I must be very careful what I write, and how much I tell of the story here, as there may still be people out there who haven’t seen the film yet. Sure, it’s been in cinemas for nearly a week, but not everyone goes to movies the day that they open, and any small detail could spoil the enjoyment or suspense for you.
The story picks up shortly after the final events of Avengers: Infinity War, with Thanos having obliterated fifty percent of all living creatures on Earth. As you may recall if you were among the audience, this also included a large number of our heroes: Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, nearly all the Guardians of the Galaxy, Scarlet Witch and the Wasp, to name but a few.
The remaining Avengers - Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) are desperately seeking some way that they can reverse Thanos’s (Josh Brolin) destruction, bring back their friends and family, and save the world yet again.
We know from the trailer (so this can’t be a spoiler) that there are some new additions to the team who weren’t present during Avengers: Infinity War, namely Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and brilliant comic-relief character Ant Man (Paul Rudd).
To be honest, I really don’t think I can say any more than that in terms of the plot. I realise that anyone could probably have worked out that much on their own without ever seeing it, but honestly, anything else I say past those few opening scenes would inevitably contain significant spoilers, and I don’t want to do that.
The script for this film, by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely is very good, beginning with the incredibly bleak tones one would expect following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, moving on to the attempts to salvage whatever hope these heroes can, to the ultimate conclusion of the film almost three hours later (yes, it is a long film, but there is a lot that has to happen). These writers stay true to the characters at all times, which makes for some interesting - yet satisfying - conflict. The script is infused with just the right amount of humour at various points to provide a welcome break from the serious dramatic nature of the story (I spent a fair amount of the film’s running time in tears, and these funny moments throughout were definitely welcomed).
Trent Opaloch’s cinematography is incredible, with plenty of contrasting moments between light and dark, and beautifully-framed shots of the action sequences. I know I’ve said this before with other comic-book-to-film adaptations, but every frame of this movie (especially the high-action moments) looks just like it could have been lifted straight from the pages of a comic book).
The score, composed by Alan Silvestri, works perfectly with the high-action moments, but also with the moments with less tension and excitement. It may not be as innovative a score as that from Black Panther - another Marvel film - but it is still a beautiful score nonetheless.
The performances of the entire cast (and there is a huge cast in this one) are superb. Hemsworth and Rudd in particular have really stepped up for this final film in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, special mention should go to Robert Downey Jr. who, though appearing in basically every Marvel film in the entire MCU, is a far better actor in this film than in any of the others, in my opinion.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo (who also directed Avengers: Infinity War) have really outdone themselves with this film, bringing us a story that will thrill audiences the world over. Take my word for it, if you have enjoyed any one of the Marvel films (and I mean any single one of them), then you must see this film. If you are able to, see it on the big screen with an audience; it’s well worth the expense.
This is without a doubt the single greatest film Marvel has ever done.
10 out of 10.
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