Thanos has been waiting a long time, but by Titan it was worth the wait.

With notable exceptions, Marvel has a villain problem – no more. Thanos is an imposing menace, ruthlessly efficient yet surprisingly relatable. His henchmen too are a cut above the rest, any one of them (especially Ebony Maw) better than many a previous big bad.

A single thread weaves uninterrupted through every moment of Infinity War, a masterstroke in screenwriting for the pantheon of characters who share the screen. The scene-switching is effortless, with each of the 150 minutes feeling essential and fast-paced, as the epic arcs crisscross around the galaxy with callbacks galore without overdoing it, navigating backstory without getting lost.

No one feels hard done by, everyone getting their moments in the sun and bringing their own light to the screen. Never has the connection between viewers and these familiar avatars been so strong; audiences will not be able to control their reactions to countless standout moments, laughing, crying out, and cheering.

As befits this melding of movies, the score is filled with rich and varied musical cues, but the welcome return of Alan Silvestri’s Avengers theme continues to stand highest among them.

Even the smack-bang-wallop is first-class, with frenetic clashes of titans staying fresh in all their formulations. As new groups of heroes combine their powers into innovative and visually striking attack combos, the choreography between real and digital is a sight to behold.

Avengers: Infinity War is a triumph for Marvel, Disney, and blockbuster filmmaking. By fusing the best parts of the 18 movies behind it, the sum is considerably greater. Whatever comes next for Earth’s – or the Universe’s – Mightiest Heroes, we’re stepping into the unknown and that couldn’t be more exciting.

RATING: 5/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan, Elizabeth Olsen, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr.

DIRECTORS: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely (screenplay by); Stan Lee, Jack Kirby (based on the comics by)

SYNOPSIS: The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.