MANILA, Philippines – The culmination of everything that has transpired in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since it began in 2008 via Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man,” “Avengers: “Endgame picks up after the events of last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War.” Directed by MCU veteran directors, Joe and Anthony Russo with the script written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the film is the final installment in the so-called The Infinity Saga, and is the swan song to some of the beloved heroes in the franchise.
While “Infinity War” focused on Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) journey, ending with him successfully wiping half of life in the universe using the Infinity Gauntlet complete with all six Infinity Stones, “Endgame” shifts the focus on the heroes, particularly the six original Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Iron Man (Downey), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) reunite after years of being separated for potentially their final mission as a team. Given this, clamor for the movie is understandably high. But with high stakes and immense pressure riding in on the movie, did Marvel Studios stick the landing?
We’re in the Endgame now…
With a tried and tested group of creatives behind “Endgame,” there’s no better team to cap off this long journey than the Russos and Markus and McFeely, and we’re glad to say that they delivered on the promise of satisfying conclusion to The Infinity Saga. While not everyone was thrilled at the thought of cop out deaths in “Infinity War” with most of the heroes dusted like Spider-Man and Black Panther confirmed to come back for their respective future films, it was a clever move to devise a great send off to MCU’s inaugural heroes.
“Endgame” plays on the nostalgia as it brilliantly reminds viewers how much these heroes have gone through in the last decade - something that only the MCU can do effectively considering how much time and effort they’ve devoted in building this universe. While it tends to get too much at times considering the complexity of its narrative, expositions are decently executed and are peppered in-between character moments making it more digestible.
If “Infinity War” had a more streamlined story to service its massive cast, “Endgame” is focused on a slimmer roster but with a complicated storyline. The film moves briskly without missing a beat, but also allows emotional moments to breathe. Humor is on point for the most of the film, although as with MCU’s recurring issues, some of the jokes feel misplaced but not to the point of distraction. Fans have more time with their favorite heroes which wasn’t really possible with Avengers 3. Character dynamics are fleshed out in the best possible way, reminding fans of the magical chemistry among the core Avengers. Add some new faces to that group and it’s still works really well.
MCU at its finest
Throughout its 10-year run, there have been a slew of memorable scenes and lines in the MCU, but fans take it to another level with the full movie totally unforgettable from start to finish. The three-hour runtime may be worrisome for some, but with the amount of story that Avengers 4 had to get to, there was no way that it could’ve worked with a shorter duration. If anything, Marvel Studios earned this privilege by producing quality blockbusters for the last decade.
There’s a plethora of good, well-thought-out fan service which definitely reinforces the idea that’s it’s the culmination of the history of the MCU by far. And at times, it even improves certain aspects of the universe that may have not been initially well-received.
Performances have been solid all around - from supporting characters to the main six, there’s no actor that didn’t earn their paycheck in “Endgame.” Each hero is given their time on the spotlight, albeit some understandably get more than others. Downey Jr. has been playing this character for more than 10 years and each time he comes out as Tony Stark, he always delivers. In “Endgame,” however, he elevates that tenfolds. His scenes with Evans particularly stand out.
“Avengers: Endgame” is an emotional roller coaster experience that will both leave you oddly drained and yet energized for the future of the MCU. It fulfills its promise of being the epic conclusion to 22-movie story spread out in the last 11 years. And while it clearly marks the end of an era for the franchise, it subtly plants plot seeds setting up what lies ahead for the universe.
For casual moviegoers, it’s an entertaining blockbuster with plenty of things to enjoy, but for loyal fans who have relentlessly followed these characters since day 1, it’s the best pay-off for anyone could’ve asked for. It’s cathartic and immensely satisfying. MCU’s world building has always been innovative, but this film is a testament to how good Marvel Studios is in creating grounded and relatable characters who the public can fully be invested in for more than a decade.
RATING: 9.5 out of 10
Watch full trailer here:
— ALD, The Summit Express
 |
| Official ‘Avengers: Endgame’ poster/Marvel Studios |
While “Infinity War” focused on Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) journey, ending with him successfully wiping half of life in the universe using the Infinity Gauntlet complete with all six Infinity Stones, “Endgame” shifts the focus on the heroes, particularly the six original Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Iron Man (Downey), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) reunite after years of being separated for potentially their final mission as a team. Given this, clamor for the movie is understandably high. But with high stakes and immense pressure riding in on the movie, did Marvel Studios stick the landing?
 |
| Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in ‘The Avengers’/Marvel Studios |
We’re in the Endgame now…
With a tried and tested group of creatives behind “Endgame,” there’s no better team to cap off this long journey than the Russos and Markus and McFeely, and we’re glad to say that they delivered on the promise of satisfying conclusion to The Infinity Saga. While not everyone was thrilled at the thought of cop out deaths in “Infinity War” with most of the heroes dusted like Spider-Man and Black Panther confirmed to come back for their respective future films, it was a clever move to devise a great send off to MCU’s inaugural heroes.
“Endgame” plays on the nostalgia as it brilliantly reminds viewers how much these heroes have gone through in the last decade - something that only the MCU can do effectively considering how much time and effort they’ve devoted in building this universe. While it tends to get too much at times considering the complexity of its narrative, expositions are decently executed and are peppered in-between character moments making it more digestible.
If “Infinity War” had a more streamlined story to service its massive cast, “Endgame” is focused on a slimmer roster but with a complicated storyline. The film moves briskly without missing a beat, but also allows emotional moments to breathe. Humor is on point for the most of the film, although as with MCU’s recurring issues, some of the jokes feel misplaced but not to the point of distraction. Fans have more time with their favorite heroes which wasn’t really possible with Avengers 3. Character dynamics are fleshed out in the best possible way, reminding fans of the magical chemistry among the core Avengers. Add some new faces to that group and it’s still works really well.
MCU at its finest
Throughout its 10-year run, there have been a slew of memorable scenes and lines in the MCU, but fans take it to another level with the full movie totally unforgettable from start to finish. The three-hour runtime may be worrisome for some, but with the amount of story that Avengers 4 had to get to, there was no way that it could’ve worked with a shorter duration. If anything, Marvel Studios earned this privilege by producing quality blockbusters for the last decade.
There’s a plethora of good, well-thought-out fan service which definitely reinforces the idea that’s it’s the culmination of the history of the MCU by far. And at times, it even improves certain aspects of the universe that may have not been initially well-received.
Performances have been solid all around - from supporting characters to the main six, there’s no actor that didn’t earn their paycheck in “Endgame.” Each hero is given their time on the spotlight, albeit some understandably get more than others. Downey Jr. has been playing this character for more than 10 years and each time he comes out as Tony Stark, he always delivers. In “Endgame,” however, he elevates that tenfolds. His scenes with Evans particularly stand out.
 |
| Official ‘Avengers: Endgame’ poster/Marvel Studios |
“Avengers: Endgame” is an emotional roller coaster experience that will both leave you oddly drained and yet energized for the future of the MCU. It fulfills its promise of being the epic conclusion to 22-movie story spread out in the last 11 years. And while it clearly marks the end of an era for the franchise, it subtly plants plot seeds setting up what lies ahead for the universe.
For casual moviegoers, it’s an entertaining blockbuster with plenty of things to enjoy, but for loyal fans who have relentlessly followed these characters since day 1, it’s the best pay-off for anyone could’ve asked for. It’s cathartic and immensely satisfying. MCU’s world building has always been innovative, but this film is a testament to how good Marvel Studios is in creating grounded and relatable characters who the public can fully be invested in for more than a decade.
RATING: 9.5 out of 10
Watch full trailer here:
— ALD, The Summit Express
