Marvel takes it to the next level.

Rating: 9/10 (25 April 2018)

Ever since the massively successful experiment in shared universe building that was the original Avengers, it has felt somewhat like Marvel have been cruising along at the same level. Although there have been plenty of excellent films in the meantime, nothing has really matched the relative scope and ambition of that first Avengers film, best encapsulated by the somewhat disappointingly formulaic Age of Ultron.
Infinity War feels like that game changer, and Marvel upping a gear, showcasing a level of ambition in terms of scope of story and characters only seen before in adaptations of epic fantasy such as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, in fact several times the film put me in mind of Return of the King. In terms of what is a purely cinematic narrative (based of course on decades of comics) the sheer scale of the film is surely unique.
Despite a run time of two hours forty minutes, the film rarely drags due to a break neck pace that never lets up, there is none of the dull opening exposition and set up that often hurts these films. On the down side, this is likely to leave those who aren't caught up on the series somewhat lost, while it is not essential to have seen every single Marvel film, it is probably important to have seen a large proportion of them.
It also finally feels like Marvel has overcome it 'Villain Problem', similar to the success of Michael B Jordan's character in Black Panther, Josh Brolin's Thanos is an excellent antagonist, with tangible motives and an engaging presence.
What is perhaps most remarkable about the film is that, it manages its large cast so effectively, not a single moment is wasted and all major characters have their moment to shine, all thanks to the incredibly efficient pacing and stucture.
Infinity War feels like the best film it could be. The vast scope means that it is impossible for it to quite engage on the same level as the more 'low key' solo entries in the genre, and the necessities of the fast pacing make it exhausting watching at times. Ultimately though, the film is a wild ride and emotional roller-coaster that is not to be missed for fans of the franchise.