LAMORINDA WEEKLY | 'Avengers: Infinity War'


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The movie that has been in the making for over 10 years is now in theaters: "Avengers: Infinity War." Marvel Studios and Disney have produced 18 previous Marvel films to develop the storyline and characters for each of the superheroes. After two earlier Avengers movies, all the Marvel characters come together in one epic film.

All the Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice everything to stop Thanos from destroying half of the universe. The movie is co-directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously directed Marvel's "Captain America" franchise. This is the type of movie that has so many surprises that cannot be discussed in a review. When you see the movie, do not talk about it to anyone who has not seen it. As with most Marvel movies, except for "Captain America," the special effects are over the top and the battle scenes are larger-than-life. The movie was made for an estimated budget of $300 to $400 million dollars, but with the box office success of the other 18 Marvel movies this is not much of a risk for Disney Studios. "Avengers: Infinity War" is predicted to make over $1.2 billion worldwide. Mickey Mouse is laughing all the way to the bank with Goofy and the seven dwarfs pushing the wheelbarrows full of money.

The star-studded cast (Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, etc.) and all the action in the film, will make you feel like you did when you attended your first smorgasbord. There is so much to see and consume, you can't possibly take it all in. This a movie that you will want to see more than once. It has been a long time since I could hear a pin drop at the end of a movie. "The Sixth Sense" (1999) was that film. As with all other Marvel movies, stay for the end credits to finish before leaving the theater, for there is one more scene. That is the only spoiler alert I will share with you.

Disney is marketing the movie as "The End of the End" but it is really the "End of the Beginning."

"Avengers: Infinity War" is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references. The total running time is 2 hours and 29 minutes.