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We are at the 10-year mark of the new Marvel cinematic universe that began with the revolutionary Iron Man (2008). This 19th movi...

We are at the 10-year mark of the new Marvel cinematic universe that began with the revolutionary Iron Man (2008). This 19th movie in the franchise is actually Part 1 of 2 films that will (supposedly) be the lasting legacy of The Avengers. The second "half", much of which was filmed simultaneously with this one, is set for 2019.

When Thanos (Josh Brolin), embarks on a deadly campaign to find and possess the Infinity Stones, he leaves a path of death and destruction in his path. When his pursuit leading him to Earth, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who enlists a reluctant Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), to the cause just as the minions of Thanos arrive. With The Avengers fractured and scattered following the events of "Captain America: Civil War" the teams find themselves dealing with the threat in various groups as fate steps in to divide many key members of the team. This allows for a great entry by the Guardians of the Galaxy and allows the film to take a very enjoyable path.

Essentially the movie weaves separate storylines into one cohesive and very satisfying epic. You have a story with the Guardians as well as one with many of the key Avengers, as well as others with characters old and new. As such it is like a Guardians, Avengers, and Marvel film all rolled into one and each one supports the other very well yet has the charm and identity you would expect. While the tone is very dark as you would expect with literally half of the known universe facing destruction, there is also some solid humor in the film that never once undermines the story or pacing. Naturally, the effects are stunning as you would expect as Marvel has put a significant amount of money into the film and it shows in every eye-popping action sequence. What really impressed me the most was that the Russo Brothers never let the FX of the film overshadow the characters and with a very large cast, it was nice to see everyone got their moment and you did not see members of the cast trying to one-up each other.

I liked how well Thanos was portrayed as while you hopefully will not agree with his deductions and methods; you could actually understand his motivations and it helps him transcend from the usual megalomaniacs which are so common in films of his type.

Overall, the stakes are high, the villain is great, the scale is incredible, some characters from the past return and the acting is brilliant. Make sure you, see Thor: Ragnarok first, and I mean all of it! All the way through the credits. It'll make better sense that way when you see Infinity War. And stay through the credits if you want to see a sneak peek at Marvel's first female superhero.