Avengers: Infinity War

Director(s): The Russo Brothers

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Chadwick Boseman, Josh Brolin, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Oslen, Sebastian Stan, Bradley Cooper, Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson

Genre: Actiob

Year: 2018

'The most ambitious' cross-over movie in history, the long anticipated 'Avengers: Infinity War', where all the previous Marvel films from the MCU, collide into one gigantic film of our generation, that has all its fans absolutely ecstatic. 


The long-awaited Thanos has arrived. If you are unfamiliar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos is essentially the over-arching antagonist for the past 19 films, despite passively hiding in the shadows (usually seen residing in his big floating chair), dictating the actions of the Marvel villains. He has now taken it upon himself to tackle 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' head on, with the sole intention of collecting all 6 Infinity Stones (magical stones essentially, each possessing incredibly potent, unique abilities) and unifying them in his large, golden Infinity Gauntlet, of which when all six combined grant him impossible strength and power. Over the past 10 years worth of films, the Infinity Stones are the central thread that has linked them together, with different ones appearing in every other film or so. Now that Thanos is in pursuit of these, in order to battle him, all heroes must join together. Over 20 heroes unite on a scale larger than can even be contemplated, elevating this film to an epic status.

There is a global outcry to keep all plot details hushed up, which Marvel Studios have managed to do rather perfectly in that regard, so as little will be spoiled here as possible. Still, without giving anything away, the plot is phenomenal here. It has been meticulously crafted by the writers and directors, and feels flawless in almost every aspect. The pacing is fantastic throughout, a common flaw found within many action films. With such a vast array of heroes collaborating together in such a way, there is special emphasis placed upon the reveal of some characters, which are handled in such a way, that when they first appear on screen, their sheer presence sends tingles down the spine. In addition to this, with so many characters, one of the main concerns of fans is if the film will allow for everyone to get their share in screen time, and surprisingly this pulled off rather remarkably. Whether it is a joke, a moment of impressive action, or an opportunity for emotion, each character gets enough to show how the Russo Brothers have tried to accommodate for everybody.
Speaking of humour and emotion, 'Infinity War' probably uses these the most effectively out of any Marvel film. The jokes are never forced and are used in such a way that they fit well with the natural flow and mood of a scene, and they are often designed precisely for individual characters. Meanwhile, there is abundant emotional depth within this film, more so than any before it. The emotion that is created within the film is rather spectacular, evoking all sorts, from shock to terror to joy to heartbreak. With this in mind, it shows that 'Infinity War' is definitely stepping into uncharted territory, surpassing all previous films. There is no denying that the film will leave you completely flabbergasted by the time it reaches the credits.

Concerning the 'terror' of the film, Thanos proves one of the most threatening and fearsome villains of the whole franchise. His overwhelming might and determined motivations make him a truly formidable antagonist, yet the film develops him very well. He is given a good backstory and his emotions are depicted throughout, which conveys his reasoning and justification behind the pure mayhem he is inflicting to the protagonists. With him involved, all action set pieces are also rocketed to a status of epic grandeur, yet they are not 'Bay-ifying' their movie - instead they keep action pieces somewhat restricted in a small proportion of a gigantic landscape, which works very well, as opposed to just wrecking havoc on a global scale. Some of the fight sequences show the heroes working at top form, with truly stunning abilities, introduced through the context of 'Infinity War'.

All the performances are fantastic within this film. All the characters feel like they do in their independent films and are written in such a way that they more or less act in the same way. Josh Brolin as Thanos too is superb and perfectly adopts this abominable foe.

Ultimately, this Marvel film essentially transcends all other ones. It cannot even really be judged on the same level due to its overwhelming scale, with such a huge cast and plot. It is an emotional roller-coaster and the Russos are not afraid to pack a whole load of punches, which leaves the heroes physically wounded and the audience emotionally drained, in the best way. A superb example of a superhero film, especially due to the size of it being unique to the genre. With the amount of care taken to make it work in conjunction with all previous films, this film is the exact thing its fans were wanting and excelled to an exceptional standard of modern filmmaking.

Verdict: 10/10