Anyone who’s read Marvel comics over the last four decades knows that any prolonged story arc will usually lead to one heckuva blowout in that arc’s conclusion.

That’s exactly what happens in Avengers: Infinity War – the final chapter (or is it?) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current arc.
Since pretty much every sequence in Infinity War is, in some way, a spoiler, this is a review that’s proved difficult. But here we go…

People die.

People we care about die.

People we don’t care about (or even actively hate) die.

People we care about – but know we probably shouldn’t – die.

Only one character gets even a moderately happy ending.
Technically, the film is directed with panache; the CGI are bloody brilliant; every character gets a moment (or two) to shine.
The film’s running time of 149 minutes does not feel nearly that long.

Even though I’ve read some of the comics upon which Infinity War is based, my first reaction to film as a whole was, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

Avengers: Infinity War is not the best of the Marvel movies – not by a long shot – but it’s entertaining as hell for those who like the big blowout issues of certain Marvel Comics arcs (like, say, Infinity War).

For anyone who’s never seen a Marvel movie, this will likely confuse and frustrate you.

For fans of the comics and the previous Marvel movies, Infinity War will bring the current cycle of the studio’s films to a poignant semi-conclusion.

Note: there’s only one post-credits tag – at the very end of the credits – and it’s a good one.

Final Grade: B+