Movie Review: Avengers Endgame, an astoundingly fantastic ultimate showdown!

“It’s not about how much we lost. It’s about what we have left.”

The Endgame is finally in sight, and it’s been a long and entertaining ride. The latest installment of the colossal Avengers series sees the ultimate showdown for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s astoundingly fantastic.

Following the drastic events of Avengers: Infinity War (you know - the mass vanishing and destruction of the universe and all), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and company are in a very fragile state. Stark’s power is dwindling, Captain America (Chris Evans) is feeling like a failure, and the almighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is shockingly out of shape. That’s how you know things are looking bleak! Eventually, the crew of heroes devise a plan to travel back in time, collect the Infinity Stones, save their fellow heroes from the quantum realm, and finally defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin). Sounds simple, right?

The duration clocks in at over three hours, but this epic crescendo of stellar force is so captivating and so well-executed that it never feels too overlong or bloated (the only truly bloated thing about this movie is Thor’s stomach). It’s such a stunning achievement to carry out so many different converging plots and it’s such an impressive feat to utilize so many eclectic characters to their utmost strengths. Endgame somehow manages to balance it all miraculously. There isn’t a dull moment to be found, and the film constantly feels momentous and monumental. Oh, and the climactic battle - it’s one for the ages. The script is also extremely funny and full of great comic timing. I personally cracked up more than the creases of Thanos’ chin.

But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this film is how it delves into the humanity, heart, and vulnerability of these iconic heroes (it’s actually very touching), which allows the film to be much more than just pure spectacle and elaborate action. It lacks in a lot of heavy emotion, and the script conveys a lot about loved ones and camaraderie, along with the complicated notions of dwelling on the impact of decisions from the past and altering the course of time. There’s a sense despair. A sense of remorse. And maybe everything won’t be completely okay in the end, but the Avengers are going to their absolute best no matter what, even if it takes some crucial sacrifices to get the job done and salvage the greater good of this sprawling universe.

“We’re the Avengers. We gotta finish this. You trust me?”