“Avengers: Infinity War”: Is it Worth Watching?

Movie Rating: 4.5/5

If there was ever a movie that defined the term ‘blockbuster’, it is this. “Avengers: Infinity War” packs a hard punch in terms of cast, special effects and thought-provoking plot. Slated the biggest cross-over superhero film of all time, it brings together all the favourite characters from the Marvel universe.

In this offering, Thanos, a gigantic creature from the planet of Titan is on a mission to cleanse the universe of half its population, to ensure a fair and equal distribution of resources. To achieve this, he needs to collect the six infinity crystals scattered across the universe. Defenders from across planets unite in a bid to stop him.

Actors in a scene from the film. Picture courtesy: http://www.rogerebert.com

With numerous hefty players, it’s easy to overshadow or undermine a few; but the team of directors (Anthony and Joe Russo) did a fantastic job of giving each role and storyline, its time in the sun. Each actor also held their own in this multi-starrer, big budget bonanza. Humour, drama, romance and action were served effectively in equal measure.

The special effects and sound team did an outstanding job of ensuring each scene had a strong appeal. The packed hall often reacted en masse to every blow-up or twist with an audible, collective sigh.

Despite stellar performances and first-class direction, the real star of the show was the seamless script. It takes incredible skill to build to an astounding climax while providing plenty of shocking moments through a 2.5 hour film. Most movies of this genre have the ability to engage the audience, but this one kept the hook on tightly through the film’s duration.

The philosophy behind the film is timed well with its Earth Day release. The way humanity and presumably life on other planets, currently squanders its resources, there won’t be much left to support an immense and ever-growing population. Thanos is a villain because of the methods he uses, but his ideas are meant to be a solution for the “greater good”. These films act as a strong reminder before we completely lose touch with reality. Superhero comics and movies often seem over the top yet mimic important and necessary ground realities. There is sure to be a sequel in this series but till then the audience should really think over this movie’s message.

A criticism I can offer is about the excessive length of the war scenes. The movie could have been 15 minutes shorter than its present length.

It was a pleasure to see a highly-responsive audience in a jam-packed hall after ages. With each cat-call and burst of applause, the viewer felt tied to the characters. It was reminiscent of Bollywood films of yore which were the highest form of entertainment one could expect at the time. Nowadays, one needs the collective strength of all Marvel superheroes to pull an audience this strong on a Friday afternoon!

Film Rating: 4.5/5