Review: Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, tells the tale of the Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes. After the EVIL Thanos (Josh Brolin) succeeded in wiping out half of the universe with just one snap of his Infinity Gauntlet, it’s up to the likes of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) among many others to get avenging.
This film is part two of the epic conclusion to Marvel’s grand “Infinity Saga” that stretches twenty-two movies over the course of eleven years. I have very mixed feelings on the MCU films as a whole, but I did enjoy the last Avengers film despite it being part one. This film seeks to conclude the story that started with Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man back in 2008, and if you’ve been along the ride since the very beginning, then this is the epic conclusion you deserve. Fans will no doubt love the ever loving heck out of this film while newcomers to the franchise will still find this film to be a fun, epic summer blockbuster of HUGE proportions.
Endgame is truly the endgame. Marvel makes full promise with this being the last ride for a lot of these characters we grew up on. This film doesn’t hold anything back; this is one of the literal biggest films ever made, and it’s that excess that makes this film quite the experience. The Russo’s have really outdone themselves in directing this three hour epic; the cinematography is gorgeous, the music, for once in this franchise, was epic and memorable, the performances were all around excellent, the film’s dramatic and light-hearted moments are perfectly balanced, as all things should be, and the action is on another level. Despite this being a three hour film, it makes the most of its run-time. There was no point in the film where it felt like it was just slogging on.
Everyone who sees this movie will talk about the action as its third act is very reminiscent of Return of the King, but what truly makes this film epic for me is its characters, primarily Iron Man and Captain America. Being Robert Downey Jr’s and Chris Evans’s final outing as their respective characters, the film manages to wrap up the character arcs started in their first films and give them both the proper send off that they deserve. Most of the other characters get some great development in this film as well, with Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nebula (Karen Gillian) being some especially notable stand outs in this film as well.
I would say this is probably the best of the Avengers films, but like the other films this comes with lots of problems. My biggest gripe with this film involves Thor; not only did I not enjoy the direction the film decides to take with this character, I also found him to be genuinely annoying at times. As much as Chris Hemsworth tries, a lot of his “comedic” scenes were very drawn out and he loses his charm very fast.
The film’s villain Thanos also seems to lose a lot of what made him such a compelling villain in the last film and turns into another big baddie the Avengers need to fight. The plot was also pretty convoluted. I won’t spoil anything for you in case you haven’t seen it yet (#ThanosDemandsYourSilence) but the film jumps a lot of sharks and contradicts a lot of rules that were established in this universe. There’s also a TON of fan service moments that were pretty pointless and distracting for how ridiculous a couple of them are, but it’s not too much of a big issue since after sitting through twenty two movies for this climax we deserve to indulge in some fan service.
Overall this is about as epic and satisfying of a conclusion as you can get. There were several issues that annoyingly holds this film back from being the masterpiece of an ending I wanted it to be, but as it is it’s a crowning achievement for Marvel that I will definitely watch again. If you don’t enjoy superhero movies like the Marvel films then this film will probably not change your mind much. If you are one of the many fans that haven’t watched this film yet as of this review’s release and stuck with this franchise from the very beginning, then you’re in for a treat. Believe the hype and go check this film out.
Final Verdict: 8/10