Turned my expectations to dust!!!

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2018)

Finally got to see this gem today. The hype was real. I've been a fan of the MCU since its inception and, with the exception of Iron Man 3 and Guardians 2 (and a barely passable "meh" with Ant Man), I have thoroughly enjoyed each installment. I was 25 years old when Iron Man first hit theaters and now, 10 years later, the first part of the finale assaulted my senses in the best possible way.
Right off the bat, you're presented with dead bodies and a calm voice telling you that you're lucky to be dead. This movie wastes no time in setting the tone. In fact, you could start this film right off from the end credits scene in Thor: Ragnarok.
The trademark MCU humor is present, but it feels toned down. This could be because of the dark and foreboding atmosphere that permeates the film, or maybe because the filmmakers listened to the criticisms of past films and toned down the quipping. Either way, it's refreshing to hear when it comes and feels like a natural extension of the character's personalities. The clash of ego's between Dr. Strange and Tony Stark is especially good.
The deaths all have an impact as well. I expected a kind of mass-murder thing, but each on-screen kill takes its time, even for "lesser" characters like Heimdall. We get to watch the light leave their eyes or watch them vanish from existence, and it leaves a mark. A lot of people talk about Peter Parker's reaction to being erased from existence and how it tugs at the heartstrings, and they're right in saying so. With all of the powers and abilities, you almost forget that he's a high schooler thrust into a galaxy-spanning battle for universal survival, which is a lot to lay at anyone's feet.
My favorite moments include the return of Steve Rogers, my favorite character. He just looks and is bad-ass throughout the whole film, especially when he joins the Wakandan army to fight off the invasion of Thanos' army (or a part of it) and is the only one that can keep up with a charging Black Panther. It was really cool seeing them sprinting headlong into battle together. I also like how the romantic relationship between Vision and Wanda plays out.
I do want to know what is up with Bruce Banner and the Hulk, though. For some reason, after getting his ass handed to him by Thanos he turns into some kind of coward and refuses to come out. Bruce spends his time in combat in the Hulkbuster suit that beat him in Avengers 2. Also, the end credits sequence teases Captain Marvel being paged by Nick Fury. Where did she come from? How does Nick Fury know about her? I guess these are things that will be revealed in the second installment.
I will definitely be viewing this movie again, and it will be very difficult to top. However, the filmmakers must do so to make the epic conclusion to a series over a decade in the making successfully conclude. As Dr. Strange cryptically stated, "it's the only way".