Marvel fans are buzzing about “Avengers: Infinity War,” as it unites an epic cast including characters from almost every major Marvel film. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo embarked on the considerable task of making a cohesive blockbuster film with over 12 major characters while also maintaining the integrity of the Marvel universe. While the movie was daring and dazzling, there may have been, at times, too many major characters to give each the screen time they deserved.

With a run length of approximately two hours and 40 minutes, the movie felt surprisingly short (almost too short). It felt as if this movie could have continued for at least another hour. As Marvel fan, I expected the the typical Marvel formula of well-timed humor, extreme special effects, epic battles and a happy ending. In some ways, Marvel stayed true to this successful formula but, this was truly not your typical Marvel movie.

In this installment, the Avengers take on the task of defeating one of Marvel’s most evil villains yet, the giant purple titan warlord Thanos (Josh Brolin), a cold and calculating character who shows no mercy for life on any planet. Thanos’s goal is to “save” the universe from overpopulation by wiping out half of the inhabitants of each targeted planet. For Thanos to complete his goal, he needs the power of the infinity stones. The Avengers must stop Thanos from retrieving all the infinity stones, otherwise half of Earth’s population will be wiped out.

While this may be one of Marvel’s darkest movies yet, there is still a good bit of humor scattered throughout the film, which helps lighten the foreboding mood. Whether it be Tony Starks’ (Robert Downey Jr) annoyance with Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) pop culture references about a “very old movie called Aliens,” or the straight up goofiness from Drax (Dave Bautista) who thinks his body will become invisible if he stands very still for a long enough time. The comic relief is well needed in a film that has such sinister undertones.

The directors do a great job of interweaving each character’s story. I had no questions or concerns about how each character got to where they were, whether it be the unlikely team of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) with Groot (Vin Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) or the dysfunctional squad of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Spider Man (Tom Holland), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). Part of the fun in this film was seeing how everyone got along with each other and what alliances or grudges were created as a result of universes colliding. Due to the huge amount of talent that this film carries and the great job the directors did, no one feels out of place in this thrilling Marvel mash up.

The movie opens hurdling us straight into a battle. The battle concludes with a surprising death that instantly sets the mood for the movie. With so much action not much time is dedicated to each character.

Even though it was disappointing that some characters didn’t get the time they deserved, this film was still thoroughly enjoyable. It was a refreshing experience compared to other Marvel movies thanks to its mix of unique characters and dramatic ending. I came in expecting a formulaic movie, but by the end of the film I could barely believe that I was watching a Marvel movie.

Marvel took some big risks with this film and it was a nice change of pace to see something different happen at the end for once. While at the same time it was also nice to see the same old faces mixed together with new ones, especially the ones from Wakanda. This is a must-watch film even if you are not a fan of superhero movies due to the fact this film does not follow Marvel’s typical formula and it has a little bit of everything for everybody. It is a daring film that pushes Marvel movie boundaries. My theater-going companions and I left the cinema in shock and awe. There is a good chance that this film will leave you feeling the same way.

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