Avengers, Endgame

Avengers, Endgame (spoiler free) 2019

Directed by Anthony and Joseph Russo who have brought us Arrested Development, Community and in my opinion 3 of the best Marvel films so far in The Winter Soldier, Civil War and Infinity War. They, alongside Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, also wrote the screenplay. Endgame is the final film in what Marvel Films are calling the Infinity Saga, a story arc that has been bubbling beneath the surface of nearly all twenty one films that have come before this one in the eleven years of the MCU.
Starting shortly after the events of Infinity Wars we rejoin the survivors of the snap; mostly the original Avengers, with War Machine, Rocket and Nebula, as they try to come to terms with their and the worlds loss and try to fix what Thanos did.

The acting is as you’d expect, these stars have been in the roles for a long time now and it’s second nature to them. Everyone was on point. Robert Downey Junior and Jeremy Renner carried the majority of the weight, but everyone seemed to know the importance of what they were doing.

I’m not sure what I can say about the Russo brothers that I’ve not said before. These guys are at the absolute top of their game. Infinity War and Endgame were filmed back to back so that was around 2 years of non-stop film making – and that’s not including re-shoots, which they were doing up to the start of this year. To make a cohesive story with as many characters as we saw in Infinity War is an amazing feat. Endgame has less obviously (Thanos, you dick!) but what it lost in heroes it more then made up for in character based plot. This film was never about the destination as we all know people are coming back, but it’s the journey that matters.

Endgame has a three hour run time and I’d say most of it is needed. The first act did feel a little long to me but in no way was I bored, it was just a surprise that there was so much character driven plot. Others may have wanted some of that cut away and that’s just more kudos to the studio for believing in the Russo’s, they want a scene in, so it stays in. Not much room for jokes in the first forty minutes as things are as bad as they can be, although Thor is always good for a laugh.

The second act was way more plot based and our heroes get to work trying to right the wrongs. The film shifts in tone a bit here too and there are a few more laughs to be had but still keeping us grounded in seriousness. I largely enjoyed the choices that were made regarding the plot of the film, a couple didn’t make sense to me but that is my only issue with the film.

The third act is as we’d expect, a big burly fight that had me on the edge of my seat and at a few points had the cinema cheering out loud. It was the most visually pleasing fight I’ve ever seen in a film.

A friend asked me yesterday to give them a short, no-spoiler review. I said that if Infinity War can be likened to Civil War, then Endgame is its Winter Soldier. This doesn’t have the pace of Infinity War, but because of the extended run time and fewer heroes there is more time to get the emotion of some of the characters across.

I, of course, loved this film and it will be seen many times more while it’s in the cinema. It made me laugh, made me tear up, made me sit on the edge of my seat for almost the entire three hours. It made me smile, made me cheer, gave me a complete sense of peace at the end. An absolutely beautiful, well crafted, stunningly executed piece of work.

Within 24 hours of seeing it I felt bereft because it is all over. I know there will be more Marvel films but still, the sense of loss is there.

Ballpark guess, but I think I’ve seen in excess of two thousand different movies in my life and with the exception of the Star Wars franchise nothing comes close to how I feel about these films. In the last eleven years this collection of movies has made this grumpy old man (and even grumpier film critic) feel like a child again and that, my friends, is no mean feat.

To take the stories I read as a child and put them on screen for me (and it does feel like they’re just for me) makes me so fucking happy. I re-watch the films as an adult like I’d re read the comics as a child.

The MCU have changed the face of modern cinema and script writing. All starting with one of the lesser popular marvel heroes, Iron Man. Kevin Feige, Avi Arid and Jon Favreau had a vision eleven years ago and I, for one, am so thankful they did.

*Thunderous applause*