This review is almost impossible to write. I will not give away any plot details or spoilers to “Avengers: Endgame” and will do my best to try to keep this interesting.
This is the ultimate Marvel movie. Period.
“Avengers: Endgame” is historical filmmaking. This is something we’ll probably never see again. It’s the stunning conclusion to a decade-long story of Marvel’s superhero movies with a gigantic cast of top-tier actors giving some of their best performances. It’s 10 years of Marvel awesomeness packed to the absolute tip-top of the screen.
And, man, does “Endgame” deliver a hugely satisfying wrap-up to all 22 films. It’s emotional, it’s chaotic, and, most of the time, it’s “OMG, did that just happen” jaw-dropping. It’s everything fans could possibly want in a lightning fast 3 hours. I could have easily gone another 2 more.
Yeah, 3 hours. Don’t worry, it flies by. You’ve got this!
The film focuses mostly on the “Original 6” Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) heroes: Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. All of them, survivors of 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and supreme bad-dude Thanos’ deadly finger snap. It’s a story of grieving, loss, and consequences of where that can go, emotionally and physically. Each character is given a balanced amount of weight and importance. It’s a lot of ground to cover. It’s amazing how little of this film has actually made it into the marketing. I wasn’t prepared for what happens and where the movie takes us. Just, wow.
If you remember from “Infinity War,” Thanos wiped out half of every living thing in Universe using the Infinity Gauntlet. The Avengers are starting in a dark spot. Despite the dire tone, there’s a lot of humor and a lot of levity throughout “Endgame.” True to everything we’ve seen so far in MCU, this is pure entertainment. Prepare to laugh and cry in literally the same breath.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo are some kinds of miracle workers. How they constantly make such huge, complicated movies still blows my mind. Just when I thought I knew where we were going, the story takes a twisty turn through places I never would have imagined. It’s wonderful. It’s crazy. It’s just about as perfect as I could have hoped for.
And, speaking of wonderful, the Alan Silvestri score is a jazzy epic masterpiece. It reminds me of something old-school and very specific, but I’m not revealing what. It would be too spoiler-y!
There’s not much more I can say about the actors and their absolute mastery of these beloved characters. They are all at the top of their game and we don’t deserve a cast this good, Just be happy we have them for one more giddy adventure.
This is certainly one of the biggest Marvel movies, but is it the best? I’m not committing to that description. It’s definitely ONE of the best and it’s definitely the most emotional. This is our superhero royal family and you will feel their punches harder than ever with this concluding chapter. Prepare yourself.
It goes without saying, fans will absolutely adore “Endgame,” and newcomers will enjoy enough here to want to explore the rest of the Marvel library. Some may say this “Avengers” is simple fan-service, but seriously, that’s what all comic book movies are. Fans rule. And, as a fan, this is exactly what we want.
Damn, it’s good.
5 Natasha’s peanut butter sandwiches out of 5
