By Hunter T. Patrick

This review For Avengers: Infinity War contains minimal spoilers if you do not want to find out that Batman saves the day at the end of this movie then read another review or see the movie.

Ten years in the making indeed. The 19th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally been released. No one would have ever thought the first Avengers movie would ever be made, or even succeed. Avengers brings together six superheroes, four with their own franchise, all for an epic movie. Infinity War’s marketing campaign mentions how there are 23 heroes in this movie. Is that a little too much? Some will say yes. Luckily the movie manages them all with ease (but do not expect all of them to play an equal role).

Before getting to the positives, let's discuss the negatives that people may have. First and foremost, do not watch the movie expecting it to be stand-alone. It’s the 19thinstallment of a franchise, and the first out of two parts for the franchise’s epic finale (of sorts). The ending is not going to be definite, but man is the ending amazing. Also, many may complain at the runtime. Do not look and see how long it is. It is the shortest out of all 19 movies in the sense that each second counts and matters with the nonstop hope that the movie will never end. In minute count, however, it is by far the longest with roughly 160 minutes. 

To properly enjoy this movie, try to see the past 18 movies (or at least both Avengers, Winter Soldier, Civil War, Ragnarok, the first Iron Man, and the first Guardians of the Galaxy). The more you see, the better the experience. If you have seen them all and unlock the life achievement for doing so, then brace yourself as I promise you, you are not ready. The opening scene alone was one of the most intense, heart-pounding moments of any movie I have ever seen. Right from the start does the movie not hide just how dark it is going to get, but also prepare for your heart to break. The tone is not only one of the darkest, but also one of the lightest with various jokes throughout the movie. If you are going to have a movie with Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy, of course, there will be jokes. Every joke fits the character and makes the darker scenes with them hit that much harder. 

Character interactions are one of the best parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with this being by far the best movie for those. Expect many team-ups. The best include the less serious characters bouncing off one another or seeing the over-serious with some lighter characters. Just a warning, do not get attached. The stakes are sky high as the prologue shows us. Not a single character is safe. Go into the movie with no spoilers and try to guess five characters who will survive. Chances are you won’t be able to correctly guess five, or maybe even three. Each scene you do not know if, yet another character will die. The movie is nonstop action, with no single scene being filler throughout the entire movie. It moves fast and is worth every moment. Each scene will give you so many mixed feelings, with the perfect juggling act.

Thanos shows from the start he is not someone to be messed with. He is the villain that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has always needed. Josh Brolin’s acting is full of heavy moments. He is the villain to literally end all villains in the universe. Not only is Thanos a strong highlight, but also Thor and all of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Each actor in this film gives their best performance yet, especially all in the final ten minutes of the film. The ending is some of the most beautiful moments in all 19 films of the MCU. Do not let anyone tell you the film or the franchise is a comedy after that. Every laugh, every moment, all lead up to those moments and show the MCU in its full potential. My biggest criticism is not knowing what will last and how large the impact is for the rest of the films, but that is not anything that will be answered until a year from now. Great job Russo Brothers and Marvel for yet another masterpiece.

Score: 5/5

Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel Studios