Classic American films – Avengers: Infinity War reassessed; terrific actors, great leads, feels like TV
- Starring pretty much everyone, and giving each character their moment in the spotlight, it’s no wonder the superhero epic runs to 149 minutes
- The interplay between the lead actors remains the film’s strongest suit, and it introduces a new concept to the Marvel Cinematic Universe – jeopardy
In this regular feature series on some of the most talked-about films, we examine the legacy of classics, re-evaluate modern blockbusters, and revisit some of the most memorable lines in film. We continue this week with last year’s Avengers: Infinity War .
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (the Captain America sequels), and starring, well, everyone, Avengers: Infinity War is the first part of the climax to 11 years of swooshy Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero antics. It’s a remarkable achievement, but does the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time work as a stand-alone movie?
As an exercise in cinematic synergy Infinity War is breathtaking – if exhausting. Countless major characters come together, most played by major stars, and each must have their moment in the spotlight, hence its 149-minute runtime. Yet it manages to bring something new to the fun but familiar Marvel formula: jeopardy.
We begin with a barrage of awkward exposition. Evil Thanos (Josh Brolin) is searching for the last few Infinity Stones to complete his all-powerful Gauntlet – the McGuffin of the Avenger series finally coming into focus. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Heimdall (Idris Elba) die fast. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is blasted into space. In truth, it feels more like TV than cinema: a cast of familiar characters taking up where they left off last week.
The next stop is New York as Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr), Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) fight Thanos’ minions. Soon we’re hopping around the galaxy collecting superheroes like Pokémon.
As ever, Wakanda looks wonderful, outer space looks cheap, and the world-building is quick and perfunctory. When Wanda/Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) watch the NYC destruction on an empty Edinburgh street, a sign behind them proudly proclaims: “We will deep-fry your kebab.” Clearly, we’re not in Kansas any more.