I will say it. I am a superhero fan. So for those you aren’t, turn away. But for those are or are into thoughtful plotting and character, we may proceed. I will not deny that there has been a glut of these films out there from both camps. However this film is not devoid of humor and pathos. Last film (Avengers: Infinity War) was a slow dirge; it had to be to get us to this point. But producers Feige and Co. have committed an astonishing feat: a collection of films that stand on their own, yet combine into an omnibus. For those close to these films the payoff is in the details. And close readers of the comics, writers Markus and McFeely, pepper enough fruits for the faithful (true believers, as Stan Lee called them) to make it worth the re-watch.
Much has been made about this being the culmination of the last decade of movies in this canon. For that, I will have to say it is true. In many ways, this made me a novice going into last year. I took it upon myself to watch all 22 features leading up to this supposed final entry. That is not a suggestion that would be advised to those unwilling to wade through the morass of material. But in many ways, the reason why I didn’t look at these as more than kid stuff was the stigma that comes from comics. We just see it as such. That was not helped by the dreck that studios had released in my formative years.
Avengers: Endgame
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo
Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Starring Robert Downey Jr. Chris Evans et all
Entertainment Rating: ★★★
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence, and some language
Features such as Batman and Robin as well as The Ben Affleck-starring Daredevil didn’t help matters. My family and I went to the first Iron Man; it was good, not enough to convince me otherwise. Guardians of the Galaxy was funny, but still not a lynchpin in getting me to love these movies. It wasn’t until watching the first Captain America with Chris Evans that changed my view. That film didn’t feel like a traditional comic superhero movie. There was a mix of action and character development that I hadn’t seen since Indiana Jones. And that is what has made the Marvel films work. Great attention to script and motivation as well as a mix of genres have kept all this fresh. Many films owe a debt to these works, from the gritty realism of the The Dark Knight Trilogy to the Clint Eastwood-inspired lone gunman style of Logan. It is no longer punches and catchphrases; these are living and breathing characters.
Dear readers, I am not going to get into any plot details of any sort in this review. There is no way to talk about this film without spoiling it or the films that came before it. However, I will leave with this note: when was the last time a film made you stand up and cheer? When was the last time an action film made you cry? There is no telling where Marvel goes from here. It is clear that this is the peak in many respects. But as Tony Stark played beautifully by Robert Downey Jr. said in the first trailer, “Part of the journey is the end.”
