A Marvel film that hits all the emotions

Rating: 8/10 (22 January 2019)

After 10 years of the current era of the Marvel universe, 'Avengers: Infinity War' marks the beginning of the end for the stories of many of the characters we've grown attached to throughout multiple film entries. What else can you expect but a gargantuan cast that brings together nearly every single major superhero and supporting character?
It's difficult to keep track of everyone in 'Infinity,' as different factions team up with each other, whether it's the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' crew splitting up with the likes of Thor and Doctor Strange or members of the original Avengers crew heading to Wakanda for a last stand of sorts to protect an infinity stone, everything is all over the map. But regardless of where our heroes are physically in the universe, they are united in their mission to defeat big bad guy Thanos before he can wipe out 50% of all living things in the universe.
Despite the obvious bloating that 'Infinity' experiences, the film works very well. It feels as grand as it's billed, and lives up to the hype. There's plenty of material here, from the stylized action sequences we come to expect from Marvel fare to humorous banter between the old friends - and some new ones - when everyone crosses paths. In this sense, 'Infinity' feels more like a space opera than it does your typical superhero blockbuster. There's also an ominous tone that 'Infinity' takes on as it becomes clear that the situation is dire, and it's a hard pill to swallow when events transpire, including the final moments of the film that leave many breathless. One of the few criticisms of the film is that it moves too quickly - the story could have unfolded much better as a Netflix series, but of course the filmmakers did what was necessary to get it to an appropriate runtime.
The Russo brothers deserve much credit for being able to tame this beast of a movie, and it's likely that 'Avengers: Endgame' will be a must see when it hits theaters in April.