A ride like no other

Rating: 10/10 (30 April 2018)

I feel like I just gave birth to a Thanos-sized baby.
I have been physically and emotionally drained by this movie from start to finish, as it starts with an intense sense of foreboding, and carries that throughout the entire rest of the film. This is edge-of-your-seat excitement, and it is not hyperbole to say so. Around every corner is something dangerous and unpredictable, and for all the scenes that feature so many of the heroes Marvel has cultivated over the last decade, it never feels cluttered.
The Russos carefully pace the introductions and the separation of scenes, never feeling like our stay with a certain group of heroes is too long or too short. We have come a long way to get here, and in doing so, we are not cheated in any way by how the story unfolds.
Josh Brolin's Thanos is the real star of the movie. A background villain, ever looming in the shadows and on the horizon, he finally gets his moment, and garners ample screen time and development, unlike so many villains before him. His motives are laid out in an expert sort of way, much like Killmonger's in Black Panther, and it creates a richer experience. Thanos relies on Brolin's capabilities as an actor to become real, and Brolin is more than up to the challenge.
The visuals on Thanos are remarkable as well; every subtle facial tick and reaction is intensely detailed, and incredibly realistic. That sort of skill elevates the product as a whole, immersing the audience in its world seamlessly.
And then there's that ending. Oh, we must talk about that ending. There have been none like it, and the reactions in the theater when you see it will be unlike any you've ever had in a Marvel movie before. The Russos took some big chances, brought together the universe that so many before them have built, and blasted the whole thing into space for one two and-a-half hour thrill ride, with another installment to come.
Is it May 2019 yet?