Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
Runtime: 149 minutes

Synopsis: 10 years and 18 movies later, the Earth's mightiest heroes finally confront the universe's biggest threat, Thanos.

Performances: 8/10
Screenplay: 8/10
Special Effects: 10/10
Costumes/Makeup: 9/10
Editing: 7/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Verdict: I loved every second of this two and a half hours epic. What the Russo brothers accomplished is nothing short of extraordinary, as managing to balance literally dozens of superheroes in one movie is a task I thought impossible. The cast, despite not really offering anything new, was brilliant as well, perfectly blending drama and comedy. But the actor who caught my attention the most was Josh Brolin as the pitiless Thanos, who we only saw glimpses of in previous installments, and who without a doubt is Marvel's best and most menacing villain to date. The visual effects were as expected stunning, especially considering the fact that "Infinity War" cost as much as the amateurish looking "Justice League" to make. 

I almost feel bad mentioning the problems I had with the film since they never really bothered me to the point of taking me out of it. However, I feel obliged to mention that much like many MCU installments, its cinematography didn't particularly wow me. The movie is also not completely free of convenience and exposition that I think could've been handled more smoothly. Finally, the third entry in the "Avengers" franchise did feel inconsistent at times, blending multiple storylines together without really connecting them.     

Nevertheless, "Infinity War" is more than just a movie, it's a celebration. It will certainly more than satisfy Marvel fans, who I predict will consider it to be this generation's "Empire Strikes Back".

Final Grade: 9/10