Suiting up once again, the remaining Avengers round up every superhero still alive and put their forces together to fight Thanos in “Avengers: Endgame.” Released April 26, this must-watch film is the 22nd in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The film takes place five years following the events of “Avengers: Infinity War”, in which the last brawl with the sinister titan, Thanos, took place.
Spoiler Alert! 16 heroes literally bit the dust in “Infinity War” as well as half of the universe. Some of the heroes who disappeared included: Spider-man, Falcon, Bucky Barnes, Starlord, Black Panther, Gamora, Doctor Strange, Groot, Wasp and Fury.
“Endgame” opens with Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) teaching his daughter how to use a bow and arrow, when the snap occurs.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is shown in space with Nebula (Karen Gillan), sending a goodbye message to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).
Fast-forward five years and the surviving heroes do not know how or when to move on. The remaining characters are broken from the events of the previous Avengers film.
Many scenes left the audience fighting back tears, especially when the grief of the heroes is shown extensively throughout the film.
Of course, classic Marvel humor is involved for some comedic relief amidst all the tragedy. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) put on a few pounds while self-loathing as a send-up to his classic macho demeanor, which many audience members found quite funny.
The cinematography was marvelous, as usual. The effects used for Thor and Captain Marvel’s (Brie Larson) powers are breath-taking. The CGI continues to get better and better as the years go on. In the beginning scene, Stark is shown malnourished which appeared incredibly lifelike thanks to CGI.
Strong actors influence an audience and create empathy. The actors in “Avengers: Endgame” did just that. Whether it was to make the audience laugh or to cry, there was always a sense of togetherness with the MCU actors and their fanbase.
The characters are shown closer than ever over the course of the film, especially Stark and Captain America (Chris Evans). The two put aside their differences from the years before and work together again to avenge the fallen.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, this is the Russo brother’s fourth Marvel film, though expectations have been high, the brothers have exceeded them.
The movie’s screenplay was written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, who have both written for Marvel since “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011). The script was brilliantly written and provided new, nuanced character development.
The screenwriters did not simplify or rush any amount of time it took the Avengers to heal. As the film goes on, each character’s struggle is shown in its fullest.
Hawkeye took his loss and turned it into vengeance against criminals. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) breaks down after finding out what Hawkeye has been up to. Captain America leads a group of individuals who are trying to move on from the events five years prior.
The movie is the longest MCU film so far, spanning three hours and two minutes. Even so, the film still seemed too short, leaving audiences wanting more.
With all the hype over the last year, the film hit most of the marks. It not only lived up to the immense expectations, it actually went farther than what fan theories could imagine.
Having absolutely no leaks and spoilers was key before the film came out. Since some actors have accidentally revealed plot points in the past, the cast was sworn to secrecy. Paul Rudd and Mark Ruffalo went so far as to make up a fake film to promote during part of the press tour.
The MCU is currently on phase three of the Avengers. The big question is who will survive the film and enter phase four.
The only downside to this film is knowing that it is an end. It is hard to say goodbye to 11 years of beloved characters and films.
“Avengers: Endgame” has broken numerous records including an outstanding $1.2 billion in the opening weekend global box office. The U.S. box office alone helped pay back the $356 million budget, with $350 million domestically opening weekend.
Fandago’s advance sale record was broken in only six hours, and the trailer gained 289 million views in the first 24 hours.
Surprisingly, the film has no end credit scenes, but rather an auditory hint after the credits: clinking metal. The original Avengers also got a special casting montage with the actors’ signatures before the credits rolled.
The film is by far one of the best movies ever created. After over ten years of hidden plot points in previous films, it all came together in “Avengers: Endgame.” Seeing the earth’s mightiest heroes reunite again for one final battle was epic.