Avengers: Infinity War (Credit : Avengers’ Facebook page)
With the final Avengers film out at last, an emotionally invested Getintothis’ Luke Chandley leaves the cinema a happy man.
So here we are. The end, we’re told, of an era. For the past 10 years we’ve been given eighteen Marvel films that have made up the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and it has all lead up to this – Avengers: Infinity War.
For a start, don’t worry about this review. It is spoiler-free. There’s nothing here that you won’t want to know. Although there are loads of things this writer wants to tell you.
What did we make of the film? Well, it was an epic. It wouldn’t be too much to say it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s huge, and it’s perfectly crafted for both the MCU fan and the less interested movie-goer too. But it’s through seeing the earlier films that you’ll get the most from this. If you’re emotionally invested, you’ll leave especially pleased with your jaw still on the floor.
Each scene for the first hour is like a celebration of what has come before – Wakanda, New York, Space (yeah, just general space) – it’s all there. A procession of sorts; a parade of humour, action and tears (yeah, be warned, there’s tears).
As soon as the film starts, we’re thrust into the story we’ve been waiting for. Thanos, the Infinity Stones, and the Avengers. Or part of them, at least. Because there’s one thing the Russo brothers – this films directors – have mastered – the art of creating enough space for each hero to shine without scenes feeling over-crowded. And because we’ve been treated to some really fun and different characters across this last 10 years, the last thing the fans wanted was to stifle the personality of anyone on screen.
And that is probably one of the biggest successes of this film – dealing with a cast of huge stars and popular characters. It’s only 11 years since the mess that was Spiderman 3 was released, when the three villains in that film felt like overkill, like there was too much going on. During Infinity War we get a flavour of every character, whilst allowing us to appreciate the film as it moves on and away from scene-to-scene.
Arguably, the best part of the film is the pure dread. Throughout the series so far the Avengers have conquered all in their path – eventually, at least – and a complaint is that it all gets a little samey. That is a fair point, but during Infinity War you get the genuine sense that things aren’t straightforward. The Avengers and the like aren’t in control. The mayhem and the dread comes in waves and it makes for a film that is beautiful, interesting and unhinged. Thanos is a multi-layered villain and his motivation is arguably morally centred, even if in practice it is just plain evil.
So, are there problems? On first viewing, it’s hard to say. We stride through the story at a pace, and in all honesty, there’s much more time that could have been spent on each scene, but in fairness, the following scene is always more interesting than the last. Or it felt that way at least.
If you’re going into this film as a Marvel fan, you won’t be disappointed. So much has lead up to this film, and it was much easier to cock-up than to get right, but the team putting this story-arc together have genuinely smashed it. I’d give it 5 stars.
If you’re not a Marvel fan, there’s still plenty here for you. It’s funny, as we’ve expected now from these films, and it’s heartfelt. Infinity War never seems bloated and you’ll want more when you get to the end. That’s for sure.
We’ll watch this again, definitely. It’s an exciting film and it will surely become the highest grossing movie of all time. But until then, expect to see and hear much more about this wonderful cinematic experience. And it deserves every bit of praise coming its way.
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