“Avengers: Endgame” culminates 11 years of 21 Marvel movies, and spectacularly concludes the first saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
In the first weekend alone, “Endgame”grossed 1.2 billion dollars, significantly surpassing previous box office records. This movie is a big deal, and everyone knows it. Within the first day of “Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens,” the biggest twist of the movie was spoiled for me. However, people respect “Endgame” so much that I had not heard a single spoiler until I watched it, which was close to a week after its release. I even saw memes about how few spoilers there were after the movie came out.
So, does “Endgame” live up to the hype that’s been building up for a year, since the end of “Infinity War” left fans with a feeling of dread? If you like Marvel movies, it definitely does. If you like heroes, throwbacks, epic fights and witty banter — the staples of Marvel movies — it delivers on all of the above.
The visuals and special effects were engaging as always, and the cinematography was unexpectedly varying, not just shot in neutral and medium shots. The fight scenes were reserved for much of the movie, but delivered a satisfying, epic battle at the end that satiated any desire for more action. One of the most significant aspects that sets “Endgame” apart from most, if not all of the other Marvel movies, is the writing.
The plot could be viewed as contrived and unnecessary. While many of those points are understandable, the quality and effort put into the writing of “Endgame” really shows. “Endgame” took a time travel plot that would look ridiculous in any other context, and presented it as something semi-serious with moments that were completely engrossing. There were tear-provoking scenes even before the final act of the movie, and there was enough humor dispersed throughout that the tone wasn’t overbearingly dark, but sufficiently dark at the right moments. Even the pace was better than expected. There is a flash forward scene towards the beginning of the movie that would otherwise be distracting, but “Endgame” presented it very well, spending an appropriate amount of time in the past so that it didn’t feel rushed. Although it doesn’t feel rushed, the movie still feels longer than its three hour run time, making it a marathon experience that may turn off some viewers.
“Endgame” also did an excellent job developing its characters, many of whom received a new level of depth. Black Widow’s character development stood out, since she has been a historically poorly written character. In this movie, she was finally humanized and felt like a real person with real feelings. She begins the movie in a dark place because of the preceding events of “Infinity War.” For once, Black Widow’s reaction isn’t cold and distant; the movie doesn’t shy away from showing us her emotions. But it’s not just Black Widow — overall, all of the characters truly came to life more than ever before due to the writing. The writers weren’t afraid to go in unique directions with many of the characters, and it paid off.
A problem with many superhero movies is character stagnation. Often characters are the same, predictable and uninteresting. This isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes simple characters are fine for a feel-good story about heroes punching villains. But other times, it’s impossible for the audience to get invested in characters that are underdeveloped or unappealing. “Endgame” defeated this, delivering almost radical changes to characters that audiences have come to know well, while also making the character development believable within the context of the movie. The movie forces you to feel the effects of the “Infinity War” in an unexpected way, and this made the first act of the movie one of the best parts.
I wish I had more criticisms for the movie. I went in expecting another Marvel movie where the best part is the action, and the rest of the movie is only fairly good. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected plot elements and the overall quality.
“Endgame” may be the end of the Infinity Saga, but it will not be the end of the MCU. The movie opened doors for new, exciting stories by mixing up the characters and relationships. I am very excited for the future of the MCU.
