Rated PG-13 | 181 mins.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo
Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin
It's a daunting task to review Avengers: Endgame, the epic conclusion to part of a cinematic universe that's lasted over a decade, without spoiling anything. So I'll try to keep it short (unlike the intimidating three-hour runtime it has). What I will say is that if you thought Infinity War was shocking, then you've got another thing coming. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? That's for you to find out, but it might also be a good idea to grab some tissues on your way into the theater.
The twenty-second entry of the MCU just might be the best one yet, maybe ever. It's not even because it has a stacked cast, amazing action, or comedic timing (which Infinity War also had, but in much a different way). It's because of how it all comes together--full circle--and it's buttoned up very nicely by the Russo Brothers. Going into it, they had the unfortunate burden of having to piece together everything perfectly for the last chapter of the Avengers franchise, and I'm sure they felt that immense pressure in these past couple of years. I'm happy to report that they were able to work their Russo magic and give the people what they wanted.
It has taken us 11 years to get to this moment and the wait was well worth it. What really stuck out were some of the brilliant performances in the film that we don't normally get in an MCU film. It's something that tends to be overlooked due to fantastic CGI, smoothly choreographed fight sequences, and/or well-written jokes. The lines and monologues that some of the actors and actresses had to deliver were powerful, carried weight, and each one of them knocked it out of the park. Another admirable aspect was that this film felt very personal for the characters. They were able to share an equal amount of screen time, which gave the audience a chance to truly feel what they were feeling. A lot of passion and heart went into the creation of this movie and you can see all of the hard work pay off in real time. It's something else. It's a game changer and nothing will come close to an event such as this one.
The rest I won't be able to talk about since, again, it'll only be spoilers. All I can say is Endgame stuck the landing and earns tens across the board. It's a long goodbye, but it's one that feels right. ★★★★★
★★★★★ Classic | ★★★★ Excellent | ★★★ Good | ★★ Fair | ★ Poor