The most expected movie of the year didn’t let down.
“Avengers: Infinity War” is the ultimate clash between the titular heroes and Thanos (Josh Brolin), the most powerful enemy they need to face. Thanos’ plan is to collect unique stones, which together imbue the bearer with infinite powers. The Avengers – divided into several groups – try to stop the menace from spreading terror across the universe.
All of the Marvel movies has led to “Avengers: Infinity War”. It’s the opus magnum of the studio, that both the fans and audiences have waited for. The company has been pursuing this huge undertaking for years, hence the hype surrounding it was outstanding. The hurdle was also the number of characters, which required a very meticulous and structured approach. How would you treat a dozen of superheroes and do justice to each one of them screen-wise?
The recipe of Marvel was to divide them.
We actually never see the entire crew together on the screen. Instead, Thor joins forces with two of the Guardians, Iron Man needs to deal with Dr.Strange and Spider Man etc. It’s a perfect solution, which not only avoids an unbearable motley, but also allows these separate groups to carry the weight of their small subplots. The diversification of the Avengers gives ground to lots of light punchlines and grinds between them too.
Therefore, the elan pumping from the screen is never too much, because it’s always eased by humor. Marvel had some troubles with that in the past – “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” was excessively using that “balance”. At times, Marvel films were simply too immature. “Avengers: Infinity War” finds a reasonable recipe.
As a result of that division, each group is given a certain reason to exist in the film. Even though they do not cooperate side by side, their conjoint spirit is felt everywhere. Some of the pairings are absolutely gorgeous – like Thor, who is accompanied by Groot and Rocket. In that example, an idealist and macho wrestles with a mean conman and a tree going through a kind of “coming-of-age”. Even though there is a lot to follow, the plot manages to shift the weight from group to group, making the entire film pass very quickly.
Marvel has also profoundly managed to keep the spirit of each of the Avengers and cunningly weave it in “Avengers: Infinity War”. The Guardians Of The Galaxy are obviously introduced by the soundtrack, whilst Spider Man – as a teenager on a school bus. Each of the Avengers is given space to breathe. However, they are not detached from each other, because the universe is meticulously built. It’s all like a puzzle that is finally being assembled in front of our eyes.
The biggest weakness of the film is – no surprise – the antagonist. Josh Brolin does a great job on voice acting (it’s hard to recognize him under the heavy CGI) and there are sublime moments, when Thanos becomes intricately weaved and complex. His plan – although quite trivial to be honest – is consecutively implemented and he seems like a truly unstoppable force. There is also an intriguing comparison to God, in the way Thanos is often presented. It imbues the character with much more “meat” than what Marvel is used to.
Thanos is by far the most compelling in the array, but he somehow lacks flair nonetheless. He’s a hefty-looking, towering muscle and his appearance seems to influence the way he resonates in the film too – Thanos is rather ponderous, as if he’s tired even before the storm begins.The Avengers often look like flies that he’s trying to fight off.
All things considered, “Avengers: Infinity War” provides a highly enjoyable experience. As a blockbuster, it comes with a sixpack – there are likeable characters, lots of action, smart dialogues, spectacular CGI, a bit of heart-felt story and a whole lot of panache. It all works well enough to call it a success. Although I still remain more of a DC fan, I envy the fans of Marvel.
Avengers: Infinity War
Dir.: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Benedict Cumberbatch and a whole lot of celebrities
Hate Grade: 2.5/10
