Game Recognize Endgame: Spoiler Free Review

April 23, 2019

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The very first comic book that I can remember reading is Iron Man. I got addicted to the adventures of the X-Men a little later, but it was an issue of Iron Man where Tony Stark fought Jim Rhodes over who got to wear the suit that first hooked me on comics.

I didn’t get to see Iron Man in theaters, so my first memory of the MCU is watching Robert Downey Jr and the crew on a DVD in my friend’s basement. There are not too many film watching experiences that can compare, seeing something that only existed on the page and in your imagination, become fully realized on the screen.

One of my favorite movie going moments is seeing Infinity War in a crowded theater, and hearing a man whimper “Tony, no…” when Thanos stabbed Iron Man. It was my second time seeing the movie, and even though I knew it was coming I still felt that in my soul when that man cried out for Tony.

Another favorite MCU moment is in the first Avengers, when Bruce Banner finally reveals his secret to the rest of the team and straight up punches a dragon in the face. I can still hear the roar of the crowd, and feel the tingle on my spine as the camera panned three hundred and sixty degrees around the original six Avengers.

So to say that I am emotionally invested in the MCU might be an understatement. Infinity War has become one of my favorite genre films, and beyond that in my opinion a masterclass on how to write an epic script that contains multiple characters and plot lines. The Russo Brothers along with the screenwriting team of Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, who are also responsible for The Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Endgame created a stand alone film that features a villain as a protagonist. Not only that, but they left everyone feening for Endgame, wondering how the creators could top the first film, as well as how would the heroes redeem themselves after failing to stop Thanos in Infinity War. Or would they?

Well… you’re going to have to go see the film to find out, because this is a movie that is full of moments that fans have been waiting for ten years to see, as well as more surprises and plot twists then I was expecting. The marketing team have done a masterful job of keeping the plot under wraps, and even though some people have sussed out certain ideas in the plot such as—-

POTENTIAL BASIC PLOT SPOILER BELOW:

time travel and The Quantum Realm, the execution of these ideas is where the money is at. Endgame is on the money to say the least. The use of time travel in this film will have people talking and thinking on the theories and premises for some time to come, and as in the film Looper, the use of time travel and how it works is spelled out in clear and concise dialogue.

In general, the script is very tight with not much time wasted on exposition, preferring to stick to big action moments, tons of emotional moments and long time pay-offs, as well as an unexpected bit of humor. This is one thing that may turn some viewers away from the film, but as it was in Infinity War, the humor is used sparingly, and mainly as a way to alleviate some of the more dire moments. While this is not the previous film, it does not shy away from the mistakes made in Infinity War, nor is this a picture perfect happy ending of a film.

Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: ENDGAME..L to R: Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), War Machine/James Rhodey (Don Cheadle), Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2019

One benefit of these actors playing these roles over this span of time is that they have a familiarity with the characters that most actors will never get to experience. So it’s not a question of if Robert Downey Jr. gives a good performance as Tony Stark or if Chris Evans kills as Captain America, it’s pretty much a given. But let me just say that in Endgame, everyone brings their A game. That’s a pretty terrible allusion, but here we are.

Ever since Winter Soldier’s infamous highway fight scene, I have been very interested in the Russo’s as action directors, with Bucky’s knife flip being one of the illest moments for me in any fight scene ever. Something the Russo’s said about action has always stuck with me as well, the idea that action should dictate character. The best parts of Endgame’s fight scenes aren’t the actual action, which is very well shot and directed, but the emotional moments that happen in them. Whether this is through dialogue or through team ups of characters that haven’t worked together before, Endgame delivers on the big action set pieces by fusing some of the best character moments into the chaotic action.

Of course, no film is perfect, and at three hours and some change, there are a few moments that might stretch on a bit too long. Some of the humor will be difficult to digest for some, and certain characterizations might be tough for viewers to accept. The CGI in some scenes is pristine, with Thanos again being a standout, and another spoilerish character has some of the best digital work I’ve ever seen. But some of the other CGI work could use a touch up, but that is to be expected in any work of this magnitude.

After ten years of films, with the quality of them ranging from the best to the not so best, Endgame brings the first era of the MCU to a satisfying close. Endgame is not only a successful film in it’s own right, but also a culmination of a unique experiment in filmmaking that has spanned over a decade, with multiple creatives and talents all bringing their voices to help tell one serialized story that comes to a near perfect finish in Endgame.