PLOT:
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’s actions and undo the chaos to the universe, no matter what consequences may be in store, and no matter who they face…
REVIEW:
What did I like?
Big payoff. 11 years. 22 movies. It has all been leading up to this epic confrontation between the Avengers and the Mad Titan, Thanos. Was it worth the wait? Some will say yes and some will say no. I am a member of team yes. While I would have liked a more direct confrontation with a Thanos that was more in line with the source material, I can’t complain with what we got. The stakes couldn’t have been any higher for this epic conclusion. Honestly, the MCU could end with this film and I don’t think anyone would complain.
Lighten up. With such high stakes, you would think this would be a very dark and serious film with little to no levity. In true Marvel fashion, there are plenty of moments that will make you chuckle and lighten the mood. Everything can’t be all gloom and doom, even in the face of utter destruction.
Tug on the heartstrings. I know that I am a little late with this review and the spoiler embargo and been lifted, but I still won’t put any in here, out of respect for those that have yet to watch this film, or may be reading this months or years from now and have forgotten what happened. With that said, if you are an emotional person, you might want to bring a box of tissues with you. The emotional arcs in this film regarding certain characters will surely move you. I have been referred to as a robot, due to my lack of emotion/compassion, but even I felt something for one of these characters’ storylines and how appropriately it was handled.
What didn’t I like?
Rules of time travel. There are numerous time travel myths out there. For me, I prefer the Back to the Future rules but, of course, this film took those rules and threw them out the window…Tony Stark even jokes about it with Ant-Man. It isn’t so much that this film uses different time travel rules, but more that it is a bit of a douche when mentioning the other universes that use time travel and making all the work that was put into developing said rules seem fruitless.
Girls, Girls, Girls. In the climactic battle, there is a scene where a character, who shall not be named, gather to protect them. This came out of nowhere, many of these women have had little to no interactions with each other. I know, I know…this was meant to be a reference to the A-Force from the comics, but it seemed more like a fan service moment and/or a cheap girl power attempt. No, I’m not being sexist. I just feel that if they were going to do this, at least give it some build up. There was no hint at this happening and all these women came from all over the battlefield to do this. It just felt forced.
Rescue me. In the comics, Pepper Potts is likable. In the MCU, she started out that way, but over the films, she became more of a nagging shrew. In Iron Man 3, she is given some temporary powers and outfitted in an exosuit to save the world. It was believed that was a one time thing, but lo and behold, here we see her in a suit that doesn’t even resemble her comic counterpart. On top of that, non-comic fans would be totally lost as to why she was wearing armor.
Final verdict:
Avengers: Endgame didn’t disappoint. Yes, there are some issues, like the hour or so that weighs down the middle half of the film, but overall this is a satisfying conclusion to this saga and I am looking forward to where the MCU goes in the future. I mentioned earlier that this would be a fitting end for the MCU. Not that I want it to, but how poetic would it be, with most of these characters having been created by Stan Lee to end with his death (this is his final cameo). That isn’t happening, though. Spider-Man: Far from Home is coming out this summer and following its release, we should know more about what the future holds. As far as this film goes, well, there is no reason to not see it multiple times. I also suggest watching Avengers: Infinity War beforehand to refresh your mind, though.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Mystery Man's Musings 