Avengers Assemble

It amazes me that it's taken 10 years and 18 films to bring to fruition the main story arc that started way back in that faithful summer of 2008 when Iron Man set the stage of what would evidently lead to the events in Avengers: Infinity War. All of the major players and characters are front and center in Marvel's most emotional and blockbuster entry in the cinematic universe to date. Taking place immediately where Thor: Ragnarok left off, Thanos (Josh Brolin), the menacing figure that has been looming over our heroes for the last 6 years, takes possession of the Space stone from Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) aboard their escape vessel. Unable to stop Thanos who now possesses two of the six Infinity Stones, the Avengers on Earth gather their forces together to prepare for the battle to end all battles and to prevent Thanos from obtaining the remaining stones. I seldom make exaggerations 

"When I'm done, half of humanity will still exist. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be... I hope they remember you."

in my reviews but believe me when I say that as soon as Thanos appears, the body count starts to pile up and this includes a few of our favorite heroes as well as several others you won't see me coming (I know I didn't). He also happens to steal the whole movie from the heroes, a foe that is threatening as he is entertaining to watch; something I personally haven't witnessed since Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. To say Thanos is Marvel's most intriguing villain yet is an understatement; he's one of the most memorable in film history. Josh Brolin's performance is so overwhelming that it overshadows all the other cast members, which feels fitting since his character is a powerful genocidal murderer. The other cast members deliver terrific performances with some coming into their own and maturing with their characters as the story

progresses. The spectacular action set pieces are massive and epic, perfectly capsulizing the scale previous Marvel films have set and taking the level even further. Infinity War is by far Marvel Studio's grimmest entry in their cinematic universe but it's also the most engrossing and epic superhero film ever made. The fact that this is only the first part of what's to come in next year's conclusion, it goes without saying that the stakes are high as well as the hype. Avengers: Infinity War is hands down a bonafide epic, one of the best films of the year, gamechanging and sets the stage of what is sure to be an anticipated grand ending.