Avengers: Infinity War - An Unlimited Dazzle of a Perfectly Balanced Blockbuster! - Part 2

If I were you, I would be intrigued by the way that the Part 1 Review ended rather abruptly.

If I were.

But, I am not.

Nevertheless, the kimono is revealed now.

Just like how some of the major characters like Dr. Strange, Black Panther, Drax etc. are vaporized in the sands, pun intended, of time and the film comes to a sudden, heart-rending and gut-wrenching halt, I also wanted to create a similar effect - But, on a positive note in the previous blog.

Needless to say, the ever-effervescent and upbeat Spidy vanishing before my eyes as he's in his half-finished convo with his idol and mentor - Tony Stark - was the biggest tear-jerker that it was like a sledgehammer slamming down my heart.

Probably, that would have been the case with millions as well.

I don't know.

What I know with certainty is that AIW was just perfect without any eggs overcooking the pudding.

Be it the interval where there was no sense of time being flown or post-interval where the real shockers were hurled one after the other like an accomplished artist throwing their knives at their partners in a circus despite the running time close to 150 mins.

The twist where Thanos creates an alternate reality using his stone when Quill & his Co track down him was a cracker-jack of a moment. 

Whip Smart stuff!

Out of the blue thinking, or out-of-the-red? He he he he

If Loki and Heimdall being given a fitting and meaningful end did not make you say "What the", Thanos snapping his finger and shredding half the universe which included the biggies like Quill, Mantis, and even Groot would have surely made you heart-sobbing and kerchief-wiping "Holy Crap".

It was indeed strange for Dr. Strange to merely handover the Time Stone to Thanos when he asked for it particularly when he categorically dictated that he wouldn't even save the Iron Man or relinquish his stone at any cost in one of the earlier scenes.

Also, he says that there is only and only one possibility in the entire 14 million scenarios that he had envisioned during his access to the power of the stone where they emerge victoriously.

Maybe, losing then to triumphantly win in the long-term enabled him to handout the stone on Thanos's command? 

AIW 2 holds the key to it.

Likewise, why was the Hulk couldn't transform himself into the big-Green monster even on Banner's repeated exhortation might be addressed in AIW 2 along with how Captain America was able to fend off the mighty and all-powerful Thanos with his possessions in place during the climax.

Speaking of the climax, I was having a great apprehension that with such a plethora of characters, the final sequences could be reduced to a shambolic catastrophe when I was watching the trailer.

But, the Russo brothers were super-smart to ensure that the audiences doesn't keep looking at their watches or smartphones by giving us parallel and multiple storylines happening with Iron Man on Titan, Thor to forge his Stormbreaker and the pulsating action on Wakanda.

That was rousing or should I say - RUSSOING - touch of creative genius by them to handle simultaneous riveting narrative arcs - all converging (excepting Iron Man) at one point - Wakanda.

They literally ensured that none of the characters were just a part of the cast but played purposeful roles in effectuating a worthwhile end - either to their lives by saving others or being alive still in the broken universe.

Some might aver that Hulk did not have a meaty role.

Au Contraire, he had.

He was being thumped and bumped around like a toy by Thanos in the earliest scenes of the film before he was frisked to Earth by Heimdall and everyone on Earth knew that he was the Strongest Avenger. Hence, when someone could manhandle Hulk in such a manner and Banner gives them a strong warning, could that person be ever taken lightly and slightly? 

So, Yep. Hulk served his usefulness as well. 

The Russo brothers splendidly and aplombly puppetted with the characters especially Thanos's minions.

The 4 adopted generals were given equal weight to carry out their duties to retrieve the Stones back to Thanos being fully aware that they would face his terrible wrath in the event of a failure.

As we are on the topic of failure, when the whole world is at a horrendous peril, Ant-Man and Hawk-Eye not being in the thick of the action but justifying they were elsewhere will be something that should have a sound logical connection in the next Ant-Man movie and AIW 2.

All said and done, Avengers: Infinity War beats their own trailers and other superhero films to a factor of 100x easily and effortlessly.

It had loads and scores of "That's-simply-mindblowing" visuals, rib-tickling humor, heart-thudding action sequences and a painfully & mournfully impactful finish that I am sure would have left everyone in an utter state of eye-popping disbelief and shell-shockedness.

As Thanos rightfully put forth,

AIW is also, 

"Perfectly Balanced".

                                                            X---Concluded---X

PS:

The two top-of-the-mind which I can recall clearly is the ones where Dr. Strange levitates in the air with plenty of arms stretched out like Maha Vishnu and Thor's valiant attempts to wield his Stormbreaker using the Death Star's power and then making an enhanced version of the electrifying (Check out: Thor Ragnarok) appearance on Earth.

PS 2:

Had you been questioning as to where I had given the reasoning for not writing blogs in the last one month, please do check out: The answer. Yep. That underlined link.

PS 3:

The dialogues had always been a staggering forte in the MCU's arsenal.

Some of my personal favos are:

a) Tonk Stark saying "dude..you are embarrassing yourself" when Hulk in unable to transform.

b) Quill's insecurity towards Thor when he was around Gamora.

c) Drax's imperceptible motionless ability and Mantis destroying it in an instant.

d) Stan Lee's epic "Have you never seen a spacecraft before?" 

Avengers: Infinity War - An Unlimited Dazzle of a Perfectly Balanced Blockbuster! - Part 1

Experiments - The one-word scientists love deeply after 'science' and would even go beyond the call of their duty by giving up their lives for their passionate endeavor to make a significant change in the world like the esteemed Nobel Prize Winner Madam Curie.

Which also lead me to perform a harmless self-experiment revolving the fact to find out the direct correlation between how long I can be without writing a blog to butcher the boredom.

The results were quite satisfactory as it took me more than a solid month of conscious effort to flush out the conclusive outcome that my boredom has got nothing to do with my ability and capacity to write but I engage in it for the sheer joy of penning, okay typing!, down things during my personal free time.

"Yo man!

Your blog delightfully welcomed me in by seeing 'Avengers: Infinity War' but you are talking about experiments and personal kinds of stuff. Are you nuts?"

Supposedly you didn't have this question, you will still know the answer in the next para.

Yeah. The next para. 

The above is just a line and not a para.

The following will be the next para.

Curtailing my striking witticism and acerbic humor like Tony Stark in the film, Avengers: Infinity War (AIW) simply blazes away ahead like a cheetah on their hunt. The only problem with the cheetahs is that they don't sustain their initial acceleration but drain out quickly soon. In this case, AIW marches on with the same unrelenting speed throughout the movie which they have learned and corrected over the years by fiddling and moving the variables around in molding and crafting their excellent movies. Their gargantuan fan following across the world is directly attributed to one simple and basic fact - Experimenting.

Some movies have been okay-ish like Thor. Some fantastic like Avengers & Cap Am. Some lagged and dragged like Avengers 2 climax. 

Marvel had indeed tampered with their films in the nascent stages of their spectacularly explosive and highly successful franchise to get the right combination that hits the sweet spot thereby leaving the viewers wanting and desiring for more.

With AIW, they have done it to surgical precision.

The movie neither lagged nor dragged.

It was simply and splendidly taut with the correct proportions of humor and emotions that was superbly weaved in and out like an expert F1 racer overtaking the cars in a chicane!

                                                              X---To Be Concluded---X

Twisty Tails - A Tale of Untwisted & Innocent Platefuls of Love!

"Everyone thinks they have the best dog. And, none of them are wrong"

- W.R.Purche

I am darned dead cert that this absolute blinder saying will sonorously reverberate with every dog lover who owns one or more than one dog and treats them as their own family.

And, if you love the highly faithful and caring beings but cannot own them due to a large number of reasons like allergy, parents/spouses non-advocacy, monetary and maintenance issues or flat/apartment rules, then cut back on the folderol and look no further.

Twisty Tails is the wagging, pun intended, answer where you are allowed to be with the terrific group of Terriers who has different personalities and behaviors that it's like a teacher walking into a Kindergarten for the first time and finding that every student has different attitudes and habits that she/he has to deal with to have a smooth running of their class.

They have primarily 3 zones where one of them is reserved for in-house Terriers and the other is for the Cafe. The third zone is where we can bring in our dogs to be on their own with a supervisor overseeing the proceedings.

Right from the moment you enter the cafe, it's beautifully designed and decorated with wall-hangings and paintings of Little Dory-eyed bowtiful pups that you feel like actually kissing them. The ambiance is highly simplistic and minimalist but greatly effective in portraying its pure-bred, pun intended again!, theme of a novel idea in the heart of Chennai - Nungambakkam to be exact.

After placing the order, we were asked by the maitre d' to have a look at their popular attraction - Terriers - if we desired - as they usually have a break time in the afternoons to rejuvenate themselves for the evening.

As it was the onset of a torrid Summer Season, most of them were in an irritable and grumpy mood like a bear with a sore head. But, you can't blame them since I was also suffering the damning effects of a humid sunny afternoon. 

Likewise, they were also sleepy and many (including me) were trying to make the brave ones who weren't dreadfully fatigued by the heavy weariness of the sultry heat.

When it became next-to-impossible to see them voluntary be in their elemental and playful zone, pun intended again, it was already time for our food to have arrived on our table.

Like a star standing on top of a pedestal, I was greeted by the soothing and cooling Watermelon Juice that was very much needed at that moment due to the sweltering sipping out of my body fluids by the raging sun like the Glucose Ad! 

The Spicy Chilly Paneer was as soft and fluffy with the right amount of spices to cater to my taste buds. The Mexican Meal had a non-pareil Fried Rice that it was like a burst of Cheese from your mouth when you are having your favorite Pizza. 

You also had Nachos and Quesadillas with the usual suspects - Mayo and Salsa Sauces as a part of the Mexican Meal to complete the dining experience. 

Now, coming to the most important aspect - Price.

It did not cost an arm and a leg but at the same time, it didn't come cheap.

Slightly over-priced.

So, Value for Money - No.

Maybe, it's over-priced due to the fact that they had to take care of the dogs? or their positioning is in that way?

I don't know.

But, what I know for certitude is that when you consider it from the point of view as a total wholesome experience which includes petting and enjoying with the cutieee pups - A Def Yes to visit the restaurant.

Woof Woof Woof!

Nope.

This time there is no PJ involved!

PS:

The regular sleeping time for the dogs is from 330pm to 530pm. 

So, IMHO, the ideal time to check out the place (if it's for the dogs!) when they would be at their best is after 6pm when the weather cools down or before 2pm as the sun would be at its peak around 3pm and make them be at their best worst.

Just a heads up for you to have a whale, sorry Dog!, of a time here.

PS 2:

I am not sure how they would behave during winters or rainy season as this was my first ever time.

Royal Sandwich Shop - An En Abundancia in Variety & Taste!

What more you can expect when you walk into one of the most famous Sandwich Bars in Chennai?

Burgers & French Fries??

Ney.

It was loaded.

With truckloads, okay Wall loads!, of permutations and combinations of the number available on board, literally!.

A small and decent place on TTK Road - unless you have the exact address or landmark or if you have visited it earlier - there is a pretty good chance that you can probably miss it in the speed of things and have to take another turn to reach there.

And, a special mention to the wall.

Nope. 

Doesn't got to do anything with Game of Thrones here.

Their entire set of specialties were plastered across what seemed like more than a mile to complete their a la carte.

They should actually announce a competition that whoever gets the number of items bulls' eye would be given free sandwiches or 50% discount on it.

Of course - a time limit has to be there for counting and getting it right.

Now, let's get back to business.

After wowing and astonishing us with Ganges-ish breadth and length of a menu, it was time to place the order from the embarrassment of choices that were liberally forced upon us.

I had the new-on-the-shop Choco Khakra and Paneer Sandwich.

Had Lord Indra been alive, he would have renounced his kingdom for this heaven!

Royal Sandwich Shop lived up to its reputation that it served THE BEST finger food in the form of a sandwich in the city.

Of course, I was late to the party.

If it hadn't been for my cousin, I wouldn't have known about it.

But, better late than never, right?

A true VFM deal either as a quick evening snack or a full-fledged dinner when you place yourselves an assortment of a healthy order from the menu.

What good way to elevate your mood further than to indulge in a sinfully thick choco shake after an inexpensive and mouth-smacking product from the Land of the Queen - The British.

Yep.

The acclaimed sandwich which comes in different shapes and sizes is attributed to have originated from the British.

No wonder it has a long history in Wikipedia.

Now, coming back to the Choco Shake at The Thick Shake Factory.

It was the thickest and yummiest cup.

Did I say cup?

It was more like a big bucket masquerading as a cup!

Or was it due to the fact that the shake was so thick and heavy that it gave me the illusion that it was a big bucket?

Whatever it might be, it was too good to be true for that particular price point.

Needless to say, it was doggie bagged after a point.

Woof Woof. 

Yeah. I know.

The "woof woof" was a pathetic joke to the reference for doggie bagged.

Turning a blind eye and deaf ear to such ridiculous PJs, you should really turn your good eye towards Royal Sandwich Shop if you prefer a nutritious and tasteful bite that doesn't burn a hole in your whole pocket. 

Or Wallet.

Or Purse.    

Thanos - Hero? Villain? Or Heroic Villain? - Part 3

Just like how we had a mind-numbing cliffhanger in the movie,

I wanted to give that experience in this blog series as well with a power-packed question in Part 2:

"So, does it mean he is a heroic villain who used a pragmatic approach to deal with a serious spiraling out of the situation at hand but his execution doesn't fall under the realms of rightfulness?"

Here,

We will explore this possibility as well.

Thanos reasons that finite resources will eventually end up and society will crumble like a cookie.

He is actually right there.

IMHO, there is always a cap for need. 

But, the cap simply blows away when an individual's greed is brought into the picture.

To put it in a nutshell, need is finite. Greed is infinite.

Unless the finite and infinite matches for each and everyone in a sustainable fashion, the deteriorating situation goes beyond a point of no return and it would take quite a while  - hundreds or thousands or even millions -  to return back to normalcy.

Thanos was quick on the uptake of this fact.

But, he makes a grave assumption in this regard.

WHAT IF there is some advanced civilization(s) than his which uses the most avant-garde technology to cater to their citizens' need and greed as well thus ensure that their society(s) doesn't fall under the classic trap of wreck and ruin?

Did he conveniently/inconveniently forget or did not think about this scenario when he was ferreting out for the Infinity Gems across the length and breadth of the Universe?

If such a society(s) existed, then didn't he even think for a moment that when he snaps his finger after all the stones are in his kitty, he would be doing a terrible disservice to those denizens?

So, you tell me now.

Can Thanos be called a Heroic Villain despite the fact that he saves half the Universe from a horrible tragedy?

IMHO, nope.

  

If I were the Universal Police in the MCU, I would immediately place Thanos under arrest for killing billions of innocents without their consent as he had taken the authority on his own by falsely and wrongly thinking that he was doing the right thing when he wasn't in reality.

This is crystal-clearly shown in the movie as to how Gamora rages upon him when she goes back into her flashbacks and his talks with him in the current moment.

By the looks of it, she would have happily stayed with her loving parents even in the wretched and squalid conditions than being violently torn apart and taken away from her beloved family. 

To sum it up, IMHO, Thanos is an extremely atypical villain who has his heart in the right place (at least in the movie!) as he doesn't use the Gauntlet for any other purpose (as of the movie's Part 1) other than to prolong and maintain order in the Universe.

His noble motive becomes overwhelmingly ignoble when his modus operandi is all over the place, pun intended, jeopardizing and placing everyone's lives at peril in his quest for the many-hued Gems to restore the Universe's natural balance even though he shows his gentle, soft and kind teary-eyed emotional nature to Gamora before he unwillingly throws her off the cliff!

                                                               X---Concluded---X

PS:

"Hey...You said you would state as to why you haven't written any blog for one whole month. But you haven't cited it anywhere at all."

Yeah Yeah.

I remember it distinctly well.

All I wrote, Okay typed!, was I will say it.

FYI!

I never said anywhere that I would say the reason in this blog. (Part 1 or Part 2 or Part 3 or all of the above)

How else will you read Avengers: Infinity Wars Review - if you are interested that is! - without me preserving the wonderful Marvel tradition of linking up of movies.

In this case, the reason why I didn't type down for one full month is the connecting factor between this and the soon-to-be-written review.

And, by the way, if your lynx-eyed brain hasn't noticed it already, Thanos Part 1, 2 & 3 and the subsequent Movie Review is also from the Marvel Stables.

That's why I said preserving Marvel tradition of linking up of movies earlier.

Nope.

Don't even ever think that I fooled you or got the better of you.

I gave a factual response that "I will still answer it" when I said it in Part 1 of this series.

No shred of mentioning anytime or anywhere that I would be furnishing it in the blog.

I am only responsible for what I say.

Not for what anyone wants and understands in their own sweet way.

PS 2:

I am not against the world's 1%.

They are in the topmost bracket because they had worked harder and smarter to their very bones than the rest to reach that position by sacrificing many things in the process and having the tremendous appetite to take risks than the general populace.

But, they can also take at least certain efforts and not leave every one of us to hang out to dry when a cataclysmic event strikes our Earth as they will not have anyone else to buy their products and services after the monstrosity ends and the situation comes under control if the only possibility is that they survive and scrape through it.

Thanos - Hero? Villain? Or Heroic Villain? - Part 2

To paraphrase one of my personal favorite from Sherlock Holmes (whether you imagine Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr or both - Your Preference!) by Doyle,

"Eliminate all the possibilities. Whatever remains after the exercise, how much ever improbable, that is the truth".

Without further ado and cutting to the heart of the matter,

So, is Thanos a hero?

From the POV of the Mad Titan, it's an unflinching Yes.

He considered himself to be a daring visionary who could see future events unfolding on its own accord given the current set of circumstances prevailing on his planet and the probable situation that can be happening in other habitable planets as well.

It doesn't end with it as he saw himself as the absolute savior of all living beings in the Universe.

Also, what should be taken into consideration is that Thanos was extremely fair, unbiased, impartial and undiscriminating by not favoring the rich and ignoring the poor when it came to the question of their deaths on his finger snap.

He thinks through and gives an equal 50-50 probability for either of them (wealthy & destitute) to possibly live, unlike the Nuclear Bunkers that are constructed all over our real world for the super-elite in case of a devastating catastrophe.

In our real world, if the ultra-rich even think for a moment that they became wealthy and famous because of the common man, and woman!, then they would at least take some efforts to protect the masses in the event of such an eventuality.

That's what true leaders do - Be a shining light to the people even in darkness.

But, the most probable reason which they would give is that they have money-to-spend because of their own herculean efforts and smartness.

True.

No denials.

Yet, they forget one crucial piece of fact that their efforts and smartness wouldn't have landed them their plush, swanky and fortified Nuclear Bunker hadn't it been for a loyal audience to whom they were catering their intelligence.  

If Thanos were a real person, he would definitely have a big smile on his face which would read that he is better than all of them.

Sounds heroic, right?

Wrong.

The means Thanos used to achieve his end come under heavy scrutiny and necessitates a vivisection on his ruthlessly benevolent actions.

What I meant by the above is that in his arduous attempts to get hold of the immensely mighty Infinity Stones and prevent the Universe to enter into a state of perpetual/temporary decay, he had massacred many to gain the fidelity and allegiance of his lieutenants - The Black Order - to butcher even more.

For the fact, he even killed Gamora's parents right in front of her.

Hence, IMHO, he is not a hero.

So, does it mean he is a heroic villain who used a pragmatic approach to deal with a serious spiraling out of the situation at hand but his execution doesn't fall under the realms of rightfulness?

                                                     X---To Be Concluded---X

Thanos - Hero? Villain? Or Heroic Villain? - Part 1

"Dude. Where the hell you disappeared into thin air and have been all these days without any blog tagged to your name?"

If you didn't think of this question, I will still answer it.

Before we come to that important part, we have other essential things to sift through and arrive at the clinching conclusion to the title of the blog which explicitly reads whether Thanos is a hero or villain.

Had I been reading the oh-it's-a-ruddy-interesting-title, I would have definitely asked one simple question:

"What's a Heroic Villain?"

Supposedly you hadn't thought of it, that's where this entire write-up comes into the picture.

Okay.

Avengers: Infinity Wars - The review is for another time.

For sure.

But, two words to describe it - Loveeee Yaaaaaaaaaaa Sooooooo Muccchhhhhhh Marvellllllllllllll.

Oh ho!

That's 5 words.

Couldn't diminish or pare down what I wanted to say any further.

Fine.

Let's get back to our focal point of attention - Thanos.

I'm not an avid comic book reader but still, somewhere in some Youtube video it is said that Thanos desired to possessed those colorful pieces of powerful stones to impress his Lady Love.

Now, coming to the movie, the Blue Titan's motive and intent were totally and completely different like saying the Dursleys loved Harry Potter!

Still, when you give it a whirl of thought, Thanos is not our usual and stereotypical wicked anti-hero who wants to destroy cities for fun and power or suppress people as his slave or has a vile reasoning to take revenge upon The Avengers and his enemies.

Nope.

Nothing of that sort.

What was really captivating to me was that there was a clear-cut method to his madness.

His home place was going to hell on a handcart and it was beyond the point of no return.

Practical and rapid action needed to be taken so that at least some of them could survive and his species lives to fight another day.

He doesn't stop with that.

He may/might have wondered "What IF other planets also faced a same-to-similar problem and they had no solution to resolve it?"

That could have probably led him to take responsibility to covet those building blocks of the Universe (at least in MCU!).

To give an unvarnished truth of how Thanos was projected in the film, he took the law upon his own hands as he objectively saw that the situation in his place was getting out of hand and took it upon himself as he solutioned that by getting his hands on the invaluable and potent stones, Thanos knows that he was, in fact, offering everyone a chance to live and breathe.

Hey...The way you are saying and citing things, it's like you are giving your whole-hearted support to this stark raving mad person.

If you didn't have this line of reasoning in your head, it's alright.

I will definitely give not just a line but paragraphs of reasoning as I still haven't finished the write-up yet.

In the end, you can decide for yourself whether I have wholehearted support for him or not. 

All I wanted to say is that when we look beyond the tunnel vision of our narrow-mindedness and put ourselves in the other person's shoes - whether it fits or not is a different story altogether (abysmal PJ!) - we can see with even more clarity as to why they are doing what they are doing.

With this food for thought, 

Let's deep dive further into this epic movie that is spectacularly created, chiseled and sculptured by the Russo Brothers in Part 2.

Much like Infinity Wars Part 2.

                                                       X---To Be Concluded---X