*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

The 10-year wait came to an end one week earlier than originally scheduled when Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War hit theaters April 27. Audiences across the world flooded cinemas to see a film that showcases the best, and worst, that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has to offer.

From the opening scene,”Infinity War” sets a somber tone. Ten years of Marvel films have culminated to one villain: Thanos (Josh Brolin), who, within the first five minutes, (last chance, close the tab now if you don’t want spoilers) kills fan-favorite former villain Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

The tension established early on is constant throughout the film; it’s honestly stressful to watch. But characters like Drax (Dave Bautista), Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Groot (Vin Diesel) lighten the mood with some classic Marvel humor. In this way, like many Marvel movies, it’s much more enjoyable than some superhero films of a similar type that are infamous for taking themselves too seriously.

As the second most expensive film ever made, with a budget of over $300 million, the visuals were extraordinary. It’s almost expected of Marvel at this point, but they did certainly not disappoint.

The film does, however, suffer in that it’s simply bogged down with too many characters. I knew this would be an issue going into it, and they handled it better than expected, but some scenes were clearly rushed, and some characters glossed over. I can’t blame directors Joe and Anthony Russo too much, considering how monumental a task this was, but it still remains a major flaw of the film.

The runtime is also ridiculously long. It starts at two hours and forty minutes, but with previews and post-credit scenes, the whole experience clocks in at a little over three hours. Again, I can’t blame the Russo brothers too much, since there is so much ground to cover, but it’s worth noting that you might want to skip the extra large soda for this one.

I did find it really respectable that the Russo brothers were willing to let Thanos win. Through the whole movie, the Avengers were never really prevailing over Thanos. And that’s only fitting for a villain they’ve been setting up for years. One of the things that gets so tiring in superhero movies is that they spend so much time building up huge, imminent threats, but then the heroes prevail in minutes.

But in Infinity War, Thanos wins. He unites all the infinity stones and kills half the universe, including some of the most beloved Avengers everyone thought would be safe.

Immediately after the movie came out, the internet was buzzing about how the major deaths could be reversed, whether it’s based on Easter eggs, comic book plots, or simple speculation. And I support some of those theories; I certainly don’t believe some of the most popular, box office smashing heroes like Spider-Man and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) are gone for good, but it was hugely impactful on the audience to see those characters disappear into thin air.

Overall, although it has its issues, “Infinity War” was very well executed. It kept audiences on their toes, and will certainly keep them coming back for more.

“Avengers: Infinity War” is in theaters now, and “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” the next installment in the MCU, comes out July 6.