The end of a Marvel phase is coming

Rating: 8/10 (20 May 2018)

To start, I found the film to be entertaining. I personally don't go into super hero movies looking for something utterly profound or with a snob mentality. I take it for what it is. Marvel has set up its universe as one the whole family can watch and as such comes a level of predictably at times. Infinity War is another chapter in a long living super hero genre that follows a certain criteria, and that's what I expected going in.
Other reviews trekked mud all over the movie saying it had no character development, it is too long, it is not long enough, there was no story/plot, they expected more, they didn't get the hype. The funny thing is while they cringed at whoever rated the film as a 9 or 10, they equally pulled a crazy and rated it a dead 1 out of 10. A drastic 1 rating means this film is completely unwatchable, which I didn't find to be the case at all.
Yes, I agree there could have been more done to the film to really polish it, but overall I enjoyed it. It is exactly a Marvel film. Going in hoping for a Sundance, super dark, drastic change in style isn't going to happen. To expect more would be pure insanity because for Marvel, the formula works. Is it going to peeve some comic book nerds and those with their nose held to the ceiling in hyped-up high expectations? Oh yeah.
I have watched every Marvel film up to this culmative point so this brings me to the major point: you have to go in having seen the prior films. It all leads to this movie ten years in the making. It is ten years of character development, ten years of story and plot, ten years of Thanos--and Marvel--building up for this endgame moment where life is not always fair. In Infinity War, the 10-year-movie-in-making finally hits it's climax so it really isn't a shocker when there is nothing but fighting and a fast-paced direction as it all comes crumbling down. There is no more waiting, no more time for long chit-chat banter or backstory and introductions of who is who and why. It's Thanos. He's here. It's all about him now and how to stop him.
Knowing this, watch the film with an open mind, for the sake of entertainment. Also, look at it as a final, much longer end credit scene before the next Avengers because it will leave you greedily wanting the next installment.
(Side note: there is an added plus if you have seen all 18 previous films during its time because unfortunately, some films have become dated in style.)