Avengers: Endgame - Review: It Couldn't Have Ended Any Other Way
Release date (US): April 26th, 2019
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Josh Brolin
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any effect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind.
The Review
It's been 11 years in the making. 21 films leading up to the final 3 hours of what has become an unprecedented feat known as Avengers: Endgame. Everything's been leading to this, the marketing's told us. Every moment, every line, every character culminates in this extravaganza that has resulted in a film that has millions across the globe clamoring to see these heroes, perhaps for the last time.
Just to be completely transparent, this review will have absolutely no spoilers. I will reference only what we knew from the previous 21 films in the MCU as well as what Marvel has shown in the two main trailers that they have released, as well as the "Special Look" that was dropped on the day that tickets went on sale.
And on that note, I have to commend Marvel on their marketing. We don't often talk about marketing in these reviews, but this is a special case for a special movie. This movie was marketed in such a way that you think you have an idea of what's going to go on in the film, but trust me, you don't. Everything you thought you knew, throw it out the window. I'm not insinuating that the scenes themselves are necessarily deceitful. Some may or may not be; but what's even more commendable about the main brunt of the marketing is that they're edited in such a way that you really have no idea what to expect out of the movie. So if you were someone who was worried that you would know something major from the trailers, don't be. The best is yet to come.
And on that note, the best is really saved for the movie. A lot of movies have maybe one or two big "BOOM" moments that define the experience. You walk out of Captain America: Civil War saying "The Airport scene was magnificent!". Or maybe you walk out of Spider-Man: Homecoming saying "The Vulture twist was so unexpected!". That's what Marvel does best. They subvert your expectations. But Avengers: Endgame takes it to a whole new level. Avengers: Endgame has so many of these moments you're almost overwhelmed.
Three hours is a lot of real estate for any movie. There are almost no points in the film where nothing is going on. I would say there could be one scene that I would've shortened down or cut out, but out of 180 minutes, that's truly impressive on the Russo brother's (Joe and Anthony, directors of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) part. To me, the three hour runtime wasn't a problem AT ALL. In fact, it felt like an hour. It really did. And that's not to say that there weren't any slow moments. People often mistake "slow" for boring, or stagnate, but I think films that have slow moments in the right places and know how to capitalize on emotion are some of the best. There's one scene in particular towards the middle where the characters are just standing around talking. But it's poignant. It feels right because the events have a flow that would lead to a moment like.
But let me be clear; despite the film moving very quickly, it is overwhelming. Again, overwhelming is a word that can be mistaken as negative, and often is. That's not the case with this movie. It is not positive, nor is it negative; but the first time I walked out of the movie, I stood there utterly shocked. I had so many things racing through my mind and it was like my brain was going on overdrive. So many things happen that you're just not quite so sure how to think about it.
Having seen it a second time, I will say that once you know where the story is and where certain plot elements are going in advance, it feels so much more natural. The first time felt like information and visual overload; but once you understand exactly what the Russos were going for, it begins to fall into place (more on how a repeat viewing impacted my experience in another post).
As wonderful as this movie is, and as satisfied as I felt walking out of it, no movie is perfect. Every movie will have some problems with every person. And there were some problems that were actually quite noticeable to me ESPECIALLY in the first half. Because, and as much as I preach that no film is perfect, I do think the SECOND half of the movie is just about perfect. But back to the beginning; I actually thought that there were some subtle editing choices that I disagreed with. There are two transitions that were dragged out and were emphasized way too much, one at the very beginning and one near the thirty minute mark. It's not that the transitions necessarily were bad in themselves. It's that they were so tonally dissonant with the rest of the film.
Because the first thirty minutes are dark. They really are. You feel the weight of the loss of Infinity War. The characters are almost all in a bad place. But then the Russos make a couple choices that I felt made very little sense, or at the very least, were extremely jarring. They also introduce a plot element that, as much I thought they did everything they could with it, made no sense either. They try to introduce it in a way that's seamless and natural, and to Kevin Feige (head of Marvel Studio) and Marvel's credit, it's not like it came out of nowhere. They did set it up; it's just that the way it's handled throughout the movie is wildly inconsistent.
But at the end of the day, this film is all about payoff. Payoff, payoff, payoff. The first half is a lot of setup, and thus it's rocky at certain points. There are tonal inconsistencies and there are some moments that don't feel like they belong. But once the movie hits the halfway mark after a very specific plot point happens, it takes off and doesn't touch the ground ever. After that particular moment, there's almost no time to stop and take a breather. And that's what makes the movie so good. It knows when it has a chance to breathe, and when it has that opportunity, it takes it. Where other Marvel films, and just films in general would have skipped over those moments, Endgame takes advantage. Bu the final hour and a half is not that time. The final hour and a half is a mad adrenaline rush that makes you feel like a child all over again.
There's emotion, there's action, there's laughs, tears; the Russos were not kidding when they said that this was the CULMINATION because it really, and truly is. And what's so wonderful about Avengers: Endgame is how surprising it is. Like I alluded to earlier, the trailers don't give anything away. And you're able to go into the films and laugh at all the surprises and gasp along with the rest of the audience. There are a couple surprises that you could tell were coming within the film; they were set up during the setup and paid off later, but there are also moments that paid off throughout the movie that were set up five, ten, even fifteen films prior. That's what makes this film so unprecedented.
While there were some moments of momentary shakiness within the plot, the Russos always know what to do with characters. Here's what I'll say about Avengers: Endgame in terms of characters. There are some characters I felt they botched. One in particular - they made a decision that a lot of people enjoyed and I completely understand why. I didn't. And that's just the subjectivity of film. There is another that I felt they misused - it's not like they made a conscious decision like they did with the other one. It was more them ignoring previous arcs that were set up. But, and this includes these two characters, come the movie's end, each and EVERY character feels like they're where they're supposed to be. Once I begrudgingly got on board with their arcs, when the credits roll and the characters are in various places, I felt that each and every one was fitting.
Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans are the stars of the movie. They each bring out the best in their characters - Downey especially gets to show off his acting muscles and shows the audience how well he knows his character after playing him several times over 11 years. Evans gets a large amount of screentime, as compared to Avengers: Infinity War, and he shines as the true leader of the Avengers. There are scenes where you look at him and realize why every single Avenger will follow him into battle, no matter what.
The supporting cast, especially Johansson as Black Widow, Renner as Clint Barton, Rudd as Scott Lang, and Gillan as Nebula get big, BIG moments to shine. It's interesting to note that all four of these characters barely got, if any, screentime in Infinity War, but Joe and Anthony Russo, as well as screenwrtiers McFeely and Markus give these characters their due. What you really see in a film like Endgame is just how well each actor knows their own character, because they've all inhabited their roles for so long. They have almost become their characters, and that really, and truly shows.
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Josh Brolin also returns as the Mad Titan, Thanos. Without giving anything away, I will say this; Thanos is approached in a very different way than in Infinity War. In Infinity War, he WAS the protagonist - the main character. But in Endgame, it's the Avengers who take center stage. So naturally, he takes a little bit of a backseat. Which is completely okay because after Infinity War, we understand the characters and his motivations, and we don't really need him to be more fleshed out than he is. When he says lines that would be considered cliche and conventional for other Marvel villains, they come off as nuanced, subtle, and impassioned from Brolin's Thanos.
But one player who came to play that reviews seldom talk about is Alan Silvestri. After rewatching Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as the original Avengers, it's clear that Silvestri is leaps and bounds better than any other composer in the MCU. And this might be his best one yet. The music in this film is absolutely phenomenal. It's not just that it's good on its own; it is - BUT it plays so well with the moment. I'm listening to a particular track over, and over, and over again because it's a beautifully orchestrated piece of music but also because it brings back memories and evokes deep emotion that I felt during that scene. Silvestri makes this movie so much better; without a good composer, this film would honestly have been so much worse.
In Conclusion: There is no other way that this movie could have ended. These characters have had long, complicated, human arcs. And by movie's end, you feel so completely fulfilled and satisfied. There is little that you want after seeing this film. Thinking about the fourteen million different ways that Doctor strange saw the future unfolding, this really was the only one that could've worked for the audience. It's bold, it's deep and rich with character and emotion, and it's rewarding. This movie rewards you for seeing the previous 21 movies in ways that you would hardly know you needed. It was hard to envision a world in which this movie stuck the landing as well as it did; but believe me, it did.
Just to be completely transparent, this review will have absolutely no spoilers. I will reference only what we knew from the previous 21 films in the MCU as well as what Marvel has shown in the two main trailers that they have released, as well as the "Special Look" that was dropped on the day that tickets went on sale.
And on that note, I have to commend Marvel on their marketing. We don't often talk about marketing in these reviews, but this is a special case for a special movie. This movie was marketed in such a way that you think you have an idea of what's going to go on in the film, but trust me, you don't. Everything you thought you knew, throw it out the window. I'm not insinuating that the scenes themselves are necessarily deceitful. Some may or may not be; but what's even more commendable about the main brunt of the marketing is that they're edited in such a way that you really have no idea what to expect out of the movie. So if you were someone who was worried that you would know something major from the trailers, don't be. The best is yet to come.
And on that note, the best is really saved for the movie. A lot of movies have maybe one or two big "BOOM" moments that define the experience. You walk out of Captain America: Civil War saying "The Airport scene was magnificent!". Or maybe you walk out of Spider-Man: Homecoming saying "The Vulture twist was so unexpected!". That's what Marvel does best. They subvert your expectations. But Avengers: Endgame takes it to a whole new level. Avengers: Endgame has so many of these moments you're almost overwhelmed.
Three hours is a lot of real estate for any movie. There are almost no points in the film where nothing is going on. I would say there could be one scene that I would've shortened down or cut out, but out of 180 minutes, that's truly impressive on the Russo brother's (Joe and Anthony, directors of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) part. To me, the three hour runtime wasn't a problem AT ALL. In fact, it felt like an hour. It really did. And that's not to say that there weren't any slow moments. People often mistake "slow" for boring, or stagnate, but I think films that have slow moments in the right places and know how to capitalize on emotion are some of the best. There's one scene in particular towards the middle where the characters are just standing around talking. But it's poignant. It feels right because the events have a flow that would lead to a moment like.
But let me be clear; despite the film moving very quickly, it is overwhelming. Again, overwhelming is a word that can be mistaken as negative, and often is. That's not the case with this movie. It is not positive, nor is it negative; but the first time I walked out of the movie, I stood there utterly shocked. I had so many things racing through my mind and it was like my brain was going on overdrive. So many things happen that you're just not quite so sure how to think about it.
Having seen it a second time, I will say that once you know where the story is and where certain plot elements are going in advance, it feels so much more natural. The first time felt like information and visual overload; but once you understand exactly what the Russos were going for, it begins to fall into place (more on how a repeat viewing impacted my experience in another post).
As wonderful as this movie is, and as satisfied as I felt walking out of it, no movie is perfect. Every movie will have some problems with every person. And there were some problems that were actually quite noticeable to me ESPECIALLY in the first half. Because, and as much as I preach that no film is perfect, I do think the SECOND half of the movie is just about perfect. But back to the beginning; I actually thought that there were some subtle editing choices that I disagreed with. There are two transitions that were dragged out and were emphasized way too much, one at the very beginning and one near the thirty minute mark. It's not that the transitions necessarily were bad in themselves. It's that they were so tonally dissonant with the rest of the film.
Because the first thirty minutes are dark. They really are. You feel the weight of the loss of Infinity War. The characters are almost all in a bad place. But then the Russos make a couple choices that I felt made very little sense, or at the very least, were extremely jarring. They also introduce a plot element that, as much I thought they did everything they could with it, made no sense either. They try to introduce it in a way that's seamless and natural, and to Kevin Feige (head of Marvel Studio) and Marvel's credit, it's not like it came out of nowhere. They did set it up; it's just that the way it's handled throughout the movie is wildly inconsistent.
But at the end of the day, this film is all about payoff. Payoff, payoff, payoff. The first half is a lot of setup, and thus it's rocky at certain points. There are tonal inconsistencies and there are some moments that don't feel like they belong. But once the movie hits the halfway mark after a very specific plot point happens, it takes off and doesn't touch the ground ever. After that particular moment, there's almost no time to stop and take a breather. And that's what makes the movie so good. It knows when it has a chance to breathe, and when it has that opportunity, it takes it. Where other Marvel films, and just films in general would have skipped over those moments, Endgame takes advantage. Bu the final hour and a half is not that time. The final hour and a half is a mad adrenaline rush that makes you feel like a child all over again.
There's emotion, there's action, there's laughs, tears; the Russos were not kidding when they said that this was the CULMINATION because it really, and truly is. And what's so wonderful about Avengers: Endgame is how surprising it is. Like I alluded to earlier, the trailers don't give anything away. And you're able to go into the films and laugh at all the surprises and gasp along with the rest of the audience. There are a couple surprises that you could tell were coming within the film; they were set up during the setup and paid off later, but there are also moments that paid off throughout the movie that were set up five, ten, even fifteen films prior. That's what makes this film so unprecedented.
While there were some moments of momentary shakiness within the plot, the Russos always know what to do with characters. Here's what I'll say about Avengers: Endgame in terms of characters. There are some characters I felt they botched. One in particular - they made a decision that a lot of people enjoyed and I completely understand why. I didn't. And that's just the subjectivity of film. There is another that I felt they misused - it's not like they made a conscious decision like they did with the other one. It was more them ignoring previous arcs that were set up. But, and this includes these two characters, come the movie's end, each and EVERY character feels like they're where they're supposed to be. Once I begrudgingly got on board with their arcs, when the credits roll and the characters are in various places, I felt that each and every one was fitting.
Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans are the stars of the movie. They each bring out the best in their characters - Downey especially gets to show off his acting muscles and shows the audience how well he knows his character after playing him several times over 11 years. Evans gets a large amount of screentime, as compared to Avengers: Infinity War, and he shines as the true leader of the Avengers. There are scenes where you look at him and realize why every single Avenger will follow him into battle, no matter what.
The supporting cast, especially Johansson as Black Widow, Renner as Clint Barton, Rudd as Scott Lang, and Gillan as Nebula get big, BIG moments to shine. It's interesting to note that all four of these characters barely got, if any, screentime in Infinity War, but Joe and Anthony Russo, as well as screenwrtiers McFeely and Markus give these characters their due. What you really see in a film like Endgame is just how well each actor knows their own character, because they've all inhabited their roles for so long. They have almost become their characters, and that really, and truly shows.
Josh Brolin also returns as the Mad Titan, Thanos. Without giving anything away, I will say this; Thanos is approached in a very different way than in Infinity War. In Infinity War, he WAS the protagonist - the main character. But in Endgame, it's the Avengers who take center stage. So naturally, he takes a little bit of a backseat. Which is completely okay because after Infinity War, we understand the characters and his motivations, and we don't really need him to be more fleshed out than he is. When he says lines that would be considered cliche and conventional for other Marvel villains, they come off as nuanced, subtle, and impassioned from Brolin's Thanos.
But one player who came to play that reviews seldom talk about is Alan Silvestri. After rewatching Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as the original Avengers, it's clear that Silvestri is leaps and bounds better than any other composer in the MCU. And this might be his best one yet. The music in this film is absolutely phenomenal. It's not just that it's good on its own; it is - BUT it plays so well with the moment. I'm listening to a particular track over, and over, and over again because it's a beautifully orchestrated piece of music but also because it brings back memories and evokes deep emotion that I felt during that scene. Silvestri makes this movie so much better; without a good composer, this film would honestly have been so much worse.
In Conclusion: There is no other way that this movie could have ended. These characters have had long, complicated, human arcs. And by movie's end, you feel so completely fulfilled and satisfied. There is little that you want after seeing this film. Thinking about the fourteen million different ways that Doctor strange saw the future unfolding, this really was the only one that could've worked for the audience. It's bold, it's deep and rich with character and emotion, and it's rewarding. This movie rewards you for seeing the previous 21 movies in ways that you would hardly know you needed. It was hard to envision a world in which this movie stuck the landing as well as it did; but believe me, it did.
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