Works better than it has any right to do

Rating: Null/10 (27 August 2018)

I bought the hype a bit for this one, which is unlike me, but it did seem like an 'event' that this would be part of the end game for a series of films that have dominated the landscape for about a decade. Of course, it doesn't get to that point by doing much you don't know it will do, and as such there is plenty of action, special effects, witty dialogue, and big moments. So, in some ways it is the same as what these films have always done, but then again it deserves praise for not being what it could easily have been - a bloated failure of excess.
Instead it is surprisingly light on its feet for a film that has so many characters in so many constant action sequences, that carries a lot of supposed darkness but yet has to do it with humor and entertainment value throughout. I know it is a mass produced product, but there is still plenty to admire in the construction of it. As a narrative it has a lot to offer, but the demands on it are too great to allow it to bring out what it could have been. The darkness of it is the best thing about it. Thanos is conflicted in a satisfying way, and the film is never better than when we get to see this - although that is not often enough. The other darkness is the loss of major characters, which is impacting in the moment, but is undercut by the knowledge that all or most of them will be recovered - not least hinted by the many character-specific sequels lined up in years to come. I still enjoyed the darkness these brought, but enjoyed it with the knowledge that it was probably all for show.
The film runs long and probably has too much consistent action for any of it to really raise pulses, but it does the job for a blockbuster - with the characters, darkness, and humor all covering it pretty well. It is far from the brilliant film that some will tell you, and too much of it does feel superficial (which of course it is), but it works much better than it really has any right to do.