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"Avengers: Infinity War" Packs Multiple Wallops (No Spoilers)

by Ray Keating

5 out of 5 stars

If you’ve been waiting for a big payoff after watching the first 18 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, well, you get it in Avengers: Infinity War … and more.

Infinity War certainly packs a wallop in terms of action – as most expect with this kind of film – and we get that action on Earth and across the galaxy.

It also packs a wallop in terms of the directors’ – the Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe – ably and coherently telling a compelling story, and managing a film with enormous breath in terms of the number of characters. And the moviegoer is treated to some extended (well, for this film) quality screen time with key favorites.

However, there’s much more.

This film serves up an emotional wallop regarding relationships between certain characters that Marvel movie fans have come to love, and even with some who perhaps weren’t exactly at the top of our hero lists coming into the movie. While this Marvel film serves up some of the humor the franchise has become known for over the past decade, that banter never takes away from the grave stakes in play, whether for the galaxy or for particular characters.

But the biggest wallop, if you will, comes courtesy of Thanos. Moviegoers have been teased about Thanos in previous films for a while now, and I started to wonder if the character could live up to the expectations. But Thanos far surpassed those expectations. In fact, he ranks as the greatest villain of any superhero story to reach the silver screen. Thanos stands as far removed from a one-dimensional movie evildoer as a character could. Why does Thanos do what he does? He is Thomas Malthus, but with staggering power and a will to “solve” the Malthusian dilemma. Of course, he was as wrong as Malthus was. Thanos is the villain who believes that the ends justify murderous means, and that the evil he is perpetrating is necessary to bring about something he deems to be the common good. Ah, history unfortunately is familiar with this kind of villain, and in Infinity War, we catch a glimpse of how a twisted, yet brilliant mind can rationalize breathtaking evil.

At the end of Infinity War, this movie reviewer and fan was left saying, “Wow,” and longing for the still untitled Avengers 4 coming in May 2019.

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Ray Keating is an economist and a novelist, with his latest thriller being Lionhearts: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, as well as being new to the world of podcasting with Ray Keating’s Authors and Entrepreneurs Podcast and Free Enterprise in Three Minutes.

Tune in to Ray Keating’s Authors and Entrepreneurs Podcast episode titled Lessons from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Also, Ray joins Lou Mongello on his WDW Radio Disney Podcast to discuss and rank the first 18 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a two-part discussion – Episode 517 and Episode 518.

Pre-Order REAGAN COUNTRY: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL for the Kindle

REAGAN COUNTRY will be published on May 10. Be among the very first to read this new thriller by pre-ordering the Kindle edition right now!

Pre-order at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C6J8RB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523760752&sr=8-1&keywords=Reagan+country+by+keating

What’s this latest exciting tale from award-winning novelist Ray Keating all about? From the book’s description…

Could President Ronald Reagan’s influence reach into the former “evil empire”? The media refers to a businessman on the rise as “Russia’s Reagan.” Unfortunately, others seek a return to the old ways, longing for Russia’s former “greatness.” The dispute becomes deadly. Conflict stretches from the Reagan Presidential Library in California to the White House to a Russian Orthodox monastery to the Kremlin. Stephen Grant, pastor at St. Mary’s Lutheran Church on Long Island, a former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative, stands at the center of the tumult. He is strengthened by his faith, wife, friends, and former CIA colleagues, and is armed with a Glock and Holy Scripture. Grant is the kind of guy that Reagan would have appreciated.

Go to https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C6J8RB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523760752&sr=8-1&keywords=Reagan+country+by+keating

Pre-Order Signed Copies of REAGAN COUNTRY: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL

Ray Keating’s REAGAN COUNTRY will be published on May 10. Be among the very first to read this new thriller by pre-ordering signed books right now!

What’s this latest exciting tale from award-winning novelist Ray Keating all about? From the book’s description…

Could President Ronald Reagan’s influence reach into the former “evil empire”? The media refers to a businessman on the rise as “Russia’s Reagan.” Unfortunately, others seek a return to the old ways, longing for Russia’s former “greatness.” The dispute becomes deadly. Conflict stretches from the Reagan Presidential Library in California to the White House to a Russian Orthodox monastery to the Kremlin. Stephen Grant, pastor at St. Mary’s Lutheran Church on Long Island, a former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative, stands at the center of the tumult. He is strengthened by his faith, wife, friends, and former CIA colleagues, and is armed with a Glock and Holy Scripture. Grant is the kind of guy that Reagan would have appreciated.

Place your orders now at www.raykeatingonline.com

This latest Pastor Stephen Grant novel follows on seven previous gripping thrillers/mysteries – LIONHEARTS, WINE INTO WATER, MURDERER’S ROW, THE RIVER, AN ADVENT FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, ROOT OF ALL EVIL? and WARRIOR MONK. Those books also are on sale!

REAGAN COUNTRY: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL - New Cover Announcement!

REAGAN COUNTRY: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL is coming soon! 

We had already posted a possible cover for the book, but that’s been tossed aside in favor of this. What happened? Well, sometimes people just step up to offer help. In this case, Tyrel Bramwell offered to make a cover, and he came up with this fantastic cover. Thank you, Ty.