movie review
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, and Chris Pratt
Director: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Tagline: An entire universe. Once and for all.
In the last decade, Marvel has (quite unexpectedly) established itself as the biggest cinematic attraction in the world. What started with Iron Man in 2008 has since become the world’s biggest, most lucrative movie franchise. By first bringing several superheroes from the pages of Marvel’s comic books to the big screen in their own outings and then bringing them all together in epic crossover adventures (while also supporting them with various small screen projects), the studio has created a cinematic universe like none other. It has been a strategy that has, by and large, paid off both critically and financially, and it continues to reward the studio with the release of their latest film, Avengers: Infinity War.
The yarns of Iron Man (portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and the Guardians of the Galaxy – Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) – all tie together in this, the third Avengers film and the nineteenth instalment overall in the franchise. You’d think viewer fatigue would have set in after so many adventures, but far from it. The movie has made a billion dollars in a little over a week, and there is a very simple reason for that: it’s a whole lot of fun.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Infinity War finds the aforementioned superheroes and their cohorts trying to stop the evil Thanos (Josh Brolin) from causing havoc in the universe.
The villain longs to collect six Infinity Stones, cosmic gems that give their bearer immense powers, including the ability to wipe out half the universe’s population by snapping their fingers, which is exactly what Thanos has vowed to do in a bid to control overpopulation.
It is up to the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to set aside their differences and come together to stop Thanos from achieving his nefarious plans. And come together they do (all except Ant-Man and Hawkeye who are nowhere to be found), united in various permutations, much to the credit of the Russo brothers, who do a remarkable job working with such a huge cast of characters and making sure they retain their individual flair while fitting into this crossover tale. But because of their sheer number, not everyone gets much to do. With so many superheoes fighting against one villain, it’s the menacing Thanos who becomes the central figure, which is something the film largely uses as an asset by fleshing out the baddie and adding more emotional depth to his storyline, primarily through his connection to Gamora. It also helps that Brolin does an impressive job in the motion capture role of the antagonist.
The main talking point of the movie, though, is its ending … or lack thereof. If you absolutely detest cliff-hangers then be warned, you’re actually going to have to wait a whole year for the release of the fourth Avengers film for any sort of resolution to the story here. But the main problem with the ending of Infinity War is its obvious lack of permanence, which is something that becomes apparent as soon as you’ve had a minute to process the surprise twist. Ultimately, instead of leaving you feeling shocked, it might just leave you feeling a bit cheated.
That does not, however, mean that the film isn’t worth watching. Packed to the brim with action and some terrific combat sequences, powered by dependably awesome acting performances, and peppered with the standard Marvel wit, Avengers: Infinity War is a well-made, entertaining visit to the world’s most successful franchise. If you’re a Marvel fan then this is a highly recommended adventure that you’re guaranteed to enjoy. And if you haven’t seen any/many Marvel films before, then you might want to rectify that before you delve into the latest offering in order to fully appreciate this instalment.
- S.A.
Director: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Tagline: An entire universe. Once and for all.
In the last decade, Marvel has (quite unexpectedly) established itself as the biggest cinematic attraction in the world. What started with Iron Man in 2008 has since become the world’s biggest, most lucrative movie franchise. By first bringing several superheroes from the pages of Marvel’s comic books to the big screen in their own outings and then bringing them all together in epic crossover adventures (while also supporting them with various small screen projects), the studio has created a cinematic universe like none other. It has been a strategy that has, by and large, paid off both critically and financially, and it continues to reward the studio with the release of their latest film, Avengers: Infinity War.
The yarns of Iron Man (portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and the Guardians of the Galaxy – Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) – all tie together in this, the third Avengers film and the nineteenth instalment overall in the franchise. You’d think viewer fatigue would have set in after so many adventures, but far from it. The movie has made a billion dollars in a little over a week, and there is a very simple reason for that: it’s a whole lot of fun.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Infinity War finds the aforementioned superheroes and their cohorts trying to stop the evil Thanos (Josh Brolin) from causing havoc in the universe.
The villain longs to collect six Infinity Stones, cosmic gems that give their bearer immense powers, including the ability to wipe out half the universe’s population by snapping their fingers, which is exactly what Thanos has vowed to do in a bid to control overpopulation.
It is up to the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to set aside their differences and come together to stop Thanos from achieving his nefarious plans. And come together they do (all except Ant-Man and Hawkeye who are nowhere to be found), united in various permutations, much to the credit of the Russo brothers, who do a remarkable job working with such a huge cast of characters and making sure they retain their individual flair while fitting into this crossover tale. But because of their sheer number, not everyone gets much to do. With so many superheoes fighting against one villain, it’s the menacing Thanos who becomes the central figure, which is something the film largely uses as an asset by fleshing out the baddie and adding more emotional depth to his storyline, primarily through his connection to Gamora. It also helps that Brolin does an impressive job in the motion capture role of the antagonist.
The main talking point of the movie, though, is its ending … or lack thereof. If you absolutely detest cliff-hangers then be warned, you’re actually going to have to wait a whole year for the release of the fourth Avengers film for any sort of resolution to the story here. But the main problem with the ending of Infinity War is its obvious lack of permanence, which is something that becomes apparent as soon as you’ve had a minute to process the surprise twist. Ultimately, instead of leaving you feeling shocked, it might just leave you feeling a bit cheated.
That does not, however, mean that the film isn’t worth watching. Packed to the brim with action and some terrific combat sequences, powered by dependably awesome acting performances, and peppered with the standard Marvel wit, Avengers: Infinity War is a well-made, entertaining visit to the world’s most successful franchise. If you’re a Marvel fan then this is a highly recommended adventure that you’re guaranteed to enjoy. And if you haven’t seen any/many Marvel films before, then you might want to rectify that before you delve into the latest offering in order to fully appreciate this instalment.
- S.A.
Us Magazine, The News International - 11th May, 2018
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