Avengers: Infinity War review

AVENGERS: Infinity War has been ten years and eighteen movies in the making. Everything in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been leading to the moment our favourite superheroes join forces. 

So, does Marvel’s big gamble pay off?

The premise of the film is simple. Our heroes must stop titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) from collecting all six infinity stones. If he does, half of the beings in the universe will be wiped out with a simple click of his fingers.

A simple overarching plot is just what the film needs, as the first half of the film is dedicated to jostling our superheroes into their respective teams and settings.

Despite the risky venture of combining twenty-something superheroes on the big screen, Infinity War doesn’t pull any punches. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have proven they’re not afraid to shake things up in the MCU. We saw this in Captain America: Winter Solider with the destruction of S.H.I.E.L.D. In Infinity War they promised some risky moves, and boy do they deliver. They have truly raised the emotional stakes.

In Thanos alone, we are given the most terrifying Marvel movie villain to date. Don’t be fooled by his gimmicky appearance. The way he espouses genocide so calmly and rationally sets him apart from every clichéd over-the top villain.

By subverting this expectation, the Russo brothers take the film beyond that of a simple comic book movie, and turn it into an epic, operatic spectacle.

While there is an abundance of characters, in this film Marvel plays to its biggest strengths: the talent of the actors and chemistry between them.

Robert Downey Jr, as always, delivers as Tony Stark. Chris Evans brings his usual stoicism as the beloved Captain America. Chris Hemsworth once gain proves his comedic chops. And relative newcomers to the MCU, Benedict Cumberbatch and Chadwick Boseman, shine as Dr Strange and King T’Challa respectively.

Seeing the cast interact with a host of new characters brings something new to the game, and elevates all of the performances.

It’s refreshing too, to see so many strong female characters unite, and work together, on the big screen. From Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), to Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Okoye (Danai Gurira), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and the nymphlike Mantis (Pom Klementieff), we’re given a host of diverse female characters who can hold their own in what was previously a male-dominated MCU.

Following on from the success of Black Panther, Wakanda also has a starring role. The fictional nation once again manages to blend African aesthetics with a hi-tech utopia. The earthy, natural setting provides the perfect foil to the colour-saturated scenes that take place in outer space.

The emphasis on both African culture and strong female characters, is another much-needed step away from the fallacy that blockbusters need to feature primarily white male protagonists to make budget.

This is not simply another mindless instalment in the MCU. The political parallels the film makes with racial relations, the use of finite resources, and the Me Too movement ground the film in relevant discourse.

But ambition does come at a cost. Given the sheer scale of the cast and the assorted plots the movie does suffer from pacing issues, specifically in the first few acts. However, it does overcome this and find its stride towards the latter half.

While the Russo brothers have shaken things up in Infinity War, everything we love about a Marvel film is still there. The smartassed quips, banter, comedy, heroic speeches, and clashing of oversized egos provide brevity in what is Marvel’s boldest movie to date.

Rating: 4/5

Avengers: Infinity War is in cinemas from Wednesday, April 25.

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