Marvel at masterpiece
Avengers: Infinity War (12A) After an 18 movies-encompassing dynamic decade building a box office-bashing, creatively limitless cinematic universe, it has all come down to this for Marvel and its heroes.
Because, for all of its quality output and successful integration of a cavalcade of characters, this time the stakes really have never been higher as one of the largest casts ever assembled join forces to try and save the galaxy from the biggest of big bads, Josh Brolin’s despot Thanos.
With Captain America: Civil War, the Russo brothers proved they could juggle multiple heroes and plot strands to outstanding effect, but the co-directors and returning writers Christopher Markus and Stephen Mcfeely outdo themselves here with an exemplary example of how a seemingly overstuffed main course can go down so well there’s plenty of room left for dessert.
Comic book fans like myself will be in absolute heaven as one hero team-up is cooler than the next and Infinity War is as close to the pages of a source material coming to life as you’ll ever see.
There’s little chance to take a breath as the Russos, Markus and Mcfeely take us on a jawdropping, emotion-packed ride that plays out like a two-and-a-half hour long third act.
Surprises come thick and fast and there are superb call-backs to earlier Marvel flicks; the parallel missions are masterfully filmed – jumping between set-pieces – in a manner worthy of comparison with Star Wars at its best.
Ten years of hard work pays off as we’ve come on such a long journey with many of these characters that we’re heavily invested in their fates; a path DC should really have taken as their rushed approach getting to Justice League is made to look like a small bust-up in a car park in comparison.
I could go on all day highlighting what makes Infinity War one of the finest comic book movies of all time, but what really sees it stand tall is its antagonist.
As many, including me, have written previously, one of the Marvel movies’ biggest flaws have been their villains; there is no such worry here.
Brolin’s imposing, relentless Thanos and his plans for global genocide put him up there with Heath Ledger’s Joker in the baddies’ hall of fame; magically mo-capped, terrifying but with hints at something soulful underneath, Thanos is a remarkable creation.
Those worried that it’s all doom and gloom, though, have nothing to fear as laughs still come thick and fast and the flawless action will have you on the edge of your seat.
This was always branded as a two-parter and the staggering climax leaves you dazed – and desperate to see next year’s follow-up.
Forget a comic book movie masterpiece – Infinity War is cinema at its finest.