Avengers: Endgame

Image credit: IMDb

The time has come. It’s the be-all or end-all. The final countdown. These cheesy one-liners can go on and on, but ultimately the point comes across pretty succinctly in the title of Marvel’s latest cinematic triumph: Endgame.

While I am not endeavoring to spoil the film for anyone, though I would assume people reading reviews would either not mind or would have already seen it, nevertheless there may be phrases or sentences in this review that give away too much for the keen-eyed so, POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING!

It has been five long years since Thanos extinguished half of the universe’s population and not everyone is holding up well. What is left of the Avengers has splintered into singular units, each on their own missions. But when Scott Lang (presumed dead) reappears from the quantum realm, he comes with a radical idea that might just work in turning the world back the way it was before the Infinity War. And so the Avengers assemble for their most epic mission ever!

By this stage, everyone who goes to a Marvel movie knows exactly what they’re in for and the great studio does not fail to deliver the goods to their teeming masses of adoring fans. While Endgame is the absolute emotional epitome of character arcs, what is most fantastic about it is that it completes a number of stories subtly, succinctly, and above all, satisfactorily. The magnitude of the Avengers cinematic universe has had over a decade to grow and, as such, has reached that point where the slightest falter in emotional investment and industrial, creative perfection would have devastating effects on its audiences.

Thankfully, everyone who worked on Endgame gave it their absolute all in bringing about the most satisfying and epic end to one of the most significant ventures in movie history. Character journeys and narrative arcs are fulfilled and celebrated (or mourned) with the perfect amount of sincerity, attention, humour, and romanticism that there is absolutely no way to feel emotionally swindled.

A lovely level of comic relief, that has become rather signature since Guardians of the Galaxy, is inserted into the mix and beautifully alleviates the inevitable emotional torment and backlash.

And then we have the stunning work of the computer wizards who are out in full force to make Endgame one of the most climactic battles in the history of cinema, placing it squarely in the company of such celebrated movie sagas as Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings. Need I say more? Everything, right down to the credits works in this movie and it’s almost impossible to find fault as, even the more questionable plot twists, worked well for the story upon closer inspection.

Image credit: Vox

Indeed, Endgame is one of the best endings to come to the big screen, which, of course, is where it must be witnessed!

Director: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo, 2019

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Tom Holland, Zoe Saldana, Evangeline Lily, Tessa Thompson, Rene Russo, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Chris Pratt, Dave Batista, Litita Wright, John Slatterly, Tilda Swinton, Jon Favreau, Hayley Atwell, Natalie Portman, Maris Tomei, Taika Waititi, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Linda Cardellini, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Brolin, Vin Diesel, and Samuel L. Jackson