Ten years of build-up has led to a film that not only celebrates the legion of films that came before, but uses its army of heroes to create moments that viewers will undoubtedly remember. Avengers: Infinity War really does something different and gives its viewers bone-chilling and jaw-dropping scenes that will keep audiences stunned as they are walking out of the theater.

With the gruesome conqueror Thanos (Josh Brolin) on the hunt for the Infinity Stones to complete his Infinity Gauntlet, a weapon that could change the fate of the universe, Marvel’s mightiest heroes (Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo) must go to war in order to stop Thanos. The stakes are higher than ever, blood will be spilt and the fate of the universe is truly is the hands of the Avengers.

From the get-go, viewers will instantly be able to tell that this is unlike previous entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It goes to a dark place and never really leaves there for the rest of the film and viewers will immediately get the sense that some might not make it out alive. This kicks-off the perfect kind of build-up you want for a movie and show that there are some real stakes this time around. It suddenly makes viewers care more about the characters on screen and worry for their safety.

This kind of tone all works for Thanos and his Black Order as truly daunting and terrifying villains. There is no messing around this time and audiences will see the sheer terror on faces of every hero on-screen at the mention of his name. Even the most cool-tempered heroes like Star-Lord and Iron Man will feel tense seeing his face and viewers have never seen that in the MCU before. Viewers also get to know Thanos a bit through small flashbacks that open him up as a characters a showcase a bit of his moral flaws. This makes him a little more humanizing at first but doesn’t take away from his dark demeanor and dominating presence.

Now, this dark tone doesn’t mean that the series has now turned its back on it comedic moments and epic fight scenes. The character groupings lead to some wonderfully executed character dynamics. There are some great lines, especially when the Guardians are introduced, and some great first encounters for these heroes. The fight scenes are also scaled to epic proportions. Each bringing something new and showcasing some character team-up that viewers have only dreamed of seeing on the big screen.

However, some fight scenes have such fast choreography that it can make viewers feel a little lost or even nauseous at times. Some characters can also be relegated to just being a part of a fight scene or two instead of being a part of the film’s plot as a whole. This is Infinity War’s only real flaw as some characters definitely get sidelined and that could really upset some fans who wanted more of certain characters. Overall, the film does the best it can at juggling so many storylines and characters but viewers can feel a little disappointed if their favorite character was only in it for about five or so minutes.

Nothing is perfect in Infinity War. As mentioned before some characters definitely feel underused and their plot lines tend to have long gaps in between so they might be forgotten about after a while. Not to mention, that there are some cuts to different groups of characters that throw the film’s pacing off and make the story feel a little jumbled. But the story is truly told as smoothly as it could be and there are a couple fantastic twists and turns that completely make up for these few moments of disappointment.

The film’s ending is also completely out of left field and will having viewers screaming with excitement. It not only encapsulates what comic book stories are all about but sets up what is left of the MCU perfectly.

Also, this should go without saying, but those going into Infinity War without seeing anything in the MCU will definitely be lost. There’s no hand-holding in Infinity War, so please go see the rest of the movies before Infinity War if you haven’t already.

There’s really only one word to describe Infinity War: satisfying. It really makes viewers feel like they got exactly what they deserved and has amazing character dynamics, epic fight scenes, and some dark stakes that are unlike what has been seen in a superhero film thus far. This is truly a film for the record books.