Hollywood is obsessed with cinematic universes. Nowadays, it seems that every blockbuster franchise is on a mission to sprawl into as many films (and consequently as many wallets) as possible. However, while more recent attempts such as DC’s Extended Universe and Universal’s Dark Universe continue to stumble over rushed worldbuilding and poor reviews, the pioneering Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps going from strength to strength. After smashing glass ceilings with the slick, smart and sincere Black Panther earlier this year, the MCU smashed box office records with Avengers: Infinity War. The third and penultimate instalment in the MCU’s central series, Infinity War beat 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens to earn the biggest opening weekend ever.
However - as impressive as this is - box office numbers mean nothing if the film isn’t any good and I wasn’t confident Infinity War was going to succeed in that area. As exciting as the trailers were, I couldn’t see how all these characters were going to fit into one film. 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron suffocated under its massive cast list, which now looks amusingly weedy next to Infinity War’s mammoth hero roster. How would any of these characters make a lasting impression? How could they deliver all the inevitable exposition without compromising characterisation? Frankly, I was convinced it wasn’t going to work. Except - somehow - it absolutely did.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo alongside writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have pulled off a remarkably ambitious feat with staggering skill. The filmmakers take full advantage of Infinity War’s position as the nineteenth instalment in the MCU. Audiences who have been keeping up are closely familiar with these characters now, so the film doesn’t waste time reintroducing them. This will naturally disorientate new audiences, but by this point they really should know what they’re getting in to. More importantly, the filmmakers craft the plot around the characters. Heroes are intently put together to spark explosive (and often hilarious) interactions and the circumstances thrown at them are precisely designed to challenge their characters to considerable extents.
Running throughout all this is a commendably thoughtful exploration of how we value life. Characters are constantly forced into situations where they have to consider sacrificing individuals for the greater good. The Russo brothers direct these scenes with genuine emotive power and the huge list of top-tier actors deliver with all the aplomb you’d expect. This central theme is distilled perfectly into the antagonist Thanos. The best villains are driven by clear, understandable motives and Thanos is a prime example of this. He represents the extreme conclusion to sacrificing for the greater good and his case is regularly argued convincingly, even if he is ultimately wrong. Thanos is also driven by sincere feelings that the film doesn’t minimise and he even faces similar emotional dilemmas to the protagonists. If anything, Thanos is Infinity War’s main character.
Of course, the film isn’t perfect. As previously mentioned, newcomers will struggle to engage without watching eighteen other films in preparation. Additionally, not all characters are given as much screen time. Captain America and Black Widow, for example, aren’t explored in nearly as much depth as others. However, most of these flaws are excusable in the grand scheme of things. Infinity War is the first of two parts and is consequently only half the story. Markus and McFeely have already assured us that they intentionally overlooked certain characters because their roles become considerably more interesting in part two. Some will argue that films have to first and foremost work by themselves, but I would argue that only applies to traditional filmmaking. The cinematic universe format is an entirely unconventional one and it needs to be treated as such.
However - as impressive as this is - box office numbers mean nothing if the film isn’t any good and I wasn’t confident Infinity War was going to succeed in that area. As exciting as the trailers were, I couldn’t see how all these characters were going to fit into one film. 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron suffocated under its massive cast list, which now looks amusingly weedy next to Infinity War’s mammoth hero roster. How would any of these characters make a lasting impression? How could they deliver all the inevitable exposition without compromising characterisation? Frankly, I was convinced it wasn’t going to work. Except - somehow - it absolutely did.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo alongside writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have pulled off a remarkably ambitious feat with staggering skill. The filmmakers take full advantage of Infinity War’s position as the nineteenth instalment in the MCU. Audiences who have been keeping up are closely familiar with these characters now, so the film doesn’t waste time reintroducing them. This will naturally disorientate new audiences, but by this point they really should know what they’re getting in to. More importantly, the filmmakers craft the plot around the characters. Heroes are intently put together to spark explosive (and often hilarious) interactions and the circumstances thrown at them are precisely designed to challenge their characters to considerable extents.
Running throughout all this is a commendably thoughtful exploration of how we value life. Characters are constantly forced into situations where they have to consider sacrificing individuals for the greater good. The Russo brothers direct these scenes with genuine emotive power and the huge list of top-tier actors deliver with all the aplomb you’d expect. This central theme is distilled perfectly into the antagonist Thanos. The best villains are driven by clear, understandable motives and Thanos is a prime example of this. He represents the extreme conclusion to sacrificing for the greater good and his case is regularly argued convincingly, even if he is ultimately wrong. Thanos is also driven by sincere feelings that the film doesn’t minimise and he even faces similar emotional dilemmas to the protagonists. If anything, Thanos is Infinity War’s main character.
Of course, the film isn’t perfect. As previously mentioned, newcomers will struggle to engage without watching eighteen other films in preparation. Additionally, not all characters are given as much screen time. Captain America and Black Widow, for example, aren’t explored in nearly as much depth as others. However, most of these flaws are excusable in the grand scheme of things. Infinity War is the first of two parts and is consequently only half the story. Markus and McFeely have already assured us that they intentionally overlooked certain characters because their roles become considerably more interesting in part two. Some will argue that films have to first and foremost work by themselves, but I would argue that only applies to traditional filmmaking. The cinematic universe format is an entirely unconventional one and it needs to be treated as such.
So, I could not have been more wrong about Infinity War. What I thought was going to fall apart under the weight of its cast, ambition and hype ended up flourishing well above my expectations. Well done Marvel, you have successfully astounded me and I eagerly anticipate what part two has to offer.
8.7/10
Comments
Post a Comment