7/10
A fitting conclusion. Avengers: Endgame does everything it was expected of and that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Truthfully, even for this cynic of the oversaturated superhero movie market, I can’t help but respect what Marvel has accomplished and how well they’ve finished what they began.
I’ll start with the strongest positives.
This film does not feel 3 hours long. Which might sound like a silly statement to make it but it’s a testament to the fact that the screenplay is written well enough to keep you interested all the way. The acts that happen at each stage feel purposefully built, almost like you’re riding a superhero-themed rollercoaster. Again, a strange analogy, but with dips and turns at the beginning and middle before taking you to a resounding climax, Avengers: Endgame knows how to make it a fun ride.
While not everything about the script is flawless, there’s still a few great highlights and moments to savour up.
For starters, I really enjoyed the opening scene which could be one of the quicker ways to get an audience emotionally invested into the characters while also tying in perfectly with the prequel. Moments with Ant-Man were also refreshing given his lack of presence in the prequel. And the finale well…I’ll leave that for you to see for yourself.
Emotionally, Avengers: Endgame is a joy for the fans and it deserves to be. When you’ve spent so long watching these characters over the past 10 years, it’s difficult not to feel like they are part of some sort of fictional family of yours. Particularly because the story is well adverse in acknowledging that with subtle four wall breaks.
So even though I don’t feel too attached to these characters, seeing as they are well…just characters and people I’ll never meet. I can respect and admire the effort that Marvel put into making them come across the screen this way. Especially when you see how bad it can sometimes be over on the DC side.
My only real qualms apart from specific plot holes in the script is that Avengers: Endgame is surprisingly not as humourous as other Marvel movies. The focus has clearly been given to shining a light on the emotional side and I kind of miss the witty humour from films like The Guardians of the Galaxy or hell, even the first Avengers movie by Joss Whedon.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not utterly devoid of humour – especially if you liked Thor Ragnarök. But some jokes fall flat, and others don’t even occur at all even though they could have been there for the taking. There was really only one or two times the whole theatre was laughing. Everything else just received a small smile.
I also wish the ending gave us just a little bit more and it’s difficult to say how without spoilers. What I will say is that I think while the somber touch was nice, it could have been backed up by something light-hearted which in my opinion would have elevated the resolution. I can go into spoilers on what exactly I mean down in the comments.
But overall, this is by in every sense of if, a masterpiece of epic blockbuster superhero films. It’s not my favourite superhero movie (I still think The Dark Knight is the best) but Avengers: Endgame managed to fulfill my expectations and I’m content with that.
Part of me will always have a soft spot for these characters because when I take a step back and look at everything that’s been accomplished, how can I not like them? They’re superheroes after all. See it.