Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War

It’s finally here – the internet memes notwithstanding, arguably the most ambitious crossover in movie history has finally come as a culmination of something that has come over eighteen movies. And “Avengers: Infinity War” really manages to carry the gravitas that a movie of this magnitude should have. Full credit to the Russo brothers, and the entire team – this is no mean feat.

Needless to say, you need to be fully caught up on the previous movies, as “Infinity War” wastes virtually none of its long runtime on recapping what happened. I would suggest watching one of the many videos available online which summarizes what has happened in the other movies. From a plot point of view, there is not much to tell without giving away too much. After teasing his arrival over ten years, Thanos is finally here – and he wants to wipe out half the universe by getting the six infinity stones. Our entire set of heroes have to overcome their differences and join to stop him from getting the stones. I’m not going to reveal anything else, but let’s just say that a lot happens and there is enough to surprise and shock everyone.

“Avengers: Infinity War” is a good showcase of what the Marvel movies have been getting right. Despite the long runtime, the plot is focused and none of the two and a half hours of running time is wasted. Despite the separate plot threads and the huge ensemble, the Russo brothers are able to bring all of them together and though certain characters invariably don’t get the screen time they deserve, everything is in service of the story and nothing feels pointless or gratuitous. Even though it can seem an overload and there is a lot to process, both in terms of plot and action, it works in a way that has become characteristic of this cinematic universe.

There are a lot of positives here. Josh Brolin’s performance as Thanos is probably the biggest one. Thanos is surprisingly a well sketched out character; and has a lot of emotional moments as well – unlike the generic villains we have seen in many of the movies. All the other actors slip back into their own roles without missing a beat. You cannot help but feel emotionally invested in the proceedings. The humour and interactions between the heroes, many of whom are meeting each other for the first time, is brilliantly written and acted and provide some of the best moments of the movie. Despite all this though, the tone is noticeably darker and has a sense of doom about it, something that is apt and plays a big part in giving Thanos the impression of being the formidable force that seems almost impossible to challenge. The visual effects, the screenplay, the amazing action sequences – all of them are top notch. The major issue here would be the runtime, and the fact that some characters seem to be short-changed, but that was expected.

So, should you watch it? Well, heck yeah! This is definitely the movie event of the year, and absolutely needs to be seen on the big screen. So, assemble your team and enjoy the ride!