(I solemnly swear
that there will be no major spoilers in this review. As with every review I do,
there will be a general plot synopsis, but this one will be as light on the
details as possible.)
After 11 years of phenomenal world-building and an endless
array of excellent cinematic outings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally
reached the pinnacle of its ambitious narrative. Sometimes it’s crazy to think
that it’s been that long since Tony Stark first announced to the world that he
was Iron Man… and yet, here we are. Since the release of Iron Man back in 2008, audiences have been treated to one of the
most rewarding cinematic experiences of all time as the MCU has very much set the
new gold standard for shared universes. Sure, the idea of a shared universe is
a media concept that has been around for decades, but the MCU easily outshines
almost every other film franchise of this nature when it comes to its overall narrative
and the ever-expansive scope of the world that it’s created. And while not
every installment of the MCU has been a masterpiece, it can also be argued that
none of them have been on the level of quality as some of the superhero genre’s
most infamous outings (e.g. Batman and
Robin, Catwoman, Fan4stic, etc.). With all that in mind,
all eyes are now on the fourth Avengers film
and the final installment of what Marvel Studios has now labeled as ‘The
Infinity Saga’, Avengers: Endgame. This
22nd installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the second half
of a storyline that has been built up for a decade and officially got underway
in last year’s Avengers: Infinity War.
And after that film’s jaw-dropping finale, directors Joe and Anthony Russo (AKA
the Russo brothers) are now tasked with bringing this epic story to its conclusion
as our heroes do “whatever it takes” to avenge their fallen comrades. What
follows is, as one can only expect from an MCU film at this point, an
emotionally-charged superhero epic.
At the end of Avengers:
Infinity War, the Avengers found themselves dealt with the toughest loss
that they’ve ever experienced. Despite their best efforts to prevent him from
acquiring all six of the cosmic power sources known as Infinity Stones, Thanos
the Mad Titan (Josh Brolin) managed to collect them all and use them to
accomplish his plan to wipe out half the universe with just a single snap of
his fingers using the Infinity Gauntlet. Thus, in the blink of an eye, the
Avengers were forced to witness several of their friends and family erased from
existence. After learning where Thanos ended up going afterward, Steve Rogers
AKA Captain America (Chris Evans) leads a faction of Avengers that includes Natasha
Romanoff AKA Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor the Asgardian God of Thunder
(Chris Hemsworth), and new ally Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) to
confront him. In the process, however, they discover that Thanos has destroyed
the stones so that they couldn’t be used again to reverse his actions. All seems
lost until Scott Lang AKA Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) manages to return from the
Quantum Realm, which he had become trapped in at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp when his allies fell
victim to the snap. Having learned that time operates differently in the
Quantum Realm, Scott proposes that they travel back in time and find the
Infinity Stones before Thanos does so that they can hopefully use them to bring
back those who were lost. Thus, Cap, Tony Stark AKA Iron Man (Robert Downey
Jr.), and the other Avengers embark on their most important mission yet, which
only becomes more complicated once Thanos discovers their plan.
Avengers: Endgame is
a three-hour superhero epic, and it more than warrants its hefty runtime. As a
follow-up to the events of Infinity War,
it perfectly illustrates the devastating effects of what’s now known as ‘The
Decimation’ on the MCU and, most importantly, its main protagonists. Just like
its immediate predecessor, this film is easily one of the most emotional
installments of a franchise that’s been very consistent over the years with its
emotional depth. Sure, it still has all the usual aspects of an MCU film, from
the snappy dialogue to the vibrant visuals, but just like every other entry in
the franchise, the light-hearted elements of this film rarely have any sort of
noticeable impact on its dramatic moments. In this instance, the urgency of the
Avengers’ mission to ensure that ‘The Decimation’ will be reversed is strongly maintained
throughout, along with the fact that because this is something that can’t
easily be undone, it’s clear that they will have to make some sacrifices along
the way. And because this mission sees them going back in time to key moments
in the franchise’s history, this film is loaded with call-backs to previous
films and a wide array of cameos. Sure, some may argue that this is blatant fan-service
(which, to be fair, it technically is) whose success rate will depend on how
familiar one is with the franchise, but at the same time, Marvel Studios has
quite frankly earned the right to show off at this point given the continuing
success of their franchise. And without spoiling anything, it all leads to one
of the most satisfying bits of payoff ever witnessed on film.
Almost every MCU film to date (save for Incredible Hulk) has had
the same casting director, Sarah Finn, and thanks to the woman who’s quite
arguably the unsung hero of the franchise, we’ve experienced one of the best
ensemble casts in cinematic history who continue to shine in every film that
they appear in. I mean, there’s not much more that I can add to the discussion
about how great this cast is that I haven’t already mentioned in previous reviews.
Given the events of the previous film, this one focuses heavily on the original
six Avengers from the first film, allowing for a perfect bookend to everything
that they’ve helped create while also giving each member their own standout moment
as has always been the case with these films. It also helps this film manage to
be a bit more consistent with its character development when compared to Infinity War which, in that film’s defense,
had a lot more characters to juggle and was more focused on Thanos’ quest for
the Infinity Stones. And as one era of the franchise ends, those who will be
headlining it for the next few years to come are equally outstanding. Brie
Larson, for example, makes the most out of her surprisingly minor role in this
film (which she notably filmed BEFORE Captain
Marvel), once again exemplifying Carol Danvers’ strong charisma and
powerful commanding presence. And, of course, we can’t forget about the MCU’s
greatest villain, Thanos. Sure, he doesn’t play as prominent of a role in this
film as he did in Infinity War, but he’s
still given plenty of great emotional pathos and the film continues to epitomize
why he’s truly the most dangerous adversary that the Avengers have ever faced.
Let’s be frank, folks, you know exactly what rating I’m going
to be giving this film. It is, after all, the exact same rating that I’ve given
to nearly half of the other films in this franchise. But as always, that’s
ultimately more of a testament to what Marvel Studios has managed to pull off
this past decade with their ambitious franchise. If Infinity War was a masterpiece of the superhero genre, then Endgame is MCU fandom nirvana. It more
than does its job at being both a follow-up to Infinity War and the climactic outing of the ‘Infinity Saga’, as it
provides great conclusions to some of the franchise’s longest-running storylines
and character arcs. In other words, this is very much a love letter to the MCU’s
devoted fanbase as it rewards those who’ve supported it over the years, especially
those who’ve been there since the very beginning, with some of the most amazing
imagery that the genre has ever seen. But amidst all the epic action, great
humor, and massive amounts of grand fanservice, it still does everything that
we’ve come to expect from this franchise’s extensive filmography. It fully endears
us to its main protagonists, provides them with a well-layered and incredibly intimidating
villain to face off against, and truly hits hard when it comes to its biggest
emotional moments. Simply put, everything that happens in Avengers: Endgame is exactly what it needed to be, and because of this,
it properly cements the Marvel Cinematic Universe as one of the most legendary franchises
in the history of film.
Rating: 5/5!
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