10 years, 18 movies...it delivered.

Rating: 9/10 (27 April 2018)

I've been waiting for this film since 2008 when Nick Fury showed up in Tony Stark's house telling him he's apart of a bigger universe and he just doesn't know it.
The pacing is relentless. Not a boring moment. It was basically three third acts all together. I was surprised to see it even escalate further than I expected. Being a huge comic-book geek, I was pleased to see the film go to places where I thought it wouldn't. I definitely thought Marvel would play it just a little safe before Avengers 4, but they didn't.
So with that being said, lets start with Thanos. Josh Brolin's Thanos is the MCU's best villain by far, beating out Loki, Winter Soldier, Vulture, Killmonger, and Zemo. Also for a CGI creature, he looked legit. Unlike Steppenwolf, the way the light hits his face, the subtle movements on his face when he expresses himself, his movement, it was just perfection. There are some moments where it's not too polished, but it's not completely distracting. Compared to the comics, the Russo Brothers, Kevin Feige and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely take some liberties to make Thanos more than just a big villain who wants to destroy the world. In his own sick and twisted point of view, he kinda had a point, and the best villains are the ones who think that they're doing the right thing.
At this point if any of you have been following the MCU or at least watched a good portion, you won't be totally lost. The entire cast brought their A-game and came to play. Some characters take a back seat, but they do get their moment to shine and are used very well in service of the plot. Downey Jr. and Cumberbatch have great snarky, prick-like, know-it-all vs. know-it-all back and forth. Holland, Pratt, Bautista, Mackie, Cooper, Diesel, and Ruffalo bring some levity. Evans and Hemsworth bring it in the action department and at this point they can play Cap and Thor in their sleep. We also get a nice cameo from a character we haven't seen in a while. You'll know who I'm talking about once you see the film.
Kudos for Markus and McFeely for juggling this behemoth. One can make the argument that it can get confusing, but if you're invested as much as I am, then it's a total breeze. With 18 movies in, Infinity War can't afford to bring you up to speed.
I normally find romance in superhero films a drag, but here Infinity War juggles two of them and they work really well. I found that the Vision and Scarlet Witch romance was quite effective. Star-Lord and Gamora worked well also.
Action sequences and special effects are top notch. I know a lot of VFX artists worked day and night and they really did not miss a beat. Like Thanos, some weren't as polished, but it's not to the point where it's so obvious. The battle sequences in Titan and Wakanda are back to back edge of your seat thrill rides. I particularly geeked out in the Titan sequence where Thanos does have a one on one with Doctor Strange and Iron Man. Kudos for the creative team to allow Thanos to go nuts with his Infinity Gauntlet. That was such a treat.
Thanos solves Marvel's villain problem. He got a lot of screen time to be developed and being a fan I wasn't disappointed. I love that I felt a sense of danger. As much as I love the MCU, the criticism of no stakes and weak villains for some of their films are valid. For the first time in a while, we actually feel fear for these characters and it's awesome.
If I had one negative, and that's really all I have, is that perhaps the Black Order, or the Children of Thanos are nothing more than just henchmen. They are primarily new characters introduced in the Infinity storyline back in 2013. I did not expect to get what writer Jonathan Hickman gave us in the source material they're based off of, so I kept my expectations in check, but I really did think we'd get a little more to who they are all about. Out of the four, only Ebony Maw truly impressed me and had the most to do.
Avengers: Infinity War is everything I could have hoped for. It's definitely in my Top 3 list of MCU films, and in my Top 10 comic-book films of all time. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and directors Joe & Anthony Russo did not pull any punches with this one. It pulled my heart out, making some bold choices along the way. I love their tone as they bring intensity, knowing when to be serious and knowing when to sprinkle in a little humor here and there.
It's a grim and bleak time for the Avengers and the Guardians. The sense of danger makes all the difference in this film. If any of you haven't seen it, you're all not ready for what's to come. Consequences are real and the stakes are high. I will definitely be seeing this again in theaters and I'm so thankful that Avengers 4 is only a year wait as opposed to two or three.
Remember to also stay after the credits.
9.5/10