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AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
****
Dir: Anthony and Joe Russo.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and a lot of other people
(USA, 12A, 2hrs 29mins)
From 2008’s Iron Man and a decade in the making, Marvel has built up its cinematic universe, essentially crowing itself king of the powerhouse genre that is the superhero movie, delivering smash hits consistently and improving the tiring formula time and time again. Now comes Marvel’s crowning moment. From its small stirrings of after-credit scenes alluding to the greater looming threat of Thanos comes the debut of the titan himself in his final push to capture all the infinity stones and achieve ultimate power.
It was Thor: Ragnarok that boasted of an end-times prophecy but it is Infinity War that carries all the tone and gravity of that endgame threat. Filled to the brim with a cast of characters that many invested in for the last decade, watching intently as Marvel built its innovative cinematic universe. Returning after a gap of shifting focus to the supporting characters are the core team of Avengers that came together all those years ago.
Not only is it delightful to see the team reunite but it’s also emotionally gratifying, paying off our investment with the characters, the growth of each of them and the world in which Marvel collectively has built. To some extent, Infinity War plays its trump cards close to its chest. It is clear to see who is deemed more important in terms of star value and while the large array of characters is handled remarkably well, the ending in Infinity War and Thanos’s last malevolent act feels hollow, cheap and even perhaps like a smack in the face. True – this is similar to something that happens in the comics but on screen in the context of the film it just comes across like a quick solution to something they could have spread across the film’s length.
In the developing nature of this cinematic world, Marvel has produced a tiring formula, noticeable in some of the tie-in films, though in some of the more flavourful films they have attempted to correct that. Unfortunately, Infinity War lacks any real innovation in removing the familiar beats and cinematography of the formula, which for the most part is fine, making a getaway through its smooth execution and engrossing story, even despite the sometimes-distracting CGI that there’s an over-reliance on.
Through the build-up to this moment, there is that question of whether this is just marketing and generic filmmaking done right. But arguing against that is the reward layered throughout the movie, going a step beyond the general fan service of previous iterations of Marvel movies. Avengers: Infinity War feels like this generation’s Star Wars moment. There is no denying that Marvel has delivered part of one of the greatest blockbusters in cinematic history.
Which is exactly where the problems lie in Infinity War. This is only a part of the film it should be. Through its telling of a grand story that does a marvellous job of showing us the scope of Thanos’s threat, there is certainly a feeling seeped into the film of grand epicness that reminds one of Ben-Hur or Lord of The Rings. Much like Lord of The Rings‘ Shire theme touching on musical motifs and rewarding us for our investment in Return of the King, when the familiar sound of the Avengers theme swells as the group come together, there is a drawing of breath like none other. Infinity War is and should be more, originally titled to show that this was, in fact, part one of a story. It often seems downright silly to show that it is merely an emotional set-up for the second part to follow. I for one could have quite easily admired what could have been a four-hour+ film like the epics of old, but sadly, that doesn’t sit well with general cinema-goers.
Ultimately Avengers: Infinity War is part of the stream of ‘event movies’. Despite its glaring marketable choice in watering down its grandeur into two separate films and pulling its punches in its most dramatic moments, you’ll still laugh, you’ll gasp, you’ll revel, you might cry and you’ll likely finish the entire bag of popcorn without noticing. If part two follows the same tone and weight, improving on the issues with its familiar beats, then it will be biblical.
words JAKE YOUNG
Avengers: Infinity War is out now in cinemas.