Avengers: Infinity War (Film Review - Marvel Cinematic Universe)

So, here we are. The Marvel films have been adapting and expanding their universe for some time now, with success after success, and at long last we are here with the third major instalment. This was going to be a gamble, more so than any other, and however calculated and careful it might be the Russo brothers were going to face an uphill battle. I am happy to say that they largely succeed, and Infinity War is unlike any Marvel film which has preceded it. It's not without its flaws, but there is vastly more good than bad at every turn.

The Synopsis

This is the big one. In the wake of the events of Thor Ragnarok, Thanos has begun to make his move. Focused entirely on attaining the infinity gems which might grant him limitless power, he is making his way to Earth. Even as the heroes attempt to counter him and unite once more, it is clear that he is a foe unlike any other they have confronted before.
The Good

Let this be made clear above all else - This film utterly gets its sheer sense of scale absolutely right. Whatever problems it might have, the directors, producers and all involved were facing a near Herculean task of balancing out countless figures. The prior Avengers films were both challenges in this regard, but the immensity of events present here completely blows them out of the water. This could have easily collapsed under the sheer ambition, so the fact that it not only worked, but succeeded in so many places is already a major point in its favour.

Equally, another point many might miss is the success of the cinematography here. While this will likely not stack up with some of the legends among Hollywood for one reason or another, one fact needs to be maintained: So many of the films retain different themes, styles and overall direction. Try to place Captain America and the Guardians of the Galaxy in the same scene, and their very nature will clash due to how their series have evolved of late. This is one of the major benefits of such a diverse setting, as it allows them to cover a variety of different themes and concepts. This makes uniting them all the harder, so to have a singular visual direction which not only doesn't clash, but so easily fits many of them is stunning in its own way. 

This is only enhanced further by the appreciation for visuals that the Russo brothers have, with still frames and singular images telling far more than the over-stylised designs of many other creations. They are capable of displaying dramatic events in vast sweeping motions, running battles and engagements with a multitude of people, but also retaining tight control and telling a story in as few shots as possible. It's an odd capacity to adapt their style to so many varied settings and characters which made them perfect for this.

When it comes to the story as well, it's evident that the creators knew exactly who they were dealing with. The plot keeps you updated at a few key points, introduces figures and offers an initial scene or two, but it always works on the assumption that you generally know who these people are. Not every detail perhaps, but things like the recent conflict between superheroes and the Winder Soldier's deprogramming and the like. This allows it to hit the ground running with many characters and to quickly move onto developments, story progression and (best of all) interactions.

The initial Avengers film was praised for all the scenes of so many bold, big and bright figures contrasting and working with one another. While Age of Ultron may have lessened this somewhat in order to focus more on the core story, it's evident that lessons were learned from this and the film adapted accordingly. While the grim state of the galaxy is always evident, the film always does everything it can to work in more discussions, character interactions and quips. This proves to be especially brilliant with Star Lord and Thor, and moments like Doctor Strange meeting Spider-Man in the trailer are just a hint of what it is capable of utilising. Better yet, it never makes the Thor Ragnarok mistake of having this humour and key moments undermine the drama and it (mostly) moves between drama, action and comedy without any issue. A few of these even offer some brilliant moments fans were hoping to see for some time now, and they do not disappoint.

The MacGuffin and motivation of the characters could have easily been a throwaway element within the story, but there's often a great deal of dramatic weight to them. This is due to how the script, performances and scenes are able to convey hints of something greater, while tying into some previous events. This is important as it also allows Infnity War to make better use of its source material and retain its own identity over simply being a mash-up of various heroes.

The focus of the film is divided between a few choice groups. Through this, it is able to constantly convey the scale of events without overburdening the plot with too many details. It's especially important as this isn't simply bound to Earth but is a galaxy-spanning event, with Wakanda, Nowhere and a few major previous locations all playing a key part. It's definitely a story many should return to and examine for any future cinematic universes, to see just how a few talented people can manage something on such a huge scale without losing focus or wasting time at any point.

Plus, obviously, there are the fights. Dear lord there are the fights. The past Avengers films have always done an excellent job at having every major character sticking to a set of identifiable skills and a fighting style, but the events here overshadow that entirely. It's not simply that so many varied figures are able to show off their skills one at a time, but few among them lack a specific "money shot" or spectacular moment to truly stand out. No matter who you think of, no matter who comes to mind, something creative, engaging and often spectacular will immediately spring to mind when it comes to their involvement in this. Even relatively new additions to the film, namely as Thanos and his backup dancers, put in a good showing here amid the titanic final battle of this piece.

So, overall, the visuals, characterisation, story and direction all work here. Unfortunately, a few only somewhat work, which leads us into the negatives.

The Bad

(Please, keep in mind that this section addresses a general spoiler moment of the film. The events will not be directly addressed, but their impact and results need to be discussed. Please skip the paragraphs in red if you wish to avoid spoilers entirely.)

The obvious negative point is something more than a few people will likely hold against the film: It's clearly overstuffed. It's a display of why the likes of Return of the King's adaptation opted to streamline certain events over incorporating many of the book's plots, and at times the involvement of a few people can seem a little superfluous. They thankfully never feel unnecessary, and it does a solid job of justifying their presence at key points. That said, this leaves them with limited screen time and in a few cases, it can seem as if the directors were having to tick off a checklist to keep everything balanced out. As a result that sadly led to a few supporting characters being all but completely omitted from the film, and one founding Avenger isn't in this. Seriously, where is Hawkeye in all of this?

Matters are made worse by one incredibly irritating comic book factor coming into play here: B-list fodder. A large number of characters are bumped off during the events of the film, to the point where one major Marvel race might have been rendered completely extinct. This is intended to rack up the drama and make the audience realise that anyone can die in the film. The problem is that, this not only ends up upsetting the ending to Thor Ragnarok and a few films which directly precedes this, but it feels cheap. 

Many of these characters have lacked the spotlight to make this feel like a real punch to the gut, or were just deemed unnecessary and wiped off of the face of the earth while keeping the important ones in play. That would be bad enough, but a sizable number of those bumped off were also those set up to be major figures in the future. So, not only is the impact of this limited, but it's fairly clear that this is going to be reversed.

This is a major weakness the film has over its main inspiration, that of the Infinity Gauntlet saga. In that series, the action was focused, there was a concentrated beginning and end, but also it executed its same points with far more effect. Thanos stomping through heroes and wiping the floor with them was more engaging in the comic due to how it was staged, and the fact that there was far more of a character set-up for him. There are moments here which tries to flesh him out, and Josh Brolin is still an excellent Thanos, but it doesn't work nearly so well. All we have had of Thanos prior to this point was foreshadowing. A few suggestions, a few ideas and points, but mostly suggestion of what was to come. So, when he arrives, he lacks the commentary or characterisation needed to make him seem like more than just a powerhouse.

Without more moments which stop to engage with his motivations or see him speaking with others, he comes across more as a brutal and unflinching threat without any true depth. This makes one late-stage moment in the film all the more jarring as a result when, in-between fights, he is forced to sacrifice something. Thanos' reaction implies the character that he is, but it's so at odds with what was there before that you can easily be thrown off by it. Right after this point, he seems all the more invigorated by this supposed sacrifice, making it rather jarring.

Finally, and most pressingly, is how certain scenes tend to be rehashes of some previous events. For some this is certainly understandable - such as with Iron Man and Spider-Man's talk of being ready - as there's a different scale to events. With others, this can end up retreading old territory. This might serve as a refresher to bring people up to speed, but for every couple of scenes of genuinely great character pathos or development, there's one which can feel as if it is just going over the same song and dance as previous narrative arcs. It's well executed, and the dialogue usually wins out, but it's still irksome how some moments work so well while others seem to falter.

The Verdict

The first thing an audience should keep in mind is that this really is the first part of a bigger story. This is a crisis crossover in every sense, and it nails almost everything which made such comicbook events so spectacular. However, the odd closing choices, open-ended nature and a number of game-changing events all mean that it's not the out-and-out fun spectacle that the original Avengers was. There's more weight to what happens, and even as it starts to close out one saga it's clearly trying to open the way for a new one to take its place. It's also a great indication of how you can remain loyal to a setting's themes and ideas while heavily subverting them, rather than betraying them.

Even if you're somewhat out-of-touch with events you definitely owe it to yourself to see. It's a titanic monument to just how truly massive the cinematic adaptations of Marvel have become and how well structured their internal universe is. Plus, unlike many films (looking at you Godzilla) it doesn't let that immensity overwhelm events or force the director to try and actively avoid it to maintain a sense of drama. Just keep in mind that this really is a beginning as much as an ending.

Verdict: 7.9 out of 10