Game Over

So this is it. After 11 long years, and 21 movies, we have reached the end of Marvel Studios’ first arc of stories, nicknamed as The Infinity Saga. Avengers: Endgame is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and stars so many actors and actresses that if I tried to list them all, that alone would take up three pages. Oh, and it’s three hours long. Needless to say, do not order and drink that 32-oz or 64-oz soda before or during the movie. Other than that, everyone is curious to know if the movie is any good. I’m here to tell you… Yes, yes it is. Now let’s go into the juicy details of the movie event of the year.

Set several days after the events of Avengers: Infinity War, the story picks up on what has happened to the remaining Avengers who weren’t turned to dust after Marvel’s biggest baddie, Thanos, snapped his fingers while wearing the Infinity Gauntlet and the six Infinity Stones, giving him the power to shape the universe as he pleases. We then flash forward to five years later, as the remaining superheroes come up with a plan of attack. Using the quantum realm, they will travel back in time, collect the Infinity Stones, place them in their own gauntlet, and use that gauntlet to undo what Thanos has done. What follows is a love letter, revolving door of returning guest stars, and greatest hits highlight reel of the past decade of Marvel movie moments (or at least the movie moments where the Infinity Stones were featured).

If you haven’t seen any of the first 21 movies set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you better start watching them now, because if you don’t, you will not have any clue who anyone in this movie is, you will not understand what is going on, and you will not get any of the inside jokes, callbacks, or winks to the fans. This movie has many plot threads to give satisfying endings to, and it would be helpful if you know about the starting points of said plot threads. Because so many storylines are being juggled all at once, the plot moves at breakneck speeds when the second act of the movie begins, and once that train gets started, it just keeps going and going, leading to one of the most epic third acts in the history of cinema (although the third act in the first Avengers movie is still my all-time favorite).

Of the performances, the standouts are easily Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man, and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America. Both men have their own way of coping with the tragedy of losing to Thanos, and both are intriguing to watch. Their quest for redemption leads them to even more heroic acts later on in the film, resulting in their characters getting the proper send-offs that they rightfully deserve. Jeremy Renner gives his best work in the role of Clint Barton/Hawkeye/Ronin, it's just a pity it took this long for him to get there. Karen Gillan does a great job as Nebula, who is given a surprisingly meaty role as one of the two remaining members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. And most of the film’s comedy comes from Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. I was a little disappointed with Chris Hemsworth and the handling of Thor in this movie. In the past, the character was portrayed as the straight man of the team, to mixed opinions from fans and critics. Since Thor took a more comedic turn in his third solo movie, Ragnarok, audiences have warmed up to him. However, I feel this movie took the comedy with Thor too far, to the point the character can’t be taken seriously. Sure, he has some heartfelt moments and some fun action scenes, but it’s impossible to see past the humiliating appearance that he is given.

The main drawback with having so many storylines is that only a handful of characters had their time in the spotlight. Brie Larson returned as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, but thankfully, her role is quite limited. I have nothing against Larson or Danvers, but I feel her performance is too bland at the best of times and too forced at the worst of times. She also comes across as being shoehorned into the story as more of a plot point than a character. Oh, and I absolutely hated her new haircut, you’ll see what I mean. Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, and Bradley Cooper round out the other remaining Avengers as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, James Rhodes/War Machine, and Rocket Raccoon. They do well for themselves, but as I mentioned, it’s Downey Jr and Evans who steal the show.

It cannot be stressed enough that in order to get the full effect and appreciation for this movie, you must have seen the previous MCU movies, at least the “Avengers” series. As a longtime Marvel fan, I loved all the winks and fan service that we were rewarded with. There’s one scene during the final battle that will have every Marvel fanboy and fangirl squealing in delight (everyone in my theater’s audience cheered). In terms of tone, the film is successful at being serious when it needs to be, sometimes to the point of bringing tears to your eyes. Marvel is infamous for its comedy, but Marvel can tug at the heartstrings just as well. Speaking of which, the comedy can be hit or miss. Most of the one-liners land, but some of the sight gags are rather cheap (you’ll see what I mean with what they have done with Thor). There’s one joke between Ant-Man and Hulk that goes on for several seconds longer than it should have (something that also happened with one joke in “Ant-Man and The Wasp”), and it comes across as improvisation gone wrong and that should have been edited down.

And now for the bad stuff. The special effects are good for the most part, but during the final action sequence, I can’t blame anyone for complaining it’s just one big, bloated mess of computer generated imagery. Granted, it is a great sequence, but if you’re tired of epic fights in comic book movies, this isn’t going to impress you (although it really should). Also, in terms of plot, there’s a scene where the characters are explaining how time travel works, and they do a literal rundown of time travel themed movies that have fixed sets of rules, but then say those rules are made up and they can do whatever they want in the past without consequences. This comes across as lazy screenwriting and a means to say “hey, we can do whatever we want for the sake of plot devices we want to use, so pay no mind to other movies you have seen that say what we’re doing is wrong.” This one aspect of the movie’s story feels unearned because of these cheap excuses.

The best comparison of Infinity War and Endgame is to say that the former is like The Empire Strikes Back, and the latter is like Return of the Jedi. Infinity War is easily the best of the series, set up a dark premise for our heroes to deal with, and ended on a down note that had everyone eager to know what would happen next. Endgame, while it has its dark moments, is more lighthearted and breezy, which can take you out of the story, depending what your mood is. Infinity War was well paced and tight in its story structure, like an amusement park ride that has just the right amount of ups and downs. Endgame, on the other hand, is the ride that starts off slow, picks up here and there, and then ends with a relentless series of ups and downs that can come across as overwhelming. And not to sound like a broken record, but I have to mention that most supporting characters who had awe inspiring moments in Infinity War are left with little to do here in Endgame. The most obvious example being Thanos. In Infinity War, we are given significant insight about his motivations and who he is as a person. Rather than being given more character development here, he’s reduced to the typical Marvel villain who is just out to complete his evil deed and is something for the heroes to punch. Granted, Josh Brolin’s performance as the Mad Titan is still wonderful, but it feels like a step down from the previous movie.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I give it a well deserved four out of five stars. While very satisfying, it doesn’t quite step out of the large shadow that Infinity War casted. I highly recommend that you see it in theaters, as it’s the only true way to appreciate all the sights and sounds that are presented, then buy it on physical disk for your personal collection. And you most definitely have to go if you’re a longtime Marvel or movie lover who has patiently waited to see how this decade long journey ends. I promise you that it’s all worthwhile. That concludes this fan picked review. And remember, when it comes to the media that you consume, be like Indiana Jones, and chose wisely.

Short Version

Pros:

Great performances from Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans.

Lots of fun winks and fan service moments for longtime viewers and comic book fans.

Lots of fun callbacks and character returns from previous movies.

Satisfying ending for this cinematic journey.

Cons:

Most supporting characters suffer from lack of screen time.

Humor can be unfunny or off putting to some.

Rules of time travel are thrown out the window for the sake of plot convenience.

Final battle can feel overwhelming and bloated with CGI for non-fans.

Verdict: **** (Four out of five stars)