Avengers: Endgame

(Note: The following is an attempt at a spoiler-free review of Avengers: Endgame. Even though I would like to think I succeeded, read at your own risk.)

The ending of a long-running story can be emotional for any big fan, especially if they have been following it since the beginning. Upon viewing the original Iron Man in a theater back in 2008, I never thought there’d be such a thing as the Marvel Cinematic Universe until that first post-credits scene, let alone seeing it build up over 11 years to tell an epic story on such a grand scale. The last time I had felt such emotions was seeing the Harry Potter film franchise run for the span of 10 years as it adapted all seven books in the build-up to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, and so I began to feel very nervous as the release for Avengers: Endgame drew closer, more so right before my screening in a theater. Thankfully, my fears were alleviated upon getting to finally see it, as it turned out to be one of the best Marvel movies I had ever seen and well worth the emotional investment of all 22 movies (so far).

The only thing I can say without spoiling anything about the story is that it follows up on the events of Avengers: Infinity War and does so in a very impactful way. The story takes a more serious tone compared to a number of previous Marvel films while still providing the trademark Marvel snark at only the most appropriate times. Unlike comic book movies such as Venom or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and similarly to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, I did not find myself looking at my watch every ten minutes as I had become engrossed in the story to the point where I didn’t really notice that three hours had passed.

The acting is among the best in any MCU film to date, as the performances of the characters are very believable as they deal with whatever is thrown at them. The visual effects are also very strong, contributing well to several of the movie’s more powerful scenes. Previous films are also referenced throughout the movie in such a way that rewards you for having seen them all.

Avengers: Endgame is a very solid movie; I would go so far as to call it the best movie in Phase Three, if not the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is so monumental in the film industry that it seems like it will be talked about for years to come. Watching all 21 previous movies, especially Avengers: infinity War, is the best way to get the most out of this movie, as both Infinity War and Endgame make you feel like the investment is worth it, especially if you’ve been watching the franchise grow and change in real time. That said, the movie caps this off in such a spectacular way that, even though Spider-Man: Far From Home has been declared to be the real end of Phase Three, I hesitate to watch even that despite having seen every previous Spider-Man film, and as such I will be playing any investment in any future MCU films by ear.