Movies Reviews

Infinity War defies expectations

From the Avengers official Facebook page.

Doune, Scotland, UK – Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War has been a project 10 years in the making. Ever since Iron Man in 2008, a multitude of superhero films have been created and released by Marvel to much excitement of long time comic book fans. And while each can be viewed individually as a stand-alone film, they all have hints and Easter-eggs towards a larger plotline – the one that we see in Infinity War.

Following the impossibly powerful primary antagonist Thanos (Josh Brolin), we see his mission throughout the film: to acquire the six Infinity stones so he can achieve a god-like level of power and wipe out half of the life in the universe.

This finale to a decade of universe-creating does not disappoint in terms of characters. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo are able to deliver on the seemingly impossible mission of having more than 20 superheroes (that we’ve seen on their own for years) all together on the same screen.

And while it may seem that there is too much to focus on at times, many characters provide us with unexpected chemistry and of course, humor. In particular, the relationships between Vision (Paul Bettany) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Spiderman (Tom Holland) are important and emotional parts of the plot.

Although it could be said that there are definite aspects of the film that weaken the plot – including some choppy writing – Infinity War serves as a satisfying mash-up of beloved characters fighting against a complex and layered villain, an unusual feat in superhero films.

I found the fight sequence in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh particularly interesting, as I’m usually accustomed to seeing these sorts of sequences take place in American cities. Witnessing the employment of special effects to destroy sections of the Royal Mile in my country’s city is refreshing and frightening all at once.

Undoubtedly Infinity War emerges as one of Marvel’s best films. Courageous choices were definitely made in the plot that will leave viewers shocked. Indeed, the ending of the film is certainly unique from any other superhero film and an exciting tone change from the classic good-guy beats bad-guy story we’ve been shown for the past decade.

Even if I originally felt like it did not live up to the impossible hype surrounding the film, I have to admit that Infinity War defies the expectations of a normal superhero film and changes the norm of what to expect from Marvel in the future.

Owen Ferguson is a Senior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.

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