Wow! Just---plain---WOW!

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2018)

How to review this film without 100% spoilage?
Well, let's start with the high-jacking of the refugee ship from THOR:RAGNAROK. It comes under attack by Thanos, who manages to whup Thor and the Hulk almost too easily.
Enter the Guardians of the Galaxy and Dr. Strange. The latter aiding Iron Man and Spidey against two alien mercenaries (Roughouse and the Metal Master?). While the former rescue a comatose Thor (who now resembles a Silver Age Nick Fury minus the cigar) from outer space.
This leads to the mandatory explanation about the Infinity Stones and the various aspects of existence they control. And wouldn't you know it? The Vision has one of them in his forehead!
Enter two more alien mercs (Bloodscream and Pip the Troll?) who go after him and Wanda Maximoff in Scotland. Only to have their butts handed to them by Captain American and Company (with Cap now resembling Ringo Starr)! From Scotland, this group goes to Wakanda while Iron Man, Spidey, and Dr. Strange wind up on the Saturnian moon of Titan.
All these different story threads finally coming together in an opening battle that totally surpasses the turning point Battle of Eckthelion from LOTR: ROTK!
Marvel Studios has been building up to this moment for more than a decade. Some of their previous films, in this shared universe, have been more lackluster than blockbuster. But, this was not the case, here. I sat through every second of it and I was not disappointed! Nor was anybody else in the packed house that showed this flick, earlier tonight.
Sure, there was a cliff-hanger ending! But, I knew that there was one coming from the start. After all; there's only so much you can put into a nearly three hour-long movie with a cast of characters this big. Rest assured, though. The Good Guys will whup the Bad Guys! How? I don't know any more than you do. Personally, I hope the sequel features the cinematic debut of either Adam Warlock, Quasar, or Capt. Mar-Vell of the Kree. Yet, Marvel Studios might surprise me (and everybody else) by introducing none of those three!
Two things everyone should remember, however.
1) The Confederate Army's victory at the First Battle of Bull Run didn't guarantee them victory in the American Civil War. And...
2) This film is PG-13. Which means it "might" prove unsuitable for hyper-active, attention-deficit children, under the age of five, who erroneously think they're the Flash!