fi·na·le
/fəˈnalē,fəˈnälē/
noun
the last part of a piece of music, a performance, or a public event, especially when particularly dramatic or exciting.
Avengers Endgame is the finale to 22 films since Ironman in 2008, and it is a damn good film of callbacks to the original movies (phase one) and uplifting storytelling.
I am going to organize this Avenger’s Endgame review into six relevant and important categories:
- The Comedy
- The Fan Service
- The Characterization & Performance
- The Action
- The Storytelling
- The Verdict
THE COMEDY
The Comedy is one of the best in the series. I would say the jokes are melancholy and sour at first, but then they just turn mean-spirited and realistic if you’ve ever gone through tragedy and loss, then you can understand the type of dry humor employed in this film. Antman (Paul Rudd) carries the comedy on his back for most of the movie with amazing jokes and delivery, I loved fat Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and how they turned the manliest character into a slob that plays video games, The contrast between the god and the goof is surprising and subverted expectations, Especially after watching Infinity War.
For an action movie, the comedy is solid.
THE FAN SERVICE
Good fan service calls back to the original in a subtle way that rewards loyalty. This film does that almost perfectly. An amazing example is when they return to the attack on New York from Avengers 1. They reshot and overlayed footage from the 2012 blockbuster, filled with easter eggs and jokes for the fans. The amazing thing is that all the fan service in this movie makes sense in the context of the story. It never stops the pacing or slows down the movie. The movie also never jumps the shark. Everything feels grounded in the laws and realities of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the pieces of the story fit together perfectly. When I saw Captain America dancing with Peggy in the final scene, I was frozen because I was invested in the emotional payoff.
The fan service is AMAZING
THE CHARACTERIZATION & PERFORMANCE
Good performances have emotional weight, and this film is full of them. Karen Gillan has a very good performance as Nebula and plays two versions of her robot self. Mark Ruffalo has a very convincing performance as The Hulk, who after half the universe gets reduced to dust, integrates the Monster and the Man into Professor Hulk, a social media celebrity. Scarlett Johansson has a sad yet realistic portrayal of Black Widow.
Outstanding performances can carry a movie, and Endgame is no exception. Josh Brolin and Robert Downey Jr. are two of the best actors I’ve seen in the last ten years. Josh Brolin plays the infamous Thanos, and Robert Downey Jr. needs no introduction as Ironman. I believe Robert Downey Jr.’s performance is Oscar-worthy because of the emotion it carries.
Overall, the characterization and performances are the best in the series.
THE ACTION
In an action movie, the stakes are high when anyone can die at any moment. This is true in Endgame. The film begins and ends with whole civilizations being wiped
out in acts of genocide. Also, major characters like Black Widow and Ironman, who we are deeply invested in, meet their untimely demise. This movie has consequences, and major characters are lost forever.
The whole final battle is breath-taking. Characters, who we thought were lost, come back for last epic fight. When I saw the film opening week, the audience literally cheered to see Spider-Man, Black Panther (and his army), Doctor Strange, and others reappear to take on Thanos and his massive army of Chitauri, aliens with laser weapons, who look great on screen battling the Avengers. The visual effects are excellent, and the choreography of the fight scenes is so natural it doesn’t look choreographed.
The action meets and exceeds audience expectations.
THE STORYTELLING
In this movie every plot point is relevant. There are many details that demonstrate that these writers, unlike David Benioff and D.B. Weiss of Game of Thrones, had a plan from the start and a vision for the finale. For example, at the end of Ironman (2008), Tony Stark gives a press conference in which he admits, “I am Ironman.” This line then comes back at the very end of Endgame. When Thanos gets the gauntlet, he says, “I am inevitable.” Then Tony Stark steals the infinity stones, and his last words before he dies are, “I am Ironman.” This creates a bookend and a sense of closure.
In the movie, there is no retconning of any sort. The writers handle their decision with integrity. Even the time travel, which is almost always messy, is handled with class.
I liked the idea that even if someone dies in the past, the future will not be affected because when going to the past, the past becomes the present and the present becomes future, so “the present is going to stay the same regardless” of what happens during the time traveling sequences. Even if they wanted to, the Avengers can’t go back in time to kill baby Thanos or have Thor go for his head before he snaps. Instead, they have to find a way to get the infinity stones, recreate the infinity gauntlet, and make a new future.
From a business standpoint, the tangent timelines are a brilliant strategy, opening many avenues for prequels, sequels, and spinoffs for streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix.
In this movie no one is safe and everything is purposeful.
The storytelling is compelling and impactful.
THE VERDICT
I don’t want to give this movie a grade. Slapping a number on it will only take away from the overall experience. Endgame is not a film; it is a pop cultural event. Everyone and their mother has seen it by now and references are permeating social media and the hallways at school. Last week a teacher at my school referenced Endgame by saying, “Math is inevitable.”
Endgame is definitely an inevitable part of pop culture today
Levi Jacobson Reviews 