroyed home world. But what really sets the mood is the stingingly dead pan speech from his compatriot and Black Order member, Ebony Maw, who delivers a chilling and poetic introduction of Thanos, depicting him as some sort of deity for whom it is an honor to be killed by. Ebony Maw is beautifully voiced by the very talented irish actor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. Think of C3PO , when he is forced to introduce Jabba-the-Hut.
In the comic book genre we often see one dimensional tough guys who are CGI fodder for the super heroes, like Steppenwolf and Ultron in “Justice League” and “Avengers; Age of Ultron”. In this film the Russo brothers and the writers succeed in molding thanos into something different; a sympathetic character who loves his adopted daughter and whose goal is to end suffering across the universe.
Born on Saturn‘s moon Titan, Thanos, in the marvel comic story-arc “Infinity Saga” falls in love with the Mistress Death, and erases half the living things in the universe to prove his love to her. There is no mention of Mistress Death in the film but after witnessing mass starvation and suffering on his home world he is out to kill half the living things in the universe so the other half can have enough resources to live in harmony, peace and comfort. I keep telling my-self that this is a bad trade-off. You almost want to root for Thanos but his cold calculating murder of some of my favorite characters subverts the idea. There is talk of his own stand-alone film and Im curious to see what marvel would do with his backstory.
The flashbacks with Gamora from “Guardians of the Galaxy” help humanize Thanos even further, as he slaughters half of the people on Gamora’s planet he comforts her by giving her a beaded two bladed knife. Classic Thanos. The backstories are a feat in a film with over 20 characters, most of whom don’t get reintroduced. When Captain America appears on screen for the first time its an event and I swear I heard cheers from the audience.
The character pairings are ingenious and I for one want to see more of Thor and the Guardians together in future films. Their encounter had me laughing out loud and it was a great comic relief to some of the more darker aspects of the film. Watching Dr Strange, Iron Man and Start Lord go at it is a rip and Stark and Spiderman are already proven as a winning combination. Their is a brief meeting between and Steve Rodger and Groot which is hilarious.
Avenger Infinity War is the book-end of an unprecedented movie cross-over and shared cinematic experience the likes of which have never been scene before. The Russo brothers succeed in connecting the story-lines while still constructing an entertaining new film. The interchanging characters and story arcs are woven together seamlessly without wasting time on exposition or unnecessary story telling. Thanos is fun and scary, sympathetic and unorthodox and the ultimate villain we have been waiting for. The set-pieces are great but i would of preferred more location shooting. When it comes to Holly Wood fantasy escapism, Infinity War succeeds on every level. It is not Shakespeare, but you’ll laugh, cry, be scared, thrilled and highly entertained.
FILM ----- TV ----- Sci-Fi 