Movie review: Avengers: Infinity War
Clearly many have flocked to the cinemas to catch this movie event of the year.
Kevin Feige tweeted a thank-you letter yesterday to all the Marvel fans for making Avengers: Infinity Wars the biggest opening weekend of all time. The movie has grossed over US$640 million (S$852 million) worldwide, and it has yet to open in China, one of Hollywood's biggest markets.
Locally, it made $6.12 million in box office sales during last week's five-day opening weekend (Wednesday to Sunday).
Marvel has done a fantastic job tying all 18 films together - leading up to this film where Thanos finally gets his hands on the power gems. That's the kind of long-term planning that other studios will be kicking themselves over.
Much credit goes to directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who managed to pack so much into this 149-minute gargantuan visual spectacle.
The Russos inherited over 20 marquee characters from the cinematic Marvel universe, each with their own story to tell.
The brothers kept the quirks of each character's own franchise yet managed to make them blend seamlessly into Infinity War. A stand-out example is the opening sequence where Thor meets the Guardians.
The story of Thanos and his quest for the six infinity stones - Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Soul, and Time - has been 10 years in the making.
For all his genocidal tendencies, Thanos is not a one-dimensional villain - a charge often levelled at previous Marvel baddies. Care was taken to give character depth to the mad titan.
The moments between Thanos and his adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana) are genuinely bittersweet.
This is one epic film that is so well melded together with equal parts humour, action, drama and tragedy.
You will cheer, you will gasp, you will laugh and you may cry. Infinity War is one heck of a roller-coaster ride that you don't want to end.
Rating: 5/5
MOVIE: Avengers: Infinity War
STARRING: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin, Zoe Saldana
DIRECTOR: Anthony and Joe Russo
THE SKINNY: Thanos’ (Brolin) relentless quest for the Infinity Stones see the genocidal titan face off with the Avengers. But with several stones already in his possession, can Thanos be stopped by Earth’s mightiest superheroes?
RATING: PG13
Movie reviews
LOVE, SIMON (R21)
Rating: 4/5
Based on the 2015 novel Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, this coming-of-age romantic comedy does a great job of portraying the emotional complexities of the teenage mind.
Anyone who had been an insecure teenager and had to deal with a society that was at odds with them will instantly get it.
Nick Robinson plays Simon, the titular character who is closeted despite the fact that he has loving, liberal parents. He is a typical boy next door, but Robinson brilliantly portrays the nuances of a young man struggling with his identity.
He is supported by a crew of telegenic friends who could belong in a United Colors of Benetton commercial, yet each of them also has to deal with their own set of problems.
Love, Simon makes you believe in the goodness of the world and gives you hope that somewhere out there, someone will relate.
And that is why it is so necessary for gay youth, who rarely see representation on-screen beyond stock characters. This universally relatable film is not to be missed. - ETHAN LEUNG
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY (PG)
Rating: 3/5
This movie is extremely easy on the eyes.
There is Lily James, looking elegant and winsome as earnest author Juliet Ashton.
Then there is Michiel Huisman as the bookish and dishy pig farmer Dawsey Adams.
Set in post-WWII, Juliet decides to visit the once Nazi-occupied Guernsey after receiving a letter from Dawsey, who explains the origins of the titular book club.
Once she is at the picturesque English Channel Island, the lives of the quirky book club members inspire Juliet to write about them. It is a no-brainer that a romance develops between Juliet and Dawsey.
The plot is a predictable romance drama.
However, under Mike Newell's gentle direction, the film charms when you warm up to the oddball characters, all wonderfully acted by James' fellow Downton Abby alumni Matthew Goode, Jessica Brown Findlay and Penelope Wilton.
Do not be put off by the movie's mouthful title and the unsavoury potato peel pie, this slow-burner has enough substance to keep you satiated.
- JOANNE SOH
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