Avengers: Endgame Film Review (Spoiler Free)
Who wins the Game of Stones?
Every generation has a legend…
For some, it’s Star Wars. For others, Gone with the Wind. For me, I prefer a different kind of gone with the wind…
Endgame picks up where Infinity War ends. It serves as an end to that story, an end to over a decade of Marvel filmmaking. By the end… you’ll be hoping it isn’t the end for some of your favourite superheroes too.
Prepare yourself… we’re in the Endgame now. It doesn’t get more gratifying and epic than this. The final act of Endgame is every comic book nerd’s wet dream. So be sure to pack your tissues, but not for that!
There won’t be a dry seat in the house, but it’ll be from people crying. Well… we can only hope. It is a 3-hour movie after all!!!
The Story
You might be wondering why this film has to be so damn long… a bladder exploding 3 hours!!! It’s because they’ve got a lotta story to tell…
“Don’t feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end.” – Tony Stark
As mentioned before, the film begins immediately after Infinity War. Tony is stuck in space, with no food or hope for survival. At least he has Nebula for company, too bad she’ll never get his jokes.
The rest of the Avengers are also struggling with life after the Snap. Lots of people lost their families. Some deal with the guilt of not being able to do enough. Everyone has their own way of dealing with the loss.
Until one day, someone who knows Hope quite well arrives at the door…
And the Avengers are given a second chance to live up to their name and Avenge the fallen.
The Cast
Oh my… where do I start?
Let’s begin with Hollywood royalty, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark…
Downey is the heart of the MCU, its arc reactor. Without him, the MCU would cease to exist. It all started with Iron Man in 2008 and we’re now 22 films in after Endgame, talk about an Iron Man challenge!
In all that time, we’ve watched Tony go from a selfish brat…
To a hero willing to sacrifice himself to save others…
Has there ever been a better redemption arc for a movie superhero? How ‘bout an actor???
A huge chunk of the success of the MCU can be attributed to Downey’s superhuman charisma, yet very human performance as Stark. Endgame showcases all of this and more.
Next up is Chris Evans as the always dependable, Captain America…
Part of what I like about Cap is how consistent he is at being… Cap. While Stark grows and changes, Cap remains forever constant. Except for the beard…
Cap never changes though, just the people and situations around him. This goes against every screenwriter’s inclination when it comes to creating a compelling protagonist. Evans makes it work.
Through his performance, we find a way to sympathise with his character, even though he’s impossible to relate to. A leader with good morals, high integrity, who has America’s best interests at heart? Good luck finding that…
Someone else who gets a moment to shine is Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow…
She’s been in trouble recently for accepting roles that probably should’ve gone to other actresses…
Even I wasn’t sure if she was a good fit to play Black Widow back when she first made her debut in Iron Man 2…
Endgame has changed my mind. This portrayal of Black Widow is the best I’ve seen so far! It’s right on target…
Speaking of… Jeremy Renner got a raw deal in the last Avengers film by not making an appearance at all. The Russos make up for this with a far more substantial role for him in Endgame…
Clint and Natasha share some truly heartfelt moments, adding to the film’s soul in an important way that I can’t go into right now…
Luckily, their performance isn’t undercut by this annoying haircut…
Oh and there’s another character who gets a silly haircut that’s so bad the film has to comment on it. If you thought Mohawkeye was bad, get ready to hold someone’s beer.
And that beer may very well belong to Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth. Thor’s a huge fan of beer. Something Aussies and Vikings have in common…
Whoever decided to turn Hemsworth from an action star to a comedic actor is worthy of holding Mjolnir…
Hemsworthy is hilarious! I can’t work out who’s funnier, Hemsworth or the incredible, Mark Ruffalo, as Hulk…
Unfortunately, his character has become more of a punchline than the one who gives the punches lately. Endgame doesn’t really change that dynamic too much.
And there you have it for the original recipe Avengers. I could go on and on about the other cast members, but this review would take as long to read as the actual movie!
Noteworthy mentions go to Paul Rudd as Ant-Man and Don Cheadle as War Machine, but it’s Karen Gillan as Nebula who stands out from the pack…
Technical Aspects
Endgame is a cinematic Marvel-piece! It’s the result of a tonne of brilliant minds, hardworking animators and special-effects gurus putting a lot of time and effort to achieve something special…
You ain't seen nothing quite like it. No expense is spared. There’s one scene that’s so epic in scale, with so many different things going on and characters to animate, you’ll be overwhelmed.
Once again, the special effects team have done an incredible job bringing our comic book heroes to life. They also do an amazing job depicting them in various stages of age.
The Marvel aging or de-aging technology is some of the best special effects you’ll see in this movie. This guy ain’t bad too…
Now for the music. Endgame plays like a Greatest Hits of sorts and the music is no exception. You’ll hear familiar tracks from a decade of films designed to make you laugh, cheer and cry.
Pulling the strings are sibling directors, Anthony & Joe Russo…
What can I say? The Russos have delivered one of the most satisfying ends to a series of films I could’ve ever hoped for. No Infinity Stone is left unturned.
It’s packed with callbacks and memorable moments. It’s unashamedly nostalgic and rewards hardcore fans who’ve followed the series from inception rather than disrespects them. Can’t say that about every franchise…
The End Is Near…
After watching this movie, I immediately wished I could go back in time to relive it again and again and again…
And I most likely can when the inevitable DVD box set that’ll collect the whole saga comes out in time for Christmas I bet. *Hint hint*
Doctor Strange saw fourteen million, six hundred and five ways this could possibly go down. The Russos have picked an outcome that I could’ve never predicted and I was trying…
The only criticism I have is that the first two-thirds are a little too heavy on exposition with not enough action. However, the Russos more than make up for this by the end. Stick with it.
“Whatever it takes.”
All that hard work and commitment has paid off. The writers, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, the Russos, Kevin Feige and the entire cast of the Avengers can finally rest…
“And watch the sun rise on a grateful universe.” – Thanos
4.5 out of 5 Starks
PS: There are no post-credits scenes. I know, I was the dope who waited till the very end so you don’t have to…
