Bridgewater, Va.- Ten years ago, Iron Man began the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ten years and nineteen movies later, we are approaching the end of the road with Avengers: Infinity War. Does the film live up to the lofty expectations?

Avengers: Infinity War is the third Avengers film, the seventh film of Phase Three, and the 19th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The film hosts a bunch of characters, but every hero from the last 10 years of Marvel films are in this monster of a film. In the film, the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy finally come together to face the greatest villain the MCU has ever faced: the Mad Titan, Thanos.

Thanos, on a quest to wipe out half the universe, hunts down the Infinity Stones to achieve his purpose.

Avengers: Infinity War is a box-office monster, as it not only broke the opening weekend record but also became one of only four films to ever make $2 billion worldwide. Does the film live up to the lofty expectations? In short: very much so.

Avengers: Infinity War is so good, it’s actually kind of scary. This has been building for 10 years, and any film that would even attempt something of this magnitude would crumble. But Infinity War delivers on every level.

The characters were just as great as they were in their solo films, but this film brought out the best in every character. Even those who don’t get a lot of screen time make up for it in some of the best sequences in the film.

For the heroes, three of the biggest standouts are Iron Man, Thor and Gamora. Each brought their own element of fun to the film, but they are the emotional center of the film.

Every heavy and dramatic moment is led by these three, but they don’t carry the film. Each hero, from Doctor Strange to Spider-Man, carry their load and do what they need to for the film.

Easily the biggest standout of the film is the villain, Thanos. While he is the bad guy, Thanos is undoubtedly the protagonist of Avengers: Infinity War. He is the center focus of the film, and Josh Brolin’s performance is the better than anyone could have envisioned. While not on the level of Heath Ledger’s Joker, Thanos is easily the single best villain in the MCU. Everything he says, you believe, whether or not he’s actually right. He’s intimidating, and when he has the power of an Infinity Stone in his hand, he gives the reason for the Avengers to fear him.

The action of Infinity War is the most exhilarating the series has ever seen. Every MCU has great action set pieces, but Infinity War puts the rest of the MCU to shame.

The Battle on Wakanda, for example, is the most explosive action set piece the MCU has seen to date, and the level of intensity just rises as the film progresses forward. There were tons of amazing moments, including Thanos throwing pieces of a moon at The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Despite the action, the film also excels in the more emotional moments. It hits the notes it needs to, without feeling completely forced down your throat. The moments that the movie tugs at the heartstrings, you feel it.

You could feel the pain and misery these characters feel, especially when they are at their lowest low. Without spoilers, the end of the film is perhaps the most somber of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A haunting moment accompanied by a sorrowful score makes this the most fun, but also the most emotional film in the MCU.

Avengers: Infinity War is the perfect modern superhero movie. It took everything that worked well in the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and everything that didn’t work.

This was the beginning of the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it did not disappoint in any sense of the imagination. For fans of the MCU, this is the film that they have been waiting for.

It’s still a fun and surprisingly emotional adventure that leaves the audiences waiting in anticipation for Avengers 4.