Avengers: Endgame (2019 Film) Review
After fifty-percent of all life was wiped out by Thanos at the end of "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame" shows the remaining fifty-percent of life dealing with the colossal loss. In their grief, the remaining heroes must band together and find a way to undo the villain's snap and restore the universe to its original state.
Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/The Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor Odinson), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye/Ronin), Don Cheadle (James "Rhody" Rhodes/War Machine), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man), Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Danai Gurira (Okoye), and Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon) are back playing their respective heroes while Josh Brolin returns as the main antagonist, Thanos.
Anthony and Joe Russo returned to direct "Avengers: Endgame," the last Marvel Cinematic Universe film they will direct. Along with them, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely returned to write the screenplay, which is based on the late Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's creations. Kevin Feige produced the film. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributed "Avengers: Endgame" through Marvel Studios.
Overall Thoughts
"Avengers: Endgame" is everything you'd want it to be and more. Believe it or not, it surpasses the massive expectations. For this decade-in-the-making finale, the directing duo of the Russo Brothers pull out all the stops in what could be their best movie.
At its core, "Endgame" is a reward to the fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for their dedication these past eleven years. It’s a thrilling, emotional, and applause-worthy conclusion to the franchise that began back in 2008. The film successfully pulls off an ambitious story that ties together threads from many of the previous movies. Thankfully, the film doesn't run at a breakneck pace similar to its predecessor, "Avengers: Infinity War." We get to live in this world that's now unrecognizable after Thanos's snap. It's eerie and absolutely depressing, creating an interesting situation for our heroes to face. The slow pacing allows us to be immersed in the haunting tragedy, which only makes it exciting when the heroes plan to set things right.
Rightfully so, the heroes are the focus of the story this time around, unlike "Infinity War," where the story centered on Thanos while they served as background characters to an extent. However, like "Infinity War," some characters have sufficiently more screen time than others. Characters like James Rhodes, Okoye, and newcomer Carol Danvers aren't too involved. Instead, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, Nebula, and Rocket, who all had small parts in "Infinity War," have significant role upgrades in "Endgame." Clint Barton and Scott Lang, the two characters who were under house arrest during last year's "Avengers" ensemble, fit into the story nicely and don't crowd it. Tony Stark and Thor are the two characters in "Endgame" who maintain their sizable roles. It may seem like a full house, but the tight script and longer runtime do justice to most of the characters.
Performance wise, everyone does a fantastic job. Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, and Don Cheadle play their parts to perfection. While I found the actress better here than in her own movie, Brie Larson simply doesn't have enough time in the movie to make an impression. The same can be said for Danai Gurira. The trinity of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth is where the story is most concerned. Each of them has a captivating part to play in "Endgame" and they make up a large part of its emotional core. Downey and Evans, in particular, do so much for this film that they deserve their long overdue Oscars for their performances here. They are both compelling and are the actors who stand out the most amid so much talent present.
"Avengers: Endgame" is the shortest three hours that I have ever spent at the cinemas. The length of the film couldn't be more concise and perfect, despite being the longest Marvel Cinematic Universe film. The longer length, the grander story, and the striking visuals help make this movie feel epic. It certainly is akin to films that have similar runtimes, like "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy for example. Without spoiling anything, "Endgame" delivers action sequences that feel ripped right out of the comic books. They're expansive and emotionally fulfilling, making it some of the best that the franchise has ever produced. Alan Silvestri builds on his themes from past MCU scores for "Endgame," culminating in a score that hits all the emotional beats.
Speaking of emotional beats, "Endgame" is quite the emotional punch. To say that I cried during the ending would be an understatement. I was uncontrollably weeping throughout it. In addition, I cheered and clapped on multiple occasions. It may have been slightly detrimental for my voice and hands for a short period of time, but it was worth it. There's so much in this film that is emotionally affecting, provided that you've been as invested in this franchise as much as I have along with countless others. In conclusion, "Avengers: Endgame" was a theater experience I will never forget and is a serious contender for not just the title of best MCU movie, but quite possibly, the title of best superhero movie period.
Performance wise, everyone does a fantastic job. Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, and Don Cheadle play their parts to perfection. While I found the actress better here than in her own movie, Brie Larson simply doesn't have enough time in the movie to make an impression. The same can be said for Danai Gurira. The trinity of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth is where the story is most concerned. Each of them has a captivating part to play in "Endgame" and they make up a large part of its emotional core. Downey and Evans, in particular, do so much for this film that they deserve their long overdue Oscars for their performances here. They are both compelling and are the actors who stand out the most amid so much talent present."Avengers: Endgame" is the shortest three hours that I have ever spent at the cinemas. The length of the film couldn't be more concise and perfect, despite being the longest Marvel Cinematic Universe film. The longer length, the grander story, and the striking visuals help make this movie feel epic. It certainly is akin to films that have similar runtimes, like "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy for example. Without spoiling anything, "Endgame" delivers action sequences that feel ripped right out of the comic books. They're expansive and emotionally fulfilling, making it some of the best that the franchise has ever produced. Alan Silvestri builds on his themes from past MCU scores for "Endgame," culminating in a score that hits all the emotional beats.
Speaking of emotional beats, "Endgame" is quite the emotional punch. To say that I cried during the ending would be an understatement. I was uncontrollably weeping throughout it. In addition, I cheered and clapped on multiple occasions. It may have been slightly detrimental for my voice and hands for a short period of time, but it was worth it. There's so much in this film that is emotionally affecting, provided that you've been as invested in this franchise as much as I have along with countless others. In conclusion, "Avengers: Endgame" was a theater experience I will never forget and is a serious contender for not just the title of best MCU movie, but quite possibly, the title of best superhero movie period.
Grade: A
Emotionally moving, powerfully acted, and flawlessly directed, "Avengers: Endgame" is the perfect conclusion of a twenty-two-film story arc and cements the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a piece of cinematic history.
If you haven't been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe, now's not the best time to jump in. You'd have to watch almost every film that's come before in order to have the best possible experience when watching this movie. Obviously, I highly recommend seeing the film, but only after you brush up on the MCU's filmography. Given how "Avengers: Endgame" preformed in its opening weekend, I take it many of you have already seen the film. If so, go see it again! This film deserves to top the current worldwide box office holder. I highly recommend seeing this in IMAX since both "Infinity War" and "Endgame" were the first films to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras and it makes a noticeable impact on your theater experience.
Excellent review, Dallin!
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