Avengers: Endgame Review

        It all comes down to this. Of all the films that came out during the initial three phases that were hyped or generated keen interest, this one was easily the one to look out for. In one way, it was a pay off for a decade long gamble to showcase some heroes and an overarching storyline where it really made an impact. One could say that the whole cinematic universe was a gamble since they didn’t have any recognizable heroes aside from Spider-Man. Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of the saga, and it made an immediate impact. 

1. Time Heist or The Rat That Saved a Universe

        After witnessing what we saw in the prior Avengers film, we finally had a chance to see where Hawkeye was. The first scene is just heartbreaking in the context of what happens. Seeing him enjoying his life then the snap happens. I just love how it’s played out with him teaching his daughter how to aim a crossbow while his family are playing. Like it’s sudden how all of them disappear, especially in the shot where Clint’s daughter just vanishes out of thin air. 

        The detail is punctuated even by the Marvel Studios title card. Heroes are missing and some of the clips used are just location shots or shots where the characters are edited out. Just the whole approach where the heroes are so beaten were we see them trying to avenge, hehe, their lost friends. Tony even looks disheveled and argues that the whole thing could’ve been prevented. Like this is the point where we see everyone at their lowest point. 

        Obviously, the whole story is centered around the team attempting to bring back the fallen. Like they find where Thanos has stayed put and attack him as they try to find the stones. As if we didn’t see just how low the heroes are, now things are in the ground since they effectively lose when Thanos gloats that he destroyed the stones. I was surprised that Thor decapitated the mad titan. Some people were laughing from what I heard, but I was shocked more than anything that he would do it without hesitating. 

        From there we see just how gloomy the snap has devastated everyone. Punctuated with establishing shots of New York where it looks cold and empty. This is something where it would’ve been better to see how else the snap practically changed everything. I mean we do in the ensuing films and shows, but I wish we saw more of the devastation of how this cataclysm affected everyone. Like we see how San Francisco was affected as Scott Lang walks around as sees vegetation that has outgrown and sees a memorial monument. 

        For as much as it’s a gloomy film from the start, there’s a bit of levity among the characters. From Tony teaching Nebula how to play paper football to Rocket trying to break the ice from something they were doing. All of it just represents how the characters don’t take themselves seriously unless the threat comes their way. That’s why when we’ve been following these characters for a decade now, we are heavily invested in them as more than characters. 

        If there’s one thing or a tiny detail that isn’t talked about is just how one rat practically and unintentionally saved a whole universe. Since this takes place after the Ant-Man and Avengers sequel, Scott had to come back somehow. Lo and behold he reappears in only a way that’s appropriate for him. I think it’s one thing where the whole idea of bringing the heroes back relates to his own experience and just how his character is so positive despite everything that’s happening all around him. 

        Even though the film clocks in at 3 hours, there’s never a moment where the whole film slows down or where your posterior starts to feel numb. Pacing wise we see just how the surviving team plots to get back at Thanos, to show them their lives after the fact. One thing that is brought up is the subtle character moments that were referenced in past films. Like the rivalry between Tony and Steve, and how Rogers accuses Stark of not being the bigger man when he’s called to it. 

        So, the main highlight or part of the highlight of the film is seeing the team use time travel to retrieve the infinity stones. Never thought that this film would be like the Ocean films where there’s a plan to execute the steal and then see it all play out. The whole act plays like a greatest hits for the MCU. Like we see past moments in 2012 and 2014. And more importantly to see the team evenly split so we can have time with them. Of course, you have the moments where things don’t go right and how we see yet another tragic death before the main tragic death.

        I think the bigger question in the context of the film was how exactly where they going to bring back Thanos. Time travel basically fixes that, but I love how Nebula casually brought him up as he was searching for the stones in the past. Some consider Thanos a downgrade compared to when we see him. We see who he is, and that this is a younger version of him makes him a wildcard. Now, I’ll give it a pass since 2014 Thanos is way harsher and hellbent that he’s more motivated than ever to get the stones and go all in with his plan. 

        Lastly, I’ll talk about that scene in the next tab. What I will say is that the whole movie really does feel like a culmination of plot lines and character moments. I brought this up before, but I want to elaborate further by saying that when the MCU at the time was at the peak, many other studios tried and failed to start their own cinematic universe. You have Universal Studios try to bring back their horror icons but failed after one movie.  As well as Warner Bros. attempting a cinematic universe but taking every wrong step of being cohesive and comprehensible. 

        The movie made 2 billion not because it was just a Marvel film, but because of the overall investment in the characters and the overall plot of how they’ll be able to right the wrongs that happened in the prior team up film. Many films that tried their own series failed at making the characters the main star by focusing on the big picture instead of the anchor of the franchise. Seeing the trio of Tony, Thor and Steve confront Thanos made us care that this was going to be the fight where one of them wouldn’t make it. 

2. The Portal Scene

        Rewatching the film again, I love the musical tease when Captain Marvel brings back Tony and Nebula, the small musical motif of the heroes coming back. Since this is an epic superhero film, it had to go all out in the presentation as to how the heroes come back. They don’t just come back, hell we see the main trio try and kill Thanos to no avail. Especially Cap being more determined to stop him by strapping on his damaged shield, prepared to literally go down with the ship. The long shot of him against the alien army is probably one of the film’s best as far as capturing the full scope. 

        Then we get to see the scene. The moment where theaters across the country and globe went ballistic in pure joy and circumstance. Like, rewatching the YouTube videos of the scene playout with the theater in a ruckus will be the definitive highlight of the entire franchise. How it’s played out is just perfect. The portals used by Doctor Strange appear as we see the resurrected heroes pop out alongside the Wakandans, Asgardians and the Ravagers. All set to the music where it sounds like something you’d hear at a graduation or a grand event. 

        All of it apexes when Cap calls for and grips Mjolnir and whispers “assemble” is just pure radiance as far as everything firing on all cylinders. There’s no other scene in the ensuing films that can capture this moment in either the context or the direction of the story. Now since this is a massive fight against the heroes and Thanos, I like how it’s not too discombobulated when we’re seeing who’s fighting what. It’s dark yes, but the main reason why the fight works is that it’s practically like a game of hot potato when the heroes are attempting to escape with the stones and gauntlet. 

        You have other films like Ready Player One and either cut of Justice League where there’s a massive battle that happens near the end or in a plot point. None of those work in their context since it’s too loud and lacks the reason why their fighting. What I mean is that they’re fighting but it’s an obstacle for the characters to jump over to advance the story. Here, everyone is attempting to get rid of the gauntlet before Thanos uses it. 

        The whole sequence doesn’t go on for too long and it all climaxes when Tony makes the play that Steve calls him out for. This one moment was spoiled so severely online where it was a challenge to basically avoid that spoiler on how Thanos dies and who also died. All of it is gritty as Tony makes the ensuing play and how Thanos reacts to his defeat. Some would think that he would be killed in an epic way, but with how it’s done here. It’s like a warriors death and I love how he doesn’t mock or gloat but let’s his death consume him. 

3. Legacy

        This movie made bank at the box office and was for a while the highest grossing movie of all time. Not to beat the dead horse’s skeleton but it was the most hyped, marketed and talk in the public sphere. Like, it’s almost impossible to even believe where this was the highest point for a comic book film or just with any film in general. In some way the film and franchise in general is the representation of the summer blockbuster. Action oriented and surprisingly had a lot of pathos for the individual heroes. 

        To me, this film can be interpreted as the ending of the MCU or the long watch of being so dedicated to watch the film from the start to the end. I feel that it’s a challenge that even the studio will find daunting as they put out more films and content where it could top or even insert itself in the conversation among the public. I feel that there are fans of the series, but some may have dropped off after the release of this film. That’s one of the detriments that the film has as far as it’s legacy. 

4. Overall

        Avengers: Endgame is the definitive Marvel film. Representing the long gamble of making the most obscure heroes into pop culture icons.