Avengers: Endgame Review
PG-13: Sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language
3 Hrs and 1 Minute
Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo | Screenwriters: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin
Release Date: April 26th 2019
We’re finally here - at the Endgame - and, uhhh... I was not expecting to review this. I was hella open about not reviewing this, for I didn’t review Infinity War. But now I’m a full time gilded critic, so… I guess it’s only fitting to review THE MOST SECRETIVE MOVIE OF OUR TIME (to date). This is the Return of the King of Marvel movies. The X3: The Last Stand of Marvel movies. Well, actually let’s hope it’s not like the latter at all. But how does one review the ultimate climax of one of the biggest film franchises ever without spoiling anything?
Well, this is how you do it!
This review avoids SPOILERS, but does feature minor plot descriptions.
“Avengers: Endgame” picks up with the Avengers having been soundly defeated by Thanos, who, after collecting the six Infinity Stones, imposed his twisted will on all of humanity and randomly wiped out half of the world’s population, including many of the Avengers. In the aftermath of the destruction, the remaining Avengers are faced with their biggest challenge yet—finding the resolve within themselves to get off the mat and find a way to defeat Thanos once and for all.
11 years after Tony Stark suited up for the first time, fans and moviegoers alike have witnessed the many origins and adventures of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Now we’re at Endgame, the culmination of everything in one final conclusion to the Avengers series. It’s certainly not the end of the MCU or Phase 3 (since Spider-Man: Far From Home is the final send-off), but the end of the Avengers as they embark on their finest hour. With this being filmed back to back with Infinity War, it’s nothing new to compliment the Russo Brothers’ direction and how fantastically well-orchestrated the action is. Nor is me complimenting Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely’s script, for they know the specifications of every single character in this expanded universe.
Seriously, if you find yourself saying, “who’s that” during a surprise appearance in the film, then that means you didn’t see all of the movies, which is mostly essential for you to do before going in.
What truly makes Endgame special, like most conclusions, is the wrapping of the bow. Endgame is distinctly the finale of this two-part story Infinity War story, but the fact that this is the ending to the last 11 years of stories makes this even more significant. All parties involved - from the production artists, the filmmakers, the screenwriters and the cast - is at their A-game and they deliver an ultimately satisfying finale that will punch you --
Every Marvel movie has its own vibe and Endgame truly plays with three. The narrative mixes elements of post-apocalyptic, sci-fi time travel, heists and an opera all in one for a stacked 181-minute ride that hits in most cylinders.
Set several weeks after the Avengers’ loss in Infinity War (the snappening) the film quickly sets the stage to show how friggin’ pissed the remaining heroes are and, once they jump into action, their loss is solidified and the pain and the guilt they all experience is heightened. Once the heroes realized their loss in a very incredible introduction, the film makes a bold time jump after the events of the snap. This time jump which is truly the main meat where the narrative is set, adds a layer of conflict as the team drifts apart for the best or the worst. You think Clint becoming Ronin was the only progression? Wait until you see what happened to the rest of the Avengers.
The themes of guilt, sacrifice, grief, is elevated and heightened to an extent that it adds an extra punch to the well earned drama. It has a similar aura to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in both theme and structure. Through the voyage of all of the character arcs, we witnessed the primary Avengers (and Nebula) in all of their adventures in their past movies, are these stories are finally tied up. From the deepest personal struggles revolving around love, family, guilt and feeling like a burden on an intergalactic scale, all of those issues are revisited and resolved in an emotionally resonant manner that will swell you up with tears. Hell, the film throws shade at the worst MCU movie to date (you can easily guess which), and also adds a significant poignancy of heart that was absent from said movie. Endgame actually spends time fixing up the worst MCU movie in a matter of 7 minutes. It’s funny because McFeely and Markus were responsible of that mess and honestly, I find it amazing how they repaired the threads of that movie.
The first two acts are completely focused on these characters on their own missions going back in time and concluding their arcs, which advances the story, amplifies the theme and the emotion, making the film incredibly well-paced. But, this movie’s climax:
I don’t mean to be hyperbolic but I mean this with every fiber of my being: this has the best fucking climax for a movie I’ve ever seen in my life thus far. One may say it takes pages out of Return of the King. Okay... the entire last 45 minutes does just that, but if you’ve been following every single Marvel film to date, then this will deliver the most incredible finale in film history EVER. Hell, now I know how my dad felt once he saw Return of the King because this delivers the most satisfying and impactful conclusion I’ve ever seen to wrap up a franchise as amazing as this. I cried in Civil War because of how epic that airport scene and I felt the kid in me who loved superhero comes to life. I was in happy tears then. Endgame delivers happy tears much stronger than Civil War and all that culminates in the final act.
(I also apologize to all of my fellow NYC critics for woooing at the top of my lungs throughout the press screening)
This is so perfectly timed with the final season of Game of Thrones because this features all of the gloriousness of the final season thus far, but it’s compressed into 3 hours, which is just about enough for a 22-movie franchise. I finally know that feeling of satisfaction that my dad felt once he saw Return of the King because this is the perfect wrapped up bow to all of the MCU movies to date.
I swear, if one more movie about time travel feels the need to explain how time travel works, let alone reference other pop culture movies as means of that explanation… well, to quote Deadpool:
So many movies involving time travel are guilty of this that you feel the similar patterns. It may be funny, but also ultimately lazy. Hell, The LEGO Movie 2 was guilty of this (but at least it did something visually clever to accompany the joke) and by God they kind of steal some of the same jokes, even down to referencing Hot Tub Time Machine.
Back to the Future is not the pinnacle of time travel movies! It’s a timeless classic, yes, but not every time travel movie needs to mention it.
With a three hour run time, let it be known, you’re on borrowed time. By all means. Endgame is a lot of movie for one movie. Hell, it feels like three movies in one. The triple-packaged deal! Marvel movies are partly known for their humor and often light tone. Some of the humor, which progresses the story, works and often land. As the time travel adventure gets weirder, the jokes land harder. That being said, there are ample scenes that could’ve been cut. The stakes are higher here than ever before and a lot of the first act feature scenes of humor that drag out for several minutes too long. Instead of progressing the major task at hand, prolonged sequences occur in both the beginning and the conclusion. Hell, the film literally opens with two characters playing paper football in the midst of all this bleakness. There are a number of jokes that made me question:
After a while, you feel the movie’s length. The moments of lag aren’t all that long. Hell, it occurs in random spurts, so if you’re looking for a time window for you to run out and take a whizz, I’m sorry, you won’t find one. For a 181-minute run time, the film is engaging enough to keep this conclusion unbelievably breathtaking and well-balanced in tone, action and character development.
Emotionally epic in every sense of the word, Avengers: Endgame is an absolute satisfying conclusion to the MCU’s 11-year conquest that delivers enough feels and action to cream your pants over.
Rating: 4/5 | 89%
