Linkin Park, “In the Endgame” Plays...
***Warning: Spoilers***
Following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos has left the Universe in pieces after turning half of living creatures into dust. This conquest was made in hopes to simplify the lives of whoever was lucky enough to survive. Will our heroes rally together to undo what Thanos has done? Let’s find out in our review of Avengers: Endgame.
The Russo Brothers are back in the Director Chairs to wrap up a story, several years in the making. They’ve directed some of my favorite entries into the ever growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Captain America: The Winter Soldier, to last years Avengers: Infinity War, the duo have brought a darker feel the MCU. I’m sure we all remember how we felt at the end of Infinity War.
We pick up not too long after the snap. Tony and Nebula are stranded in space, the other Avengers are fractured and on Earth, searching for solutions, and the world is in disarray. If you’re new to the series, this is the absolute wrong movie to enter in on. At the very least, viewers should watch Infinity War, but it would be nice to watch some, if not all, of the other entries.
If we were to judge this movie alone, the beginning is pretty slow and exposition heavy. Audiences should see the two movies as a whole, and that this portion after the snap is what the characters need to solve. This is where the movie slogged a little. We go a lengthy time watching our heroes sulk in their defeat. Luckily, when they start getting the team back together is when the film starts showing off a lighter side to half of the universe disintegrating. For a movie that runs over 3 hours, this did not feel that long.
The movie does a great job balancing the end of the world with humor. From Antman being Antman, to a fat Thor, we were in for a laugh. Even during the big epic fight, we were able to get some fun character moments sprinkled in. I have always loved how Marvel is able to keep things light and family friendly in their comics and movies. We don’t get much of those awkward moments when humor immediately robs us of what’s going on in the story. The big emotional inducing moment near the end was able to make me feel some feels.
With as many characters that was crammed into this movie, not everyone could get the same treatment. If you’ve gotten to this point without some deaths being spoiled, I applaud you, but Tony Stark and Black Widow are major players that were lost. Steve Rogers was even written a happy ending that may indicate that his duty is done. Of the three, Black Widow gave her life to obtain one of the stones, and was only given a brief period of grief with a small mention at the end. This film was definitely a tribute to the original squad: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Hulk; but the first two were the major players. It would have been nice to see them send her off in a better way, especially for being one of the earlier members and only female amongst them.
Before his sacrifice, this may be RDJ’s best performance in all of his appearances in the MCU. This saga of films started with Iron Man and it’s only fitting to end it with him. We get to see many sides of his character in this film and it gives us insight to the one that we’ve been following for years.
Marvel is at the top of their game with the fan service in this one. Fans of the comics and/or the movies should be able to find something that gets them cheering. With things like dream team-ups, special appearances, new powers, or mind-bending ideas to use in combat, there’s something for anyone here. The idea of revisiting key times in the MCU history was fun and exciting. Multiple viewings are warranted to catch all of the things that were included in every scene.
Action is another thing that was done well. With movies like Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Infinity War, the Russo Brothers brought some of my favorite superhero action sequences to the big screen. The final battle sequence is well worth the price of entry. Coordinating that many people into a cohesive scene is a feat that no one should scoff at. They even managed to have a nice seamless continuous shot to start the infinity gaunlet-ball game.
This is a great cap for the end of an era. Several stories were concluded within an action-packed, emotional, and funny film. We may not have had enough time to give everyone their fair share, but that’s always going to be a tough challenge for ensemble films like this. I managed to watch this in 4 different formats, and I encourage readers to watch it in any of the premium experiences to get the most out of this epic. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the MCU after this.