Skip to main content

Avengers: Infinity War

Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Josh Brolin

It’s been ten years since the first film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe — Iron Man — came out. Since then, we have been through 18 films and more than 40 characters. Unlike DC, Marvel has typically stuck to keeping things safe. The most risk they took was having Rhodes aka Warmachine get paralysed in Captain America: Civil War, and the death of Scarlet Witch’s brother Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron which we did not really spend sleepless nights over. The good guys have otherwise lost precious little while saving the universe again and again.

That’s where the Russo brothers who directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, have made a difference. The franchise gets its biggest villain in the almighty Thanos, who even while trampling everyone in his way, seems to have a heart. He bleeds, he cries, and even while wreaking havoc, he’s grounded in a way other villains haven’t been so far. His journey to gain the Infinity stones for his gauntlet is brilliantly written.

Avengers: Infinity War hits the ground running, and makes us wonder, laugh, and clap, all even before the opening credits roll. The primary characters are introduced in no time and though we never get to see them all under the same roof, it doesn’t really matter as Thanos makes up for all of them with his omnipresence. The film also forays into unseen corners of the universe that weren’t mentioned in prior films. The 149-minute long runtime makes it the longest film in the franchise but you never feel it, for, there’s rarely a bump in this hyperdrive.

The directors, not only have the challenge of maintaining the action, romance, humour and sentiment which the MCU is known for, but also have the unenviable task of giving enough screen space to all the major characters. With the experience they’ve no doubt gained over the years, they successfully manage to break the screen time for various superheroes into segments and connect them all through the main story of Thanos. On the good guys’ side, we get to witness many heartwarming scenes, including the romantic companionship which Vision (Paul Bettany) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) share, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) coming to terms with the aftermath of Thor: Ragnarok.

As expected, there’s also quite a bit of humour, and the directors really strike a balance between balancing the emotions. Be it the sequences where Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) tries to cover his insecurities against Thor’s masculinity, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) indulging in verbal sparring (it’s a pleasure to see the two Sherlocks converse), or the Teenage Groot (Vin Diesel) who, I think, deserved more screen space; there’s no dearth of scenes to get us laughing. The technology the Avengers employ in the film is also stunning. We get to see Iron Man and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) donning the Mark 37 aka the Bleeding Edge Armour and Iron Spider suit respectively. There’s also Captain America’s (Chris Evans) new shield and the return of the Hulkbuster. And oh, did I tell you that the biggest pop-culture phenomenon borrows pop-culture references from films such as Aliens? Not to mention the film’s steadfast loyalty to the comics it’s based on.

Avengers: Infinity War is a visual extravaganza and right from the different worlds to the minor facial reactions of CGI Thanos (which received its fair share of flak during the promos), the attention to detail is stunning. Being the first film to be shot completely in IMAX 3D, it’ll be a cardinal sin to watch this film in any other format. This is also probably the film that shows that Marvel is no stranger to darkness. The problem though is the long wait ahead. With the sequel only scheduled for May 2019, I now understand what the Game of Thrones fans feel like.

Rating: 4/5

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi shoulder a mediocre film: Master Review

A flawed protagonist and a powerful antagonist have always proven to be successful tropes in the world of cinema. The hero, when being anything but perfect, makes way for a beautiful story arc as he convalesces and a strong villain makes the hero’s triumph at the end larger. Despite having both of these, Vijay’s Master feels far from a perfect flick thanks to succumbing to irregular pacing and a middling screenplay. Master follows the trials and tribulations of JD (Vijay), an alcoholic college professor whose valiant effort towards the student community plants a belief in his colleague Charu (Malavika Mohanan) that he would be able to do the same to the kids in a juvenile correction centre that needs… correction. Armed with a just kada, a classic four-wheeler, a Persian cat and a cool pair of sunglasses, JD embarks on a journey that will collide with that of Bhavani’s (Vijay Sethupathi). On paper, Master looks like a failproof star vehicle – the story of a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Munna Bhai Dhaba, Sullurpet, Andhra Pradesh

  This time, we rode almost 100 kms to discover this hidden gem. Located at the ever busy NH16, Munna Bhai Dhaba is one of those places that dishes out some delicious food for you to cherish en route to your destination. Just that, this time it was our destination. After starting at 8:30PM from Chennai, we reached here around 10ish and by that time some items were unfortunately sold out. Out of 10, 6 of us were hardcore carnivores while the rest of them were Eggetarians. We opted for a couple of Chicken dishes which included Munna Bhai special chicken (a yummy starter with sauteed chicken and cashews) and a couple more Chicken dishes which are named after the states of our country. One such dish was the which had an egg base with piping hot Chicken curry on top which was the star of our dinner. A surprise show-stealer was the Onion Pakoda which looked bleh but tasted great. Rotis were so warm and fluffy that we finished 40 of them in no time. Egg Bhurji was apparently good too. Obv...
Post a Comment
Read more

InterContinental Mahabalipuram

After visiting InterContinental many times to meet people who were staying there, for events & functions and for, of course, dining in, I decided it was high time I experienced a stay at this property. A while back, it happened and here I’m chronicling that experience.  Location, Reception and First Impressions InterContinental Mahabalipuram stands among a handful of star properties that are located close to Mamallapuram but not exactly inside the bustling town. It’s situated on the ever-busy East Coast Road and is a cool 42kms away from Central Chennai and almost the same distance from the Chennai International Airport as well (yes, I checked). Post the ‘vanakkam’ by the security personnel who greets you right at the gate, the first thing one would notice about ICC is how simple and elegant it is. Once you get past the security checks, you’re welcomed by the sky and a long pathway and standing on the edge of it gives us a bird’s-eye view of ...
Post a Comment
Read more