If It's Action You Want

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2018)

GRADE: B
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A superhero movie with a puny and weak plot and non-stop action.
JIM'S REVIEW: Superheroes. They come in all shapes and sizes, with varying super powers and enough attitude and skill to fight against evil and protect mankind. More importantly, they rake in millions at the box office. The DC Comics and Marvel universe have taken over the movie business and offer critic-proof blockbuster after blockbuster for the insatiable moviegoing public.
But perhaps my favorite crusader comes from neither source. He's a little big man by the name of Buzz Lightyear whose famous catch phrase and mantra was..."To infinity and beyond". That classic line may be over two decades old, but this toy oracle saw the future of cinema back in the mid-nineties. Which leads us to the 18th film from the Marvel Studios series, Avengers: Infinity War, the latest pop entertainment from one of the most successful and profitable franchise in cinema history.
In this installment, we discover that there has been a rift among superheroes. There is Team Ironman and his loyal crew of major and minor characters (Thor, Spiderman, The Hulk, Doctor Strange) versus Team Captain America and his colorful line-up of rogue groupies (Black Widow, Vision, Scarlet Witch, War Machine, White Wolf, Winter Soldier, Black Panther, Falcon), plus the Guardians of the Galaxy crew. Lots and lots of superheroes with little time to spare for deeper character development but lots of time for CGI and action stunts. Yet what will unite them all?
Why, of course, a truly bad villain, namely Thanos, who wants all six of the magical infinity stones in his possession in order to dominate the world! (Maybe, collecting trading cards of all of the assembled superheroes might have been a more challenging goal for our conflicted outlaw.) Yes, the plot is puny and weak, but the consequences to stop this megalomaniac are of the life and death variety. So all you need to know is that the battle lines have been drawn over the prized McGuffin, with one battle scene leading to the next for maximum enjoyment. ACTION is in not in short supply, even if logic and high drama take a backseat to the frequent combat sequences.
Anthony and Joe Russo ably direct and keep the pace at warp speed lest they disappoint their youthful target audience. A screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely juggles the misadventures on the different planetary destinations with varied results, some are simply more interesting than others. To its credit, it establishes many likable quirky characters and their camaraderie is infectious due to the actors' personal stamps on their recognizable roles. Yet the movie has a hard time spreading its narrative with a balance of equal screen time and does little to advance the development of some central characters and their interrelationships. Too often the numerous sub-plots and mini-expeditions with such a large ensemble wears thin. Dialog has some clever humorous retorts but rarely aspires to any real poignancy or gravitas.
The gangs all here, with an all-star ensemble that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Bossman, and in lesser roles: Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Benicio del Toro, and others too numerous to name. Josh Brolin effectively plays the evil Thanos and creates a strong adversary who allows power to corrupt his soul.
The CGI is impressive throughout. Less effective is the editing and handling of transitions. At times, the well staged combat scenes intercut some of the action. Too much planet hopping interrupts the overall flow and gives the film an episodic vibe...the sum of the parts never making a very cohesive whole. Yes, there is much to hold one spellbound with its big budget cast of thousands approach and the film's fine production values, but all the rigmarole and commotion almost exhausts the moviegoer rather than enthralls.
One eagerly awaits for the fractured teams of heroes to meld into an unstoppable force, but it never truly materializes and the cliffhanger ending is far from satisfying. This long and epic film literally comes to a stop with no clear denouncement, taking Mr. Lightyear's phrase and deciding not to settle anything soon, just looking beyond...to the next installment, with no end in sight.
In Avengers: Infinity War, the war rages on and on...and the Marvel franchise lives long and prospers...to infinity.