In awe.
Shocked.
Perplexed.
Disbelief.
Near loss of words.
That's how I (and many others) felt watching Avengers: Infinity War this weekend. A ten-year culimnation that has expanded 18 films came to a head in the biggest movie of the year, and easily THE biggest movie in Marvel and quite possibly superhero history. To me, Infinity War lived up to the hype and then some, and there's no telling what will happen with the MCU going forward after this movie. While I will admit that as far as movies go, I'm a far bigger fan of the MCU than the DCEU. I still enjoy a great superhero movie regardless of who makes it and where it comes from, and this is definitely one of those great superhero movies.
I won't spoil anything, but I'll say this much...the first five minutes or so will easily set the tone for what will happen going forward. DC Comics does NOT hold the monolpoly in darkness in superhero movies, let me tell you. The way they bring all the heroes in on this movie was done practially perfectly. They somehow someway manage to take the best of the Marvel films as far as personality of the heroes and movies themselves and made it work. The funny characters brought their own unique funny, while the serious characters brought their own unique seriousness. No two heroes felt the same to me. This was something I feared would happen with so many heroes in one film, but again Marvel did an amazing job of HOW they used their heroes and it didn't feel overdone. I was quite pleased with how the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy met each other, as well as how some characters didnt't meet...or didn't even come face-to-face after certain events prior to Infinity War (and what COULD be a potential key moment in the next Avengers movie).
Thanos...my goodness. If you don't know why Thanos is considered one of THE baddies of the entire Marvel universe, this movie proved why practially from the get-go. The MCU did an incredible job making him into a pompous prick that needed to be dealt with. I understood his reasoning for wanting to do the things he wants to do, but it didn't make me want him to succeed. He is clearly full of himself and had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He's only in it for himself, and the hell with whoever stands in his way, and it's made abundantly clear throughout the movie. IMHO, he is THE definitive Marvel villian and I can see why he could easily be this generation's Darth Vader (but trust me, Thanos is in his own league). The Black Order, BTW, were definitely sickos in their own right, and the Avengers vs the Black Order were pretty intense as well in the many battles they had throughout the movie.
As with all Marvel movies, definitely stay for the post-credit scene, even though your head will be on a swivel at the end of the movie (mine definitely was). It will go a long way toward what (or MINOR SPOILER...WHO) is on the way in the next Avengers moves, which will be coming out next year.
I will close with this, there has never been a war without casulties. Every beginning has a end, but no end is as forever as it may seem to be. The end of the movie will be hard to take for some, and while it will be for this guy...I'm now more intriqued than ever of what comes next. Misson accomplished, Marvel. Minus a few minor personal issues on my part, easily Marvel's best movie to date. Worth the wait. VERY happy we won't have to wait a whole 10 years to see what happens next. 9.75 out of 10 for ya boy.
Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War is playing in theaters now.
