Review of 'Infinity War'
So this is it. The film the other Marvel superhero films have been building up to: The climactic battle with the mighty Thanos (Josh Brolin), a being who seeks to acquire the six “infinity stones” that will give him ultimate power over the universe. It is up to the Avengers and the other heroes we have met over the years to stop him. Thanos is determined to use the stones to restore prosperity in the galaxy by eliminating half of the population. The Avengers are now disbanded but as the threat comes to Earth they must find a way to stop him. Despite his role as titular leader of the Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) aka Iron Man, despite his obvious conviction of his superiority, very quickly finds he is outmatched when Thanos' minions wage an advance attack on Earth. Victory will come only with the help of every superhero he can find both on Earth and throughout the universe…but only if he can find them and they are willing. To say any more would spoil the film…
Wow. An incredible piece of cinema. The ultimate (literally) superhero film with everyone you can think of making an appearance. What is nice is that despite all the talent on the screen the film is not afraid to take the time to have the heroes alone in the spotlight to explore their characters. For such a massive movie it is good that the Russo brothers are not afraid to take time for the individual – Just as well as there is an awful lot of talent available here. The story stays very much true to each of the characters we know and love. There is a sense the directors are not afraid to take their time and tell the separate stories as well as stop and think about what it all means making the conclusion all that much more poignant. It is no secret that the price paid results in not everyone returning from the fight…you will have to see the film to find out for yourself.
Of particular note is the critical role the anti-heroes of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” play in the film (great to see them on the big screen again) as well as the Black Panther as leader of the African country Wakanda. Also nice is to see the return of the Winter Soldier, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) playing a significant part in proceedings. All of this mixing of the various story-lines gives the film a bit more of a sense of fun rather than just a rehash of other films, relegating some of the big names to more minor roles. Great stuff.
The action is, of course, incredible. The battle scenes are absolutely impeccably directed and truly spectacular. The directors do an admirable job of reducing confusion but when there is so much going on and so many people on the screen these best intentions are often for nought. Having said that, if you have a passing understanding of a few of the previous movies you should be OK in figuring it out. Sure, you might miss some details but it is quite simple: Big bad guy against lots of good guys to save the universe. The scope of the film is truly incredible and ambitious, handled wonderfully.
The best superhero movie (so far) by far. Fans must see this in a cinema as this is certainly one movie you have to experience on the big screen (the bigger the better)…strap in and hang on, it will be a bumpy ride!
Can't wait for the sequel.
Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”
Review Date: 2018-05-19
Directed by: Russo Brothers
Studio: Marvel Studios
Year: 2018
Length: 149 minutes
Genre: Action/Adventure
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/
Other reviewed films by Russo Brothers:
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- The Gray Man (2022)