10 Jun Infinite Review

INFINITE

dir. Antoine Fuqua, starring Mark Whalberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sophie Cookson, Jason Mantzoukas, et al

Adapted from the novel The Reincarnationist Papers, Infinite is the story of Evan McCauley as he slowly discovers that his hallucinations are actually visions from past lives. Diagnosed with Schizophrenia at an early age, McCauley’s difficulty keeping a job has landed him in a desperate, hardscrabble life. After being caught up in a drug deal gone sideways, McCauley finds himself caught up in a seemingly never ending game of death and reincarnation as Darryl Bathurst attempts to erase all life from the planet to ease his suffering. As far as stories go, the plot of Infinite is fairly one note: get the Macguffin, stop the bad guy, save the world. This plot has been the basis of a number of James Bond films, pretty much every Mission Impossible, and countless others. The problem is, all those movies executed their stories with much more panache and excitement than Infinite did. By no means is this a bad or so-bad-it’s-good film, the main issue with Infinite was its blandness. Great action films get you excited; they get your blood pumping and having you rooting for the good guys to win and the bad guys to receive their just desserts. While we get exactly that in Infinite, the journey to get there is unfortunately formulaic and paint-by-numbers. Not even the late second act addition of Jason Mantzoukas, who’s always a delight in both live action and animated form, was enough to spark some life into the story.

Acting wise, Whalberg serves up more of what you’ve come to expect from his body of action movies. There’s no Academy Award nominations waiting in the wings, but what what he does with the role is fun and light hearted, willing to be lead along the way, as is the audience. Most of his hesitations and protestations fall flat after a question or two as McCauley is swept along from scene to scene, aided with exposition dumps by various characters. Sophie Cookson does a manageable job as Tammy, the character tasked with both bringing in McCauley and bringing the audience up to speed. While acting is never the highlight of a summer blockbuster film, Chiwetel Ejiofor is the standout in the film. Ejiofor always delights when he’s in antagonist mode, chewing scenery in the most English way possible while still being charming and convincing. Here, playing the primary antagonist Bathurst, Ejiofor brings a desperation to the character that almost boarders on sympathy.

Directed by veteran Antoine Fuqua, Infinity is the type of film that fits in his wheelhouse. On par with his other films like The Equalizer and Olympus Has Fallen, Infinite is another notch in Fuqua’s rather lackluster catalog of action films. He plays it straight down the middle, with few flourishes or stylistic choices to enhance the experience. Fuqua’s workmanlike approach to the action genre generally results in enjoyable-but-forgettable films that have marked his career. The cinematography is decent, there’s a number of pretty establishing shots that anchor the viewer to the location of the scene, but outside of that, it’s a standard affair. At 106 minutes, the movie is aided by it’s quick runtime, helping to keep the plot moving a snappy pace.

Overall, Infinite is a decent enough action movie that scratches that summer blockbuster itch. A simple plot, passable acting, and decent action scenes make this a film that’s a good watch after work on the couch with drinks firmly in hand. Your world won’t be enriched by it, and there’s a good possibility that by this time next year you’ll have completely forgotten everything about it but while you’re in the moment it’s a nice distraction from life’s ills. Infinite is now streaming on Paramount+.

Review by Darryl Mansel