They always say it's best to see big films with as little prior knowledge as possible so that the plot twists and storylines can really take you by surprise. With that in mind, it's often difficult to write an accurate review on certain films, but 'Avengers: Infinity War' has increased that challenge tenfold. So strong of a believer am I, that 'Infinity War' deserves to be seen with a clear mind, that I'm not going to mention much about plot. Another thing I hope to avoid, is letting you know how I reacted to the film, because the last thing I want is for my feelings to give away any spoilers. So, what am I going to talk about, you may wonder... how about you have a read ahead to find out? but, be warned: it's a long one.
Marvel's been hinting at this 'end of an era' ever since they announced the film back in 2014 and have been adding to the hype throughout the years, a courageous step for the studio, for, one wrong move could have burst the 10 year old MCU bubble. The Russo Brothers (Joe & Anthony), known for some of the best Marvel films yet, ('Winter Soldier' and 'Civil War') also directed the upcoming Avengers film with an effort of Titanic proportions. 'Infinity War' consists of all of the MCU characters against one of the biggest comic-book villains of all time: Thanos. Everything's on the line with this film, and it all could've gone South, so I'm sure glad it didn't!
As we already knew, part of the film would revolve around Thanos' search for the Infinity Stones so he'd be able to destroy half of the planet with just a click of his fingers. So great was his threat that it called for the whole Marvel lineup to stand against him, not least because Doctor Strange, Vision, the Collector and the Nova Corps are each in possession of a Stone. As for the remainder, Loki robbed one, and no one knows the exact whereabouts of the other. It's up to the Avengers, the Guardians, the Wakandans and the rest of the superheroes to put a spanner in Thanos' plan to embellish his gauntlet with those powerful MacGuffins.
The beginning of the film (I recommend refreshing your memory with 'Civil War', 'Thor: Ragnarok' & 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2') deals with something we've not seen from Marvel before: different characters from different films meeting each other. Here, Anthony and Joe absolutely smash through their first challenge of balancing out the storylines and characters without losing the quirks that makes each of them unique. The Guardians remain the Guardians, Tony Stark remains Tony Stark and Thor is still Thor (the 'Ragnarok' version, that is), and so on and so forth. Having them all on screen together hasn't changed the dynamic at all; they all act as though they would in their own respective films. Expert alchemists that they are, the Russo brothers have successfully managed to ensure that the absolute bomb of a film they were creating didn't blow up in their faces, with Thor meeting the Guardians (with thanks in part to James Gunn) and Iron Man sharing banter alongside Doctor Strange. Nearly all of the characters have their chance to shine, including Black Widow, Black Panther and Steve Rogers, who don't really have storylines of their own, but make appearances nonetheless. We see a lot more of Thor and Gamora, the latter whom, of course, is directly related to Thanos.
But, as you may already be aware, this film is very much about Thanos, as opposed to the Avengers. Making the film about him was probably the only way Thanos could live up to our expectations, and boy, have they hit the nail on the head! Thanos is by far the most interesting and well constructed character in 'Infinity War', and given he's the most developed villain throughout the MCU, there's no question as to why the film tells his story above everyone else's. As with Killmonger, we can definitely understand his motivation for bringing an end to the universe: he believes it's for the common good. Thanos is ruthless, terrifying and yet, charismatic and completely determined to see through his plan. Despite all of that, he's still able to gain our empathy as we get to know him a little better throughout the film. The CGI is breathtaking, and you can tell Josh Brolin has given his all to portraying the character, so much so, that you could say his acting is on par with that of Andy Serkis' Caesar. Thanos comes accompanied by the Black Order, an army made up of his adopted children, who, much like Gamora and Nebula once were, have been brainwashed to do his bidding. Although they're Thanos' little helpers, there's nothing special about them and they weren't exactly on my mind as I left the cinema.
Aside from the unimpressive Black Order, everything in 'Infinity War' works like clockwork, and I'd be lying if I didn't add that I've not seen a film like this on such a scale since 'The Return of the King'. Alan Silvestri's soundtrack perfectly encompasses every scene (and pays homage to each of the MCU's ten years). The Wakandan battle is huge, although, the only special thing about the symbionts are their impressive numbers. The settings are a thing of beauty, and the film really takes advantage of the Guardians' travels throughout space, although the scenes work perfectly with those shot on land too. Speaking of space, the visual effects are out of this world, though it's worth mentioning there are times it works better than others, (think: the battle of Wakanda) and that the instances it does work more than make up for the times it doesn't. 'Avengers: Infinity War' is all the action we've seen from Marvel thus far but on $300 million worth of steroids, bad news for non-Marvel fans, who'll view the film as nothing more than 149 minutes of pure noise, but an absolute sight to behold for others. The film is very much a ten year anniversary gift to the fans, and the script, in itself, is a spectacle with its various gestures and links to previous productions that will no doubt sit well with the most loyal of Marvel viewers.
Marvel's riskiest move yet
With a running time of two and a half hours, 'Infinity War' stands as Marvel's longest film to date, yet, it's also the shortest. The film opens with a tension filled scene and shows no signs of slowing further into the story. There's always something happening, and more often than not, certain occurrences play out at the same time, but it's the final stretch of the film that really takes our breath away.
The whole film is surprisingly dark and serious, save for the interjectory humour (that, if you get, you'll love, if not, no such luck). It's a very emotional film too given many of the characters are pushed to their limits, and I take my hat off to the Russos for not only taking the MCU further, but bringing it together, forging new alliances and, overall, raising the bar for Marvel films to come. You can tell 'Infinity War' is a Marvel production, that said, it's as though there's too much going on in certain scenes. The opening is clear and pretty much predictable, although the same cannot be said for the rest of the film. The ending is the most risky and kamikaze Marvel have ever gone, and believe me when I tell you, it's set to have your hairs on edge and bottoms glued to your chairs. But it is Marvel, after all, and they've not a lot left to prove to us, so they get away with it, that's not to say 'Infinity War' will leave you feeling content, however. Nonetheless, the Russo brothers have my respect , although it does irk me that we'll have a long wait ahead of us before we find out the fate of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given the events of 'Infinity War', the possibilities are endless!
One thing worth mentioning is that Marvel have somewhat been lying to us. The film is marketed as the end of an era, but, as many of us feared, 'Infinity War' is only the beginning of the end. In other words, the latest Marvel film is more of a part 1 than anything, and 'Avengers 4' has a lot of explaining to do. Don't get me wrong, 'Infinity War' is a standalone film with a great storyline, it just doesn't have the big finish we've been promised. There's an ending, just not particularly the one we were expecting. Despite that, 'Infinity War' is one of the most epic films I've seen in recent years and it really does justice to the ten years of Marvel films before it. You're going to want to see it for yourselves, first hand: all I have to say is that it's well worth a trip to the cinema.
Rating: 8
The good: The incorporation of all the MCU characters and storylines. An epic film of 'The Return of the King' proportions, and a pace that makes two and a half hours fly by.
The bad: The Black Order just aren't on the same level as Thanos. Some of the characters aren't as involved as others. A bit too reliant on visual effects. If previous Marvel films haven't been your cup of tea, neither will this one.
Post script: Wait until the end of the credits (but you already knew that)
