AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
I've often heard how hard it is to make a movie. It's no surprise really. I can't even begin to wrap my head around what a nightmare it must be to create even a low budget, stripped down chamber piece - on logistical terms alone. I'm always drawn to Mark Kermode's remarks about the fact that he couldn't have made even the worst films of all time. It's something I think we as audiences tend to forget.
But to even begin to comprehend the hellish plethora of problems a titan of a film like Avengers Infinity War must have run into in the planning stage alone is enough to blow anyone's mind. You'd need a brain like Doctor Strange to pull it off. Alternatively, you'd need to the collective minds of the Russo brothers directing, 9 producers, two writers, two editors and a whole host of other brilliant folks at Marvel who went into achieving this, the culmination of 10 years, 18 films and a whole lot of work. That's precisely how this film should be judged, as a culmination, a sequel to two avengers films, two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Civil War, Doctor Strange and Thor Ragnarok. It's not just a stand alone film. It's a cinematic event.
With that in mind, let's get the bad things out of the way first. I'll address each small nitpick I have in a list formation, so as to get them out of the way as swiftly as I can before I delve into this films many treats:
1. Length. This film is 149 minutes (for me, Blade Runner 2019 felt twice as short, despite being 14 minutes longer) AND MY BUM HURT. A LOT.
2. Scale. Inevitably with a film this colossal it's going to be hard not only to keep up with each individual character, but to let everybody's favourite shine. Plus, the battle sequences worked a lot better on the smaller scale (a stab to the chest works 100% better than huge explosions or cities falling) and I very quickly lost interest in the films climactic war scenes, which melded into a CGI mess for me.
3. Genre hopping. With so many different characters from so many different styles of films, the blend at times felt like I was switching too rapidly from zany humour to grim and gritty and it felt like each element was wrestling to get noticed more.
Now, I hope you'll notice that each of those points are a product of the kind of film that this is, and by that rational, can be outweighed by the positive. The very fact that this film is a culmination of 10 years of marvel films means that it HAS to be the length it is and it HAS to have the scale it does and cannot possibly escape genre hopping. It's a film which has flaws yes, but when judged as what it is (an ordinary movie this ain't) then those flaws become irrelevant or excusable.
Instead, I was left with an overwhelming sense of joy. It has more jokes than many films which pass for comedies these days - really genuine, laugh out loud moments. It is a film which handles it's characters well, clearly treating each member of the enormous cast with the respect and care the deserve. It's a bright and vibrant film to look at, every frame oozes with detail and wonder. In terms of cinematography, this instalment in the Avengers franchise has got it nailed. All of this, with the terrific central score binding the film with an overwhelming sense of joy and pride, of celebration and unity.
But it is also a film laden with pathos and grit. Its a film which isn't afraid to step outside the boundaries of the standard frivolous Marvel formula and dip its toes into some murkier, more challenging waters. Tonally the film is much closer to the bleak Captain America: Civil War, one of my favourite Marvel outings, a shift which I greatly admire. The sense of scale and dread is at times overwhelming, and speaking from someone who isn't even remotely attached to any of the key players, I'd call that an achievement.
Overall Avengers Infinity War is in a league of its own, and should be judged accordingly, but one of the things I'd like to conclude on is the impact this will have on cinema. The reason I've been so slack in publishing this review (I saw the film some time ago now) is because I was worried I had nothing new to add to the chorus of praise this film is receiving. Who wants to hear about the opinion of someone who isn't a Marvel fanatic anyway? But after thinking everything over, the hype, the marketing, the reactions, I think it's clear that Infinity War opens up a much wider ground for debate: what, if anything, will be the consequences of this film? And, whilst not easy to answer for sure, I think I can make a few comments in this department...
Firstly, I'm fed up with (and this is from the voice of one who used to share such opinions) the view that superhero films will be the death of cinema as we know it. I've heard bandied around countless times the argument that there's nothing of value in cinema anymore, it's all just popcorn fodder, we're drowning in a slew of sub par franchise trash. Nonsense I say. It's time we put this kind of attitude to rest. Today I looked through my top films of the past few years and remembered what a vibrant and exciting time it is to be a film fan. Talent is out there, the right films are being made - and they're not hard to find. Marvel studios have been busting our their cinematic universe for 10 years now and in that 10 years, we've seen so many truly beautiful, ground-breaking films and that doesn't show any sign of stopping. In the same way that the dominance of the western genre in the film industry didn't mute other kinds of intelligent and well crafted films, I don't think we should be concerned about Marvel oversaturation.
In addition, all the positive qualities of Infinity War, and the many more I could have gone into, show that it is a truly cinematic film - one that needs to be seen on the big screen. I know so many fans who have been to see it more than once, and will no doubt appreciate the big screen format. Filmed using Imax cameras, it is a movie tailored for and to be experienced in the theatre. This is true of many of the big budget blockbusters of recent years. Dunkirk, Arrival, Blade Runner 4049, these are all films to be experienced on the big screen - and the continuing popularity shows no signs of stopping that, if anything, it's renewing our love for cinema, not diminishing it.
So whilst it may not be for you, it's important not to get drawn in to debates about how the existence of Infinity War is a bad thing for film goers. I really don't think it is. It is, in the end, a love letter to superhero films, to the characters created by Marvel, but most importantly to the fans, new and old alike. It is a reward for those who have been following (or barely keeping up) with plots spawned a decade ago, and a treat for the casual enthusiast, or even the non-converted like myself. It is to be admired for its scope, ambition and achievements - and whilst it doesn't hit every note, it certainly packs a punch when the notes land.
But perhaps more importantly, Infinity War doesn't mark the death of cinema as we know it, in fact, I suspect it may be just apart of its constant rise to greatness.
But to even begin to comprehend the hellish plethora of problems a titan of a film like Avengers Infinity War must have run into in the planning stage alone is enough to blow anyone's mind. You'd need a brain like Doctor Strange to pull it off. Alternatively, you'd need to the collective minds of the Russo brothers directing, 9 producers, two writers, two editors and a whole host of other brilliant folks at Marvel who went into achieving this, the culmination of 10 years, 18 films and a whole lot of work. That's precisely how this film should be judged, as a culmination, a sequel to two avengers films, two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Civil War, Doctor Strange and Thor Ragnarok. It's not just a stand alone film. It's a cinematic event.
With that in mind, let's get the bad things out of the way first. I'll address each small nitpick I have in a list formation, so as to get them out of the way as swiftly as I can before I delve into this films many treats:
1. Length. This film is 149 minutes (for me, Blade Runner 2019 felt twice as short, despite being 14 minutes longer) AND MY BUM HURT. A LOT.
2. Scale. Inevitably with a film this colossal it's going to be hard not only to keep up with each individual character, but to let everybody's favourite shine. Plus, the battle sequences worked a lot better on the smaller scale (a stab to the chest works 100% better than huge explosions or cities falling) and I very quickly lost interest in the films climactic war scenes, which melded into a CGI mess for me.
3. Genre hopping. With so many different characters from so many different styles of films, the blend at times felt like I was switching too rapidly from zany humour to grim and gritty and it felt like each element was wrestling to get noticed more.
Now, I hope you'll notice that each of those points are a product of the kind of film that this is, and by that rational, can be outweighed by the positive. The very fact that this film is a culmination of 10 years of marvel films means that it HAS to be the length it is and it HAS to have the scale it does and cannot possibly escape genre hopping. It's a film which has flaws yes, but when judged as what it is (an ordinary movie this ain't) then those flaws become irrelevant or excusable.
Instead, I was left with an overwhelming sense of joy. It has more jokes than many films which pass for comedies these days - really genuine, laugh out loud moments. It is a film which handles it's characters well, clearly treating each member of the enormous cast with the respect and care the deserve. It's a bright and vibrant film to look at, every frame oozes with detail and wonder. In terms of cinematography, this instalment in the Avengers franchise has got it nailed. All of this, with the terrific central score binding the film with an overwhelming sense of joy and pride, of celebration and unity.
But it is also a film laden with pathos and grit. Its a film which isn't afraid to step outside the boundaries of the standard frivolous Marvel formula and dip its toes into some murkier, more challenging waters. Tonally the film is much closer to the bleak Captain America: Civil War, one of my favourite Marvel outings, a shift which I greatly admire. The sense of scale and dread is at times overwhelming, and speaking from someone who isn't even remotely attached to any of the key players, I'd call that an achievement.
Overall Avengers Infinity War is in a league of its own, and should be judged accordingly, but one of the things I'd like to conclude on is the impact this will have on cinema. The reason I've been so slack in publishing this review (I saw the film some time ago now) is because I was worried I had nothing new to add to the chorus of praise this film is receiving. Who wants to hear about the opinion of someone who isn't a Marvel fanatic anyway? But after thinking everything over, the hype, the marketing, the reactions, I think it's clear that Infinity War opens up a much wider ground for debate: what, if anything, will be the consequences of this film? And, whilst not easy to answer for sure, I think I can make a few comments in this department...
Firstly, I'm fed up with (and this is from the voice of one who used to share such opinions) the view that superhero films will be the death of cinema as we know it. I've heard bandied around countless times the argument that there's nothing of value in cinema anymore, it's all just popcorn fodder, we're drowning in a slew of sub par franchise trash. Nonsense I say. It's time we put this kind of attitude to rest. Today I looked through my top films of the past few years and remembered what a vibrant and exciting time it is to be a film fan. Talent is out there, the right films are being made - and they're not hard to find. Marvel studios have been busting our their cinematic universe for 10 years now and in that 10 years, we've seen so many truly beautiful, ground-breaking films and that doesn't show any sign of stopping. In the same way that the dominance of the western genre in the film industry didn't mute other kinds of intelligent and well crafted films, I don't think we should be concerned about Marvel oversaturation.
In addition, all the positive qualities of Infinity War, and the many more I could have gone into, show that it is a truly cinematic film - one that needs to be seen on the big screen. I know so many fans who have been to see it more than once, and will no doubt appreciate the big screen format. Filmed using Imax cameras, it is a movie tailored for and to be experienced in the theatre. This is true of many of the big budget blockbusters of recent years. Dunkirk, Arrival, Blade Runner 4049, these are all films to be experienced on the big screen - and the continuing popularity shows no signs of stopping that, if anything, it's renewing our love for cinema, not diminishing it.
So whilst it may not be for you, it's important not to get drawn in to debates about how the existence of Infinity War is a bad thing for film goers. I really don't think it is. It is, in the end, a love letter to superhero films, to the characters created by Marvel, but most importantly to the fans, new and old alike. It is a reward for those who have been following (or barely keeping up) with plots spawned a decade ago, and a treat for the casual enthusiast, or even the non-converted like myself. It is to be admired for its scope, ambition and achievements - and whilst it doesn't hit every note, it certainly packs a punch when the notes land.
But perhaps more importantly, Infinity War doesn't mark the death of cinema as we know it, in fact, I suspect it may be just apart of its constant rise to greatness.
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