Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Producer: Kevin Feige

Writer: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Genre: Super Hero

Duration:140 Mins*

Off the bat, I’m not going to spoil anything. 10 years of Marvel films have all lead to this - Avengers: Infinity War and believe me when I say it doesn’t disappoint. Many of the Marvel movies suffer from lackluster villains and characters that just come back to life or never really die. Although, this time around it seems like they’ve solved those problems and pushed the envelope even further. The scale and the stakes in this film are real enough to make you either jump with joy or stare at the screen in awe. Besides the action packed sequences and breathtaking visuals, the narrative and story hit a sweet spot. As a fan of all things Marvel, I was blown away by how much heart this movie has, more than the action. This is the Empire Strikes Back of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This is not an Avenger’s movie. It’s actually a movie about Thanos (Josh Brolin).  Yes, the Avengers have a big part to play but most of the movie just revolves around Thanos, his motivations, his backstory and so on. What the directors (Anthony and Joe Russo) did right, besides the unbelievable spectacle and juggling characters, is that they made the villain relatable. The reason why Thanos is collecting the Infinity Stones makes sense. Yes, its mass genocide but it makes sense. The villain thinks he’s doing nothing wrong. The directors had a daunting task of juggling close to 30 characters, which they succeeded at with ease. Visually, this film is no less than an achievement in filmmaking. Some of the fight scenes are choreographed to perfection. With so many moving variables, its amazing that Marvel actually made this work.

The movie deals with broken father-daughter relationships like Thanos and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and redemption like in the case of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Its great to see a film, that doesn’t really compromise on storytelling just to be more successful commercially. Of course this movie is going to make a boatload of money but it felt like the guys who made it just wanted to make a good heartfelt movie. There are moments in this movie where you see the soft side of Thanos and the insecurities of our favorite characters. The directors come from the world of TV, specifically Arrested Development and Community and it’s a pleasure to watch them deal with all the various and complex characters in this film. The interactions between the characters are my second favorite thing after Thanos.

The movie leaves you wanting more. You will never see the end coming even if it were staring you in your face. It certainly left me with my mouth open as the credits rolled. The end of the film the ballsiest thing I’ve ever seen in cinematic history.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve watched the earlier movies, it doesn’t matter if your young or old, fan or not. This film is an experience. I will definitely watch this again in the theatre and if you are thinking of checking it out do yourself a favor and avoid all spoilers before you watch it.