A breathtaking legacy
I recall the feeling I had when the credits rolled on the very first Avenger’s movie and there he was, Thanos, the Mad Titan. I left my seat having a panic attack. I met up with friends in the next showing’s lineup, ready to see the film immediately again, speechless and shaking. I ended up seeing the film another 13 times after that back to back showing, and never once got sick of it. Though, having to sit through the Frankenweenie trailer that many times, well, I questioned if I could sit through another showing. Endgame is the first time since the 2012 film where I had yet another panic attack; this one with the biggest smile on my face I’ve ever had.
I have to applaud any writer that has to review this film, or at least, the one’s that do it without spoiling any aspect of the 3 hour long epic. So no, that guy on Twitter that spoiled the first half hour of the film for me, I don’t consider you a writer. I won’t be talking about too much about the story, at least what already isn’t detailed in trailers, or anything that would ruin the film in any way what-so-ever. So if you’ve seen the film, or still have yet to watch it, I’ll do my best to not state specifics. Keep in mind that ‘some’ aspects of the story are going to be predictable as we’ve already seen a trailer for the next Spider-Man, as well as knowing that we have sequels approaching containing many of these ‘dead’ characters. So again, keep that in mind.
Avenger’s Endgame is the 22nd film in a series that all started with 2008’s Iron Man. A Marvel Comics character that, at the time, wasn’t that popular. It is the culmination of a story weaved through many films central plots and merely danced upon in others. It’s a story that gets wrapped up almost perfectly in a way that will make you cheer, make you cry, and make you wonder about the future of the MCU. It is a celebration of every actor, actress, writer, composer, director, light technician, visual effects staffer, and even the guy who sets up the Kraft services table. You will feel the blood, sweat, and tears that every single person has gone through to make this movie, this legacy, possible.
It’s no secret that this is a continuation of the story told in Infinity War, a movie that showed us Thanos, a man with purpose, gather and use the collective power of the Infinity Stones. His mission, wipe out half of all life in the galaxy. He succeeded. Endgame is predictably about reversing that event. It is about getting everyone back. It’s about doing whatever it takes to ensure that those lives, don’t remain lost. No matter the cost.
We knew full well they were going to pull this off, given the sequel talk of various characters, and quite simply, common sense. But it probably won’t happen in the way you think. Endgame will manage to surprise even the most die hard comic book fan as it really looks to explore some interesting concepts on how to get the job done. Many ideas were hinted at and speculated, but large sweeping strokes of this movie, well, I don’t think anyone will see coming.
Where Infinity War was essentially a movie centered around Thanos, this is a film that focuses on the survivors and what their world is like now, attempting to keep the peace in a world that feels empty; devoid of love, hope, and a future. Endgame deals with some very harsh realities and places every single member of the team in situations they’ve never faced. Every character is given a truly remarkable moment to shine, or story arc to see to fruition, a scene that will be remembered for years to come.
Endgame is simply brilliant and while my only gripe is that one character is mainly used as a joke for almost the entire movie, it’s damn near perfect. Sure, there are things that I would have loved to have seen that I didn’t, or the lingering plot holes that litter the film, but the final act alone is something that makes me giddy just thinking about it. It’s hard to imagine a better way to end the current storyline in a way that feels better than what we get here. Endgame satisfies on a level unheard of. I’ve seen the movie described as “messy”, but frankly, while the movie can at times focus on several different things at once, it all manages to feel cohesive in ways that still remain incredibly satisfying.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will probably have a panic attack like I did, but you will feel all the love that has been poured into this movie right to the very last minute of its 3 hour runtime. Avenger’s Endgame is as stunning as it needed to be, and a perfect way to honor the legacy of the past decade of films.
