Not Perfect But Damn Near

Rating: 10/10 (27 April 2018)

Wow. I'm having trouble deciding whether I want to give this one 9 or 10 stars, but I know those are my only options for a film of this grand scale. Where do I even begin a review for this film?
Let's start with the pacing. The Russo Brothers proved they can handle directing a film with a huge ensemble cast with Captain America: Civil War, and one-upped themselves with Avengers: Infinity War. Despite the film carrying the weight of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and other Marvel characters of equal importance such as Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, and despite the film having roughly 5 different storylines all happening at the same time, the film handles it quite well and gives each storyline enough screentime with enough spacing. The film does feel long, but, at this point, you don't want it to end!
Thanos is by far done justice in this film; it's evident the Russo Brothers prioritized developing Thanos as a character with twisted but understandable philosophical motivations. The film dedicates great care in fleshing him out as a character rather than leaving him as some one-dimensional "big baddie." Infinity War also makes Thanos an actual threat, and this was the first Marvel movie for me in which I thought the stakes were at its highest; the characters we've grown to love through this franchise are seen at their most vulnerable against Thanos, and that's emotionally terrifying to watch. Avengers: Infinity War is just as much about the spiritual and emotional journey Thanos goes through searching for the Infinity Stones as it is about the Avengers.
With all the darkness that I seem to point out in this film, this film still has the characteristic Marvel quips. It became fan service many times as I'm sure fans imagined how their favorite characters would interact upon meeting each other, and many of these came to life, much to the pleasure of the audience.
One of my favorite things about the Russo Brothers' direction is their action. The action sequences are framed excellently and add to the brutality of the Infinity War. I was interested in seeing how they would direct these more cosmic and special effects-laden action sequences, given, within the scope of Marvel, most of their prior action sequences in The Winter Soldier and Civil War were more practical and focused on hand-to-hand combat choreography. That said, they used the superpowered special effects efficiently without any excess. There are countless action sequences I couldn't wait to see happen on screen, and they completely delivered in emotional weight as well as in sheer energy.
There are some flaws that I felt were a part of the film. There are several characters that feel underused in the film's plot. Some characters are just there without really adding so much purpose to the film's plot, and are limited to minor plot points or one-line quips at best.
The film ends on a cliffhanger and essentially relies on the necessity of a sequel rather than a mere implication of one, but we already knew that going in. Still, even though I knew well in advance that a sequel would be coming, I can't help but feel unsatisfied by the cliffhanger ending and, because I knew there would be a sequel, it made me less emotionally invested in the events in the film because I know there's "more to come." Given that all Marvel movies previously ended on a non-cliffhanger note, I admire that this film adds something new to the mix and ends it on such a cliffhanger, but at the same time dislike it for the feeling that it lacks completion in the story. It's like the "Empire Strikes Back" of the MCU. Certainly the "climax" of a larger story arc, and in hindsight perhaps the best of the franchise once we see the rest of the story arc.
Overall, Avengers: Infinity War retains the Marvel charm and organic humor we've come to love as fans of the MCU, while setting a new standard for our conception of Marvel films with a level of intensity and emotional weight in the storyline. It is Marvel's darkest, most emotional and intense film to date, and you'll enjoy each and every 156 minutes of it and leave the theater wanting (or, in this case, needing) more.
9.5/10