Avengers: Infinity War - Spoiler-free thoughts and impressions

"What just happened?"

These were the only words I could think to text Abigayle after Infinity War. In just two and a half hours, Marvel had flipped my entire perspective of their universe around. Having gotten an invitation to an early preview, I got to witness the climax of 10 years worth of cinematic adventure, and I was at a loss for words.

The Russo brothers struck the perfect tone with this movie. It was chalked full of vintage Marvel wit with always present one-liners stemming from seemingly every character. The Guardians remain true to who they are, Strange and Stark are a match made in heaven, and Parker is every bit as entertaining; I loved Maguire, but I cannot deny Holland's excellence as Spider-Man. Yet even in the mix of the comedic goodness, this movie hits all the right emotions to keep it personal. There are moments of joy, sadness, empathy, relief, and even a moment of pure heart-wrenching grief. For a movie that is so outlandish and unrealistic, the emotional roller coaster is oh so grounded.

With so many heroes and so little time, I remain impressed with the dedication that was given to hashing out solid character arches and providing adequate screen time to all. I did not feel as if any one person dominated the story or that anyone hero was pushed to the back. Without spoiling anything, I would say I was slightly disappointed that some heroes were missing and that some heroes did not affect the story a significant amount. But kudos to the Russo brothers for making sure each character got a voice and even giving fans a "blast to the past" with a character; they even managed to make something quite large out of one small, unexpected person.

The most surprising thing about Infinity War was the amount of sympathy I felt for a large, computer-generated, purple villain. While I disagree with Thanos' actions, I did find myself sympathetic to his cause, and at times, I truly felt sorry for him. The Russo brothers and Josh Brolin managed to inject humanity and emotion in to a character that is hell-bent on essentially destroying/ruling the world. I would say can excellent backstory and even better voice acting made Thanos a truly remarkable villain.

Infinity War really is the crowning jewel on top of 10 years worth of a truly remarkable cinematic journey. Was it perfect? Of course not, but what film is? However, it may be the most exciting film of the whole universe. I spent the entire movie wrapped up in the sheer vastness of the universe and complexity of the plot. I will choose not to give away any real details, but let me just say that by the end of the film, all I could manage to say was, "what just happened!?"

p.s. There is an after-credits scene so hang tight. It was the most Marvel part of the whole movie, and even gives a little taste of the future of the franchise...Enjoy!