Avengers: Endgame: Spoiler Free!!

           

After I saw the movie at 7 on Thursday, when I exited the theater and saw the people in lines out the front door waiting for the 11 pm showing literally covering their ears with their hands so that nobody would spoil the movie for them, that’s when you notice how big a deal this movie is for people. First off, big thanks and shout out to Trinity Diamonds for proving my ticket so I had the opportunity to see the movie before almost everyone. And as promised by the title, I swear I’m not a big enough jerk to include spoilers—so read on anxiety-free.

            Although it’s really not necessary to have any refresher, keep in mind that this movie picks up right where Infinity War left off. That means the snap has happened, and Thanos is basking in the sunsets of a faraway planet. That leaves us with an oxygen-deprived Tony Stark and Nebula, and half of our remaining Avengers trying to keep their composure together long enough to figure out a plan to not only beat Thanos, but also hope beyond all hope that they can reverse the damage of the snap. We’re left with an interesting ragtag group of the heroes including most of what can be considered the original Avengers.

            As you may have guessed from a 3-hour movie, a bulk of the time will be spent with these superheroes. And I think that’s one of the many smart moves by this movie. Infinity War rightfully so placed a huge emphasis on Josh Brolin’s truly astounding Thanos, and this movie centers around the disheartened but not fully defeated Avengers—with the leading roles arguably being handed to Iron Man and Captain America (who still have making up to do from the fallout of Civil War). As a testament to Marvel’s ability to create compelling films, this movie breezes by about as much as it can for its length. Considering how long it took the producers to even decide where to end Infinity War and where to begin Endgame (they considered options such as a massive cliffhanger and middle finger to audiences by ending Infinity War right on the snap), editing is a bigger factor of this film than people would like to acknowledge. And while it may not win awards for it, the editing is commendable for the behemoth task undertaken, and there was only one moment in the film I noticed a sharp cut from where a scene was probably whittled down to help the runtime.

            And for a film where literally 50% of all living creatures have been decimated, the tone of the film actually strikes a good balance between somber and the more typical light-hearted fanfare of a Marvel film; keep in mind that the brother Russos started off with episodes from shows like Community and Arrested Development. I think I honestly found this film funnier that most people in the theater did, and every joke might not land, but I’m proud of this film’s humor. And there are the fair share of scenes that kind of reflect on the physical and psychological effects of the snap on both superheroes and everyday people, and these may feel more of a necessity than actual emotional impact or resonance, but from somebody that probably overanalyzes a lot of things, it’s fine overall.

            Now as far as what I can’t talk about, and I again swear against even hints of spoilers, as much as this film jokes about what has to happen, I think Endgame is more similar to certain films than it would really like to admit. It’s not exactly unprecedented territory, but I think you can actually chalk this up under the positive column because it really is such a different experience from Infinity War. When it comes down to it, there was really only one point in the story that actually took me by surprise, while a couple other moments I think deep down I knew had to happen. The film also absolutely asks you to suspend your disbeliefs, and for the superhero movie event like this, I think all of the audience will gladly comply.

            On to the CGI fighting! I really think the visual effects are actually a bit of a downgrade from Infinity War, but that’s in part because Infinity War had a much more sweeping scale of both differing locations and a bigger emphasis on lighting. Infinity War also had much more impressive action sequences, but that really also is partly in design. There’s a couple relatively cool moments in the action, probably more so for people that are more emotionally invested in these films than I am, but nothing too memorable. Like I honestly do miss a little bit the sweeping shots that Joss Whedon had that incorporated all the characters contributing to a battle in a single shot in the first two Avengers films; with that said, the brother Russos really do deserve a pat on the back for really making the superheroes feel at home in these films—in particular Thor maintains his loose, almost frantic energy from Ragnarok. And since she’s in the trailers, I do feel comfortable talking about Captain Marvel’s role a little bit. As to why she wasn’t in Infinity War? Well, they yada yada’d that explanation so hard, it was definitely a bit of a cop out. Not to mention I still don’t fully understand her powers, and she is disappointingly really only designated to more of an ex machina—trust me that isn’t a spoiler.

            I do have more opinionated thoughts on stuff like who survived the snap and if I agree on, along with who is ultimately dead and whatnot. Some things I certainly agree with much more than others. But to the extent of this film, it certainly takes an interesting direction that will have repercussions for all of the future films. Endgame really sold itself as a culmination to all the 20+ films leading up to this, and to that extent, it 100% succeeds. I’m more interested in Spider-Man: Far from Home because of how amazing Homecoming than how this film has impacted it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still interested in all future Marvel movies because of what this film means. I do think there were a couple missed opportunities in specific moments both for visual effects and the action in general, but this is really me being critical. Avengers: Endgame is honestly a very solid film for Marvel fanatics and others alike. Go see the film, hopefully before the spoilers reach your door, probably best to skip out on the large soda, and just enjoy yourself. It’s ridiculous how much money this movie is making, but hats off to ya, Marvel. This is a very enjoyable movie that will probably hit home harder for some, and it does a wonderful, creative job of ending an era while providing ample opportunity for so many more doors to open for the MCU future. Oh, and with the snap having happened, Tobey Maguire comes out of retirement and Hulk smashes Doomsday to a bloody pulp while also insisting on referring to all of the Avengers as “Old sports.”



In Brief:

·       Had lots of movies I wanted to review, just haven’t gotten around to them yet. This may not be my busiest summer, so you may be hearing more of me then. You’re welcome obviously.

·       If you’re not excited about Detective Pikachu, I don’t wanna talk

·       If you have no idea what it is, go watch the first two John Wick movies because they do action absolutely right and Parabellum is going to be awesome.

·       Really conflicted about The Lion King and Aladdin. I love love love me some Lion King, and Jon Favreau did such a good job with The Jungle Book, but this is still different. Might just skip Aladdin because just why

·       Honestly underwhelmed by the Star Wars trailer. Yes, it’s just the first peek at it, but we’ll see. People will be clamoring Abrams to undo everything that happened in The Last Jedi, and I’m not on board with that.