Avengers: Infinity War Review - Infinity Snore (Till The Climax, That Is)

Avengers: Infinity War doesn’t live up to the hype surrounding its creation. Perhaps that’s the burden on a film associated with such a mega brand as MARVEL - an entertainment house which has pushed the boundaries for making super-heroes films ‘accepted’ in mainstream constraints. Here, the 2 hour 30 minute, directed by the Russo brothers keeps droning in until its 30 minute climax where it rises and commands you to watch the film, in all its glory. I can assure you, if the climax were the entire film, I would’ve walked out of Infinity War as energised as the squealing fanboys/fangirls of the franchise.

But alas, this is a film that just simply beats you into submission. It’s overstuffed, and the Russo brothers can’t really juggle all the balls they’re trying to hold up in the air. What they do manage to keep up is magical. Let’s start with the good stuff (and I will do my best to avoid spoilers) - the storyline featuring Thor and his band of baddies is magical. There’s a running gag about how good looking he is and the comedy is genuine. In fact, it is in this setup where you’ll smile the most. Then, the storyline featuring Tony Stark and his team. These goons get some really badass moments. Their action is the best and they are equipped with the best CGI the film has to offer.

These two stories hold up most of the film and luckily they get an adequate amount of time to shine. They are the one constant that keep alive and make you interested throughout 150 minutes. The bad stuff? There is undeveloped father-daughter relationship. There are nuances, especially involving a heartbreaking sacrifice, but all of it is so cliched that you can predict the dialogues in this setup two minutes before they’re spoken. Then, the other underdeveloped story featuring Black Widow and Captain America. Undoubtedly, throughout Civil War, these two brought in a conflict that kept the story going.

Here, they’re given cheap roles, and the wastage of the mammoth Scarlett Johannson’s talent seemed hurtful. In the overstuffed film, there’s no room for nuance … or acting, for that matter. Because how do you critique actors whose main brief is just to kick some antagonist ass. The only people who succeed in bringing true emotion to their characters are Elizabeth Olson as the telekinetic (?) Wanda and Zoe Saldana as Gamora. Chris Pratt also shines but that’s in spurts. However, Infinity War belongs to its antagonist, played by the masterful Josh Brolin. Brolin, whose villain seems to have been written in detail, imbues this comical character with genuine emotion and depth to a point where I ended up feeling his pain.

But, the biggest offender in this case is the way that Black Panther’s cast is treated. I know Black Panther got a three star rating in its first watch, but after re-evaluation and watching the film a second time, it gets boosted to three and a half stars. Here, I was looking forward to Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright and Florence Kasumba lighting up the mood. Other than sporting stale and worried expressions, none of them get a chance to shine. Perhaps the commercial appeal that the creators wanted to tout to global audiences by making perhaps the biggest crossover there is in a genre like this is its biggest flaw.

In its second half, the film really springs to life. As Thanos, the big bad guy, conquers planet after planet, you can’t help but feel rather pessimistic. That’s really something only well-made superhero films can ensure. The film’s DC counterpart, Justice League, was a blubbering mess that I absolutely hated. While I wouldn’t watch Infinity War a second time unless it’s absolutely essential, I recommend it as a fun watch so that you do go for doses of entertainments and laughter. There is a sporadic attempt at emotion but the darker nuances are not somewhere the film really likes to go. There are references of genocide and a communist like ideology, but those are hidden. Still, those were the parts of the film I would go back for.

What ends up happening is that Avengers: Infinity War never (until its gargantuan climax) really comes to life holistically. As the film takes place in parts, there are only certain ones which work. Otherwise, it’s rather bloodless. However, the film will make you applaud. It will make you cheer. It will make you laugh and as the body count quadruples, it will make your jaw hit the floor. I mean, how much more do you even really need, I’m going with 3 stars for Infinity War. Don’t think I’m saying it’s a bad film, perhaps my expectations were so high, that the film let me down.