Avengers: Endgame
Directed by Joe & Anthony Russo
Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and the rest!
When I was younger, my love and interest of superheroes was fairly tame. I loved the idea of superheroes, drawing and writing stories of my own, but I never read the comics. I followed the likes of Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man on their respective animated series and films, who were at the time, the three popular and most well-known by the general public. The likes of Iron Man, Captain America, or even Ant-Man weren't on people's minds. But then, there was an idea…
Marvel began producing their own films, with the characters they still had rights to (a story for another day), and setting them all in this shared continuity. A cinematic universe. So when the time was right, they could do a big crossover film with these heroes known as The Avengers. As someone who loves and studies film, and works in video production, the storytelling concept of a cinematic universe really fascinated me. I didn't rush to the theaters to see the first Iron Man, in fact I watched it on-demand with my mom a quiet weekend months later. Things changed rather quickly.
I was as invested as the rest of the public, going to the theaters on opening weekends to see Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and so on. When I went to college, I met friends who knew all about these heroes from their days in comic books, and broadened my understanding of this Marvelous World and made me an even bigger fan. The Marvel Cinematic Universe became a major part of my life, their lives, and many others. We would have reunion weekends at least once a year to see the latest installment, and we would be in contact throughout the year discussing all the latest news, trailers, etc.
This is a long-way of saying, eleven years after this first saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame was poised to bring it to a grandiose, epic, and emotional conclusion. Boy, did it ever…
The spoiler ban has lifted but out of respect for the few that haven't seen it yet, I'll keep the plot summary brief. After suffering a devastating loss at the hands of the Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin), which resulted in half of the universe being snapped out of existence, the Avengers left behind must pick up the pieces. As a true team, they strive to find a way to reverse the damage and resurrect their dusted friends, family, and allies. That's the barebones.
Finales are hard to do. Just ask any show-runners of a television series that's concluded. Endgame is the series (or season depending your viewpoint) finale of a 22-episode, cinematic television series. Everyone has or had in their mind an idea of how The Infinity Saga of the MCU should have concluded. All entertainment is subjective, and while I personally had my own thoughts and expectations dismissed (As will all of you), this film is as close to perfect as perfect could be. It's what a finale should be. It's jam-packed with amazing character moments, epic scenes of drama and action, and plenty, PLENTY of moments that will have you clutching your handkerchief. I admit I cry at movies a fair amount, but damn, the bar's been raised…a lot.
Infinity War was an MCU film that was not for the uninitiated. You couldn't go into it cold turkey, or having only seen a small portions of the films that came before it. Endgame is no different, in fact it is even more so not for the uninitiated. The amount of MCU films you've seen prior will undoubtedly reflect your level of enjoyment viewing it. Back on Infinity War, while it and Endgame are a two-part installment, they are very different films. Specifically, while the former had a lot of balls in there and was very fast-paced, the latter has a much more mainstreamed storyline, and goes a bit slower. Not to say that's a bad thing. There are some slow parts in the first half, but conversely in that first act are a lot of wonderful, very entertaining character moments.
That's really why we've devoted ourselves to this cinematic universes, because of its compelling characters, which is my segway into talking about the cast. It's no secret that this film has been billed as the final outing for many of the franchise's longest standing cast members, and in Endgame they turn in some of their very best work. Robert Downey Jr. deserves some sort of Oscar for his work as Tony Stark/Iron Man. The amount of charisma and heart he has put into this role, it's nothing short of iconic. Chris Evans is Steve Rogers/Captain America. Cap is given some of the very best moments in the film, and Evans delivers them all with the same gravitas and emotion of a true leading man since he first picked up the shield in 2011. I don't think enough has been said about all the good work Chris Hemsworth has done as Thor. His ability to juggle the comedic and emotional sides of his character is remarkable. Not everyone's going to like what the Russos do with Thor in this film, but it does work. Thor has had one of the most-fleshed out character arcs throughout the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Scarlett Johansson does a lot of heavy-lifting as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. She's not just the emotional core of the original Avengers team, she's the emotional core of the film, and it was really nice to see her talent on full-display. Jeremy Renner, who has often been sidelined and overlooked as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, is a true highlight here. He's given a lot of material to work with in Endgame and he runs with all it. Karen Gillan continues to be a personal favorite as Nebula, and seeing her work with the Avengers, opposed to say the Guardians, is a lot of fun. I don't want to go down the list of the entire cast but lastly, I want to mention Josh Brolin as Thanos. Thanos has become one of the greatest villains of all time, largely in part to his performance. Avoiding spoilers best I can, but the Thanos in Endgame is a stark contrast to the one in Infinity War. While Thanos is a self-proclaimed messiah who takes no true pleasure in his mission, here he's far more evil, ruthless, and threatening. Brolin works wonders with this side of the character.
Much like Infinity War, Endgame's production design is truly a comic-book come to life with some remarkable shots, settings and set-pieces. I can't wait to see what artists do with some of this stuff at my local comic-cons (Sorry, wallet.). I know I said Composer Alan Silversti gave some of his best work in Infinity War, but I changed my mind. Here is where he gives his best work. Obviously he worked on both films back to back, and you can hear a lot of the same themes and pieces in the score, but he truly saved the best for last. This is some of the best music a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever had, and if he isn't even nominated for an Academy Award I will set every copy of Bohemian Rhapsody on fire (I stole the framework of this joke).
I have come to love the Marvel films as much as I love the films of Disney and Pixar. They inform a lot of my opinions and taste in film and television, but they've also become a large part of my identity. These films have enforced lifelong friendships. I look around my apartment right now, and there is a Captain America magnet on my fridge, a throw pillow on my couch, a hand-crafted mini-surfboard with his shield hanging on my wall, and a Funko Pop of him fighting Thanos on my entertainment center. And it's some bizarre coincidence that three of this franchise's leading men are all named Chris, and the Chris that plays my favorite superhero is also from Massachusetts, but I digress.
The experience of Avengers: Endgame is unforgettable. Once in a lifetime. It's an epic, emotional conclusion to a story that began eleven years ago. Obviously, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue on, but it'll never be as it was. Nothing has ever or probably will ever touch this historic achievement of feature-film storytelling. Ten years from now, it's unclear if the superhero genre will still be as strong, or will have gone quietly to the sideline similar to the western. Rest assured, no one will soon forget the cultural impact of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how The Infinity Saga, its first chapter, came to a ground-breaking conclusion with Avengers: Endgame.
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Credit to my friend Derek for this, the best work in Photoshop anyone has ever done ever.
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