Never before has a Marvel superhero movie been more hotly anticipated, either by the in-built fan-base - or occasional admirers alike, than Avengers: Infinity War. This is the much hinted-at culmination of the now 10-years standing MCU - that’s Marvel Cinematic Universe to the uninitiated. A unique bringing together of the vast majority of a lively assortment of Marvel characters - for the very first time.
The titular Avengers - Robert Downey Jr.’s fan favourite, Iron Man (his fast-talking cynicism’s wearing a little thin), straight-laced stoicism from Chris Evans’ patriotic Captain America, Chris Hemsworth’s hammer-wielding Thor, Mark Ruffalo’s ‘smashing’ interpretation of The Hulk, and Scarlett Johansson’s slinky but lethally athletic Black Widow - finally team-up with that brilliant rag-tag bunch: The Guardians Of The Galaxy.
I have to be extremely careful not to give away any plot spoilers - so much so that the Twittersphere goes into meltdown. This leviathan installment, sees them collaborate in their inimitably unconventional style, to battle Josh Brolin - (in impressively expressive motion-capture) - as relentlessly sadistic, giant purple warlord Thanos…
The customary, trademark zippy dialogue, sees characters clash, bouncing off each-other as wonderfully as ever, meaning the vital element of occasional blasts of humour, is mixed in amongst all the action spectacle.
The hype’s justified - this is an extremely entertaining piece of mainstream block - or rather ‘Hulk-buster’ filmmaking, at its most ambitiously elaborate. The intricately delicate calibration, of balancing and intertwining over thirty superhero’s narrative arcs, is handled expertly by director brothers Anthony and Joe Russo.
My favourite character is Star-Lord, played as hilariously as ever by Chris Pratt. A particular highlight, sees him compete with Thor to see whose voice is deeper, in a bid for ultimate masculinity: ‘He’s trying to copy me!’.
As soon as I heard returning composer Alan Silvestri’s signature theme of celebratory, unashamedly heroic orchestral sweep soar - reaching its powerhouse crescendo - I was in my fan-boy element!
However, be warned: scenes setting up 2019’s fourth chapter, pack a sombrely emotional, deeply shocking punch…
Rating: * * *
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