So in the end: Was it worth it?

Rating: 9/10 (1 May 2018)

"Avengers: Infinity War" is awesome. Surprisingly, much beauty arises in its imperfection. "Infinity War" embodies the catharsis of the superhero tale of The Avengers. The visuals are dazzling; the battles have never been more spectacular or more costly. Despite having way too many superheroes in this 2 hour 40 minute experience, what makes "Infinity War" so compelling is the villain Thanos.
Charismatic and sad Josh Brolin gifts the amazing motion capture performance of galactic warrior Thanos, the hulking man-like creature Son of Saturn's Moon Titan. I agree with my buddy Marc: I get who Thanos is. As a child he watched his vibrant Titan die, due to over population; thus exhausting its resources. That was his epiphany. Thanos "adopts" daughters Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana, and Nebula, played by Karen Gillan, on his merciless conquests across the universe.
Now the feared warrior Thanos possesses the Infinity Gauntlet, the golden mechanical glove with the Infinity Stones. When he possesses all six stones, he will have the power to wipe out half of all humanity with the snap of his finger. In his own enlightened twist way, he believes that he is benevolent. That is he for the greater good.
At the narrative arc of "Infinity War" Thanos tells Doctor Strange, master of the Mystic Arts and Earth's defender, played by understated and powerful Benedict Cumberbatch, of killing off half of the known universe with the snap of his finger, "I call that mercy." Doctor Strange asks, "And then what?" Thanos replies, "I finally rest..."
Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo string a cohesive narrative thread with the inspired screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, wisely focusing our attention on Thanos. Thus, humanizing him before our eyes. "Infinity War" is great, yet not greater than "Black Panther". Where "Black Panther" was the self-sustained tale of becoming greater, "Infinity War" is more the Act 2 of the Avenger's hero morality play.
Even amidst the often tangled story lines of the rift between Robert Downey Jr.' s Iron Man and Chris Evans's Captain America, and Chris Hemsworth's Thor's displacement from his home World Asgaard, "Infinity War" is surprisingly and poignantly about the cost of being right; however justified we might be.
In that the Russo Brothers do the little things humanely: child Gamora asks her father Thanos, "What did it cost?" Thanos replies, "Everything." So was it worth it?
Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, and Chris Evans rock as Thor, Doc Strange, Gamora, and Captain America - Steve Rogers are amazing. Hemsworth is refreshingly badass as Thor, fueled by his vengeance upon Thanos. Cumberbatch is quiet confidence and wisdom as Doctor Strange, who may possess the key to the actual "endgame". Evans always embodies such conviction and earnestness in idealist Captain America. Saldana is so powerful stealing the movie displaying authentic humanity in her love - despise relationship with her father Thanos.
Their personal story resonates above the sometimes distracting number of heroes and splintering narrative threads. So in the end was it worth it for Thanos? Does he get what he really wants? At least for me, I was surprised in "Avenger: Infinity War" in a great way. So it was worth it. Even with the totally WTF conclusion, I still have hope. I can't wait to see what happens in May 2019.