Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Thanos is the main character of this movie, and Marvel sold it as an Avengers flick anyway. Josh Brolin plays a giant purple guy with a gold glove and somehow gives the most patient, sad performance in the whole cast. The heroes are split into so many little road trips that some big names get a couple of lines and a cool pose. You need a whole shelf of Marvel homework to follow it, and the movie does not care if you skipped any. The Guardians crashing into Thor’s story is the best idea anybody had, and Peter Quill trying to out-tough Thor is legit one of the funniest bits in the franchise. The Russos keep the 149 minutes moving like a train with the brakes cut. It made $2.05 billion worldwide from people who knew exactly what they signed up for. An 8.6 because the villain finally gets a real plan, a real arc and a reason you kinda follow. $522 says you start a group chat fight about whether Thanos had a point, and lose.

What works: Josh Brolin makes Thanos patient and weirdly sad, and the Guardians crashing into Thor’s storyline is the best mashup of the whole run.

What doesn’t: So many heroes means a lot of big names stand around with almost nothing to do, and it makes zero sense if you skipped the earlier movies.

Who it’s for: Fans who did the homework and want to see every team in one room, even if the room is on fire.