3:10 A.M. on Friday morning I sat in my theater seat still in awe of what I had just seen on the big screen. I went to a midnight showing (yes, some theaters still have them) of Avengers: Endgame. I wanted to be one of the first to see it. I am admittedly a geek and love superhero movies, but what I had experienced that night was the result of experiencing an event film on a scale that was larger than life. It was more than just a movie but an experience. It’s difficult to comprehend any film that can match the size and scope of Endgame. Marvel Studios has effortlessly weaved together characters from 21 previous movies. Honestly to me, Endgame has the flow and feel of a sequel to all those previous films. In the lead up to the movie, I called it “the cinematic event of our lifetime” and after seeing the film I’m not sure there is a better way to describe it.
So, without any spoilers, and I mean NONE. Let’s get into my review of Avengers: Endgame. First off, this movie would be nothing without the cast of incredible actors and actresses that have made us believe in them and fall in love with them. The level of the cast takes this film to the nth degree. Seeing the interactions between these characters that we’ve seen in their own films over the past 11 years makes for some of the best parts of the movie. The secret of Marvel’s success really comes down to their outstanding casting and consistent character development. No character has felt stale or useless. Endgame serves as a confirmation that almost every single player in the MCU was the right person for the job and what’s best about Endgame is that each character in this film gets their chance to shine.
Another great part about Endgame is the emotional ride that it took me on as a viewer. One thing that all MCU movies have in common is COMEDY and Endgame is no different. There are laughs and gaffes sprinkled all throughout Endgame. They are peppered into a movie that’s tone from the onset is very grim. Showing that even in what seems to be the darkest of days that laughter and relationships are what keep us going. Endgame would be a good film just for the laughs but what sets it apart from any other Marvel film, in my opinion, is the emotional opposite of laughter. Crying. Yes, Endgame brought tears to my eyes at a few different parts of this film. As a guy that sort of pride myself on keeping an even keel even in the saddest of movies (Not counting Old Yeller, or any movie where the dog dies, looking at you Marley and Me) I found myself wiping more than just dust from my eyes a few times. Endgame is an emotional rollercoaster wherein the span of a few minutes you could be laughing hysterically to crying hysterically and you get “all the feels” of everything in between.
Truly Endgame and its direct predecessor, Infinity War are a culmination hard work, vision, and storytelling prowess of people at Marvel Studios and are a testament to the leadership of Kevin Feige of Marvel Studios. Avengers: Endgame delivers on just about every front. Endgame marks the end of an era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the end of the road for some of our favorite characters and it serves as a giant sequel to every MCU movie ever.
One cannot downplay Endgame’s cinematic and box office achievements. After bringing in $1B in its opening weekend worldwide. I think it’s safe to say that Endgame is a legitimately great movie, even if superhero movies aren’t your thing.
The plot does jump around at times and the concept of time and dimensions are probably not in line with current practical science, but this film leaps into action from the first scenes and never lets up. Honestly, it made a 3-hour film feel like half an hour (probably something to do with the quantum realm). It’s so much fun, it’s action-packed and most importantly, it packs an emotional one-two punch. Bottom line: Do yourself a favor and GO SEE IT!!
