Film Review - Avengers: Endgame (2019)

And so, here we are. 11 years, 20-odd films and many twists and turns, ups and downs, shocks and gasps later, we are in the Endgame, the 1 in 14,000,605 that will hopefully see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes be victorious over mad titan Thanos after the events of last year’s Infinity War. Such is the anticipation of this one, the fan fervor and manic excitement from millions across the globe that we know very little about the film, the intricacies, the storylines, which is strangely around this type of release something of a breathe of fresh air. Now, the wait is over to see if Marvel and their talented filmmakers and actors have pulled off the impossible, and boy, have the outdone any preconceived notions of what we were all expecting.

Directed again by Joe and Anthony Russo, who brought us the magnificent Captain America: The Winter Soldier back in 2014 as well as it’s follow-up, Civil War, and last year’s aforementioned predecessor, they have become dab hands at this, able to bring us the thrills and spills in immense ways but their real talent has been finding the humanity in all of the superhero madness. Juggling such things is a herculean task but they have made it look easy, and with their screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, have navigated the intense balancing act of awe and pathos (and, in Endgame, the humour) with such wonderful precision that everything feels graceful, even if at times there is A LOT going on. But like all the best blockbusters, it’s about the ride and in the best of ways, this is like the tallest and fastest rollercoaster imaginable.

The less you know – and trust us, the marketing has been so good that you really won’t see what’s coming in many ways – the better, as Endgame takes us on a wonderfully complex journey that will have you cheering, crying and pulling Macaulay Culkin/Home Alone screams at just what is happening on-screen. And, in conjunction with their filmmakers, our roster of Avengers have never been better: all of them are on brilliant form throughout with not a single bum note, with Karen Gillan and Mark Ruffalo, usually sidelined to a degree, deserving of a real shout out here as both are exceptional, as is Bradley Cooper as Rocket but everyone brings their best here.

It’s such a hard film to review is this blasted Endgame given the anticipation and the want to avoid spoilers at all cost, so hopefully we have whet the appetite enough (and, let’s face it, it was already suitably whetted) to keep those expectations at the highest point. But Avengers: Endgame delivers and then some, mixing all of the brilliance of the last decade with all of the nuance and humanity with the huge apocalyptic visuals you have come to expect. This may be the end of an era in many ways, but this is just the beginning.