Very entertaining and well executed.

Rating: Null/10 (29 April 2018)

Avengers Infinity War: So I thought it was really good. My concerns before it came out were about the possibility that it would feel overbloated and overstuffed. For the most part the film is able to juggle its various storylines well, although not perfectly all the time and it's definitely flawed. It wasn't an absolute homerun but it wasn't nearly as messy as it could have been. The action sequences are entertaining and it does feel like there are real stakes, something which is rare for these films.
Now for the spoilers section: I think killing a character like Loki in the beginning was the right move. The Gamora arc was well handled, but it also felt like it could have been given even more meaning. The Vision arc was also well done. As for the entire final sequence where "people at random" were killed, it doesn't ring true. If you really want to hit home the point that some people will randomly die and some people won't, don't have all of the main, original avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk) stay alive while a lot of the lesser characters and new avengers fade away. I feel like all throughout the film the stakes felt real, but once this happened they didn't because of that same problem: the obvious characters stayed alive while the lesser characters (and a few main new avengers didn't) and additionally because it's clear that they will be coming back somehow. Having seen it, I am now less sure about the risks the writers are willing to take.
As for the individual characters, I loved that Thor got more screentime than Captain America. I think with Ragnarok they now know he could become one of the favorite superheroes. Hemsworth is the most adept at handling the comedy/drama balance I feel, and it's great to see him finally being used for his full potential. Tom Holland was again impressive (his final scene with Tony was so well acted). Zoe Saldana was also one of the strongest in the cast, and she will be missed.
As for characters not used as well, Peter Quill/Star Lord was dumbed down and made to be too much of comedy relief, to a point that it was out of character. Peter Parker was his complete contrast in that he was used very well and the comedy for him works, but for Quill it did not. Or maybe it's just my dislike for Chris Pratt shining through, but he's so annoying. Oh, and what does Black Widow do again? I feel like both in Civil War and here she's just... there. Here in particular, she has one of the main spots in the poster and in billing and yet she has no arc and does barely anything of note. Even Wanda/Scarlett Witch seems to have more screentime and a better arc. It just seems like the writers, after so many films, have still not figured out how to write Black Widow, and it's a shame they're underutilizing Scarlett Johansson.