Avengers: Infinity War and the Tactics They Didn't Try WARNING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

WARNING THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ABOUT AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ SPOILERS THEN DON'T READ THIS POST, READ THIS ONE ABOUT CATS INSTEAD

Image by Cicero R.V. from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Infinity_war.png on a CC-BY SA 4.0 license

So, last night we went to see Avengers: Infinity War.

In summary - Wow.

The evening started off good with some free ice cream (thanks Ben & Jerry!) and got better.

mmm free is good :)

Despite the warnings, I'm not going to give you a huge amount of detail on the plot, if you want to find out the plot without watching the film there's plenty of websites that will tell you that. In brief, a guy called Thanos aims to recover the six Infinity Stones, which if he succeeds in doing so will result in him being able to carry out his ultimate goal - genocide.

Now, the film is absolutely brilliant, especially for someone who has watched many (although admittedly not all) of the Marvel films beforehand, and it's great to see all of the many threads of the various films coming together.

Thanos image adapted from https://www.flickr.com/photos/27745117@N00/40051431344 by Hannaford on a CC-BY SA 2.0 license

There are a couple of comments I have to make about the film, however.

Now, you'll note from the image above, Thanos holds the coloured Infinity Stones in the Infinity Gauntlet, a specially made gauntlet capable of containing the power of the stones.

There appears to be a couple of tactics that no one thought of trying. Of course, I fully expect to be shot down by fans - and do not, by any stretch of the imagination, think that my following comments mean that I didn't like the film, or I don't want to see what happens next. It's made clear in the film that Doctor Strange looked at millions of different futures, and found only one that resulted in victory, so you must assume that he took the route that would hopefully lead to that one successful future.


But I have to say.

Cut the arm off.

Sorry, that didn't come out right. What I mean was:

CUT THE ARM OFF

Or, even...

CUT THE FUCKING ARM OFF

Doctor Strange's teleporty hole ability seems ideal for chopping Thanos's arm off and sticking it on a different planet somewhere. Cut the arm off, then he can't work the gauntlet. Stick it on Thor or someone and let him pwn Thanos with his own glove.

Tactic two, which again you assume Doctor Strange must have seen and discounted was to simply use the Time Stone (which he was keeping) to go back in time, and then do whatever in order to stop Thanos - like CHOPPING HIS ARM OFF.

Of course, either of these would have made for a very short movie. If you could go back in time, in theory you could resolve any kind of issue before it starts.

Preferably by cutting arms off.

Anyway - now I've enraged the millions of Marvel fans across the globe - I have to say, once again, it's an absolutely awesome film. Go see it :)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

First off, I have to suggest that you check out the latest post on my mum's blog here.  She's written about my adventures with the Royal Mail, where one of my parcels was intercepted and sent to Belfast.  If I disappear suddenly, know that the security services have acted.

Secondly, if you're reading it right now (as in when I've just posted it), you have but a handful of minutes to get to http://www.twitch.tv/el_pinata and join in with the very funny and entertaining retro gaming "Garlic Bread Monday" live stream by Scott Tumilty.  Go now.

Still reading?

Okay then!

Inspiring is a word that I worry is used far too often.  And more often than not, in some sort of "fluffy" context.

"Oh my, isn't that sunrise inspiring!"
"Ooh! That mirror is so inspiring!"
"Man, that hot coffee kick is really inspiring!"

I am generally cynical when it comes to inspiration.  If you want to do something, do it.  Be aware that whatever it is - writing a book, getting your dream job, running a marathon, swimming the English Channel - is probably not going to be quite as wonderful as you imagine.  Writing a book is a long hard slog.  Your dream job might not work out to be as great as you think.  And the hours spent training for a marathon or swimming the channel aren't all going to be wonderfully joyous.

But that's not to say that you shouldn't try.  Do try, try with all your heart.  Because the one thing you otherwise get stuck with is regrets.

Anyhow, I have to say that The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is inspiring.  The Ben Stiller film is actually the second remake of the original 1939 story by James Thurber, and looks at an introvert forced to go outside of his comfort zone and travel the world in search of a photograph.  It is really very good (despite mixed reviews) and well worth watching.  Special mention has to go to Ben Stiller and his acting in the lead role - you would hardly credit that it is the same person playing the character from beginning to end, such is the change in his personality.  It's been out a little while now, so if you want to catch it in the cinemas, go soon.