Doctor Strange said it best, “We’re in the Endgame now.” It has taken 11 years and 22 movies for Marvel Studios to bring the fans what they want, and they have done so in Avengers: Endgame. There were a lot of emotional people who left the theatre by the end of Avengers: Infinity War with the defeat of—spoiler warning—The Avengers when Thanos snapped his fingers. A year has passed since we saw the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Thor and a few of the other survivors since their heartbreaking loss.
Now, the audience—including myself—waited with bated breath to see exactly how the MCU heroes would avenge the fallen. Well, I won’t spoil if they do or don’t, but I will say that Marvel Studios has done it. They have, in my opinion, made the most perfect comic book movie ever to be released. I know that is something of an impossibility—I walked into my screening thinking the same—but they have.
Holy shit folks, you are in for a ride with this one.
The plot is the Avengers must avenge Earth and essentially the universe. You already knew that and that’s all you need to know before seeing the movie.
When it comes to acting in the film, everybody is at the top of their game, and rightfully so. They have been playing these characters for several years to the point where some of the actors are wearing their personas in their everyday lives. I’m looking at you, Chris Evans AKA Captain America.
The two that have stuck with me the most are the ones almost on the exact opposite sides of fandom love. Robert Downey Jr. is the Tony Stark from the comic books, adding his natural level of charm, sarcasm, and flair that has now become essential to his comic book counterpart. He has taken this role to heights where I do not think he can be replaced. Some of these MCU films have been about Iron Man’s arch as he goes through this journey, and that trip was handled expertly by Downey.
Oscar-worthy? Maybe. Tears and a standing ovation is what he got from me.
Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner, has always been the character that was kind of useless in the past Avenger films. The MCU decided to give him more of a relatable connection to the audience by introducing us to his family. That was the trick that finally gave Barton the emotional pull that he needed. Avengers Endgame takes Renner and puts him at his best with a series of trials that fully brings the most out of the actor.
The thing that helps elevate this film to a masterpiece is the direction from the Russo Brothers and how they have gone for broke in their last entry in the Infinity Saga. Two-thirds of the film is character development that is in no way a determent to the movie. It makes you want to follow the journey of these heroes as they discover certain things about themselves that isn’t cheesy are forced in, all while trying to defeat the Mad Titan. Much of this is done by making certain nods or “journeys” back to a few of the previous MCU films, which adds more layers.
I felt the need to re-watch some of the classics just to make the connections as the events of Endgame played them out. Infinity War was Thanos’s movie. This is the Avengers’ movie and it is felt throughout in a well-deserved gut punch way that starts from the beginning and only lets up when it needs to.
The action…allow me to take a moment.
*Starts to hyperventilate*
The action is MAGNIFICENT.
The last hour of the movie is the heroes fighting against Thanos and his army, in top form, and there are several moments where I cried tears of joy. The big ending battle tapped into my childhood and the many hours I spent reading these stories that shaped me as a person. Not only is the action great, but there are also these little moments that have been set up in some of the previous films that pay off in great ways. Hell, one part of the battle had me scream my head off in excitement as it was something that had been building up since the first Avengers film was announced.
Issues? Minor and in no way takes anything away from the film.
Everything that has happened in the MCU has led up to this film and it was well deserved. Avengers: Endgame is a film for fans and regular audience members alike. It would be wise to at least see a few of the characters’ separate movies and Infinity War before this one but if you haven’t, what is your problem? This movie is a feat never attempted before and I would be shocked to see it duplicated. Some still question whether Marvel is bound to have a huge a slip up in their future.
After this, I doubt that will ever happen. Kevin Feige and the minds behind the MCU know what they are doing and what we want. All we have to do is sit down and enjoy.