Ladies and gentlemen and others, we’ve finally made it. After 11 adventurous years, 22 feature-length films, many sold-out tickets, and much hype, the second part of Infinity War and the final film in Marvel’s Avengers series has finally arrived, and our long, arduous journey has come to a close. Now featuring more characters than ever before, speculation-fueled trailers and 181-minute runtime, everyone was both excited and anxious for the ultimate ending to cinema’s ultimate superhero series. After all, the last hurdle’s always the highest. I was able to see it the day after it came out in Vietnam (thankfully), and destiny said that a review must be made. So, how was Endgame?
For the sake of keeping this review as spoiler-free as possible, I am forced to keep the wall of text that usually serves as a plot recap short, but I will try nonetheless. To quickly recap the last film, everyone’s favourite evil purple man Thanos acquired all six of the Infinity Stones and wasted no time going along with his plan: wiping out 50% of the population of Earth and every planet in the galaxy, leading to the deaths of many of our beloved heroes. Now, despite their grief over lost partners, family members, and friends, the remaining Avengers realize that they must set aside their anguish for a chance – just one chance – of bringing back their comrades and ending Thanos’ plans once and for all.
Firstly, many have complained about the three-hour runtime being too long, but personally I did not find it to be that big of an issue, though I think it could’ve been shorter. Whether the scenes in the movie are action-packed or not, each one is able to deliver something that can make you smile, laugh, or cry throughout. Although not every character is given the same amount of screen time (for obvious reasons), every character is given a moment to shine, whether in battle or in dialogue. As always, the special effects and CGI were stunning (no doubt, as this is the most expensive Marvel caper to date), and the action sequences paired with Alan Silvestri’s iconic score are top-notch, giving the best that Marvel has to offer. Also as usual, every actor in this film is putting on a great performance, some that are so great that it made me wonder if it was illegal to have so many actors have such good chemistry and interactions with one another. Despite being marketed as the ultimate, craziest, and coolest superhero flick, it’s genuine heartfelt moments and hilarious call-backs to previous entries in the MCU that remind you how much effort has been put into the series and how this finale really is a love-letter to all Marvel fans.
Of course, being a three-hour long movie, there were bound to be a few slip-ups here and there. A few of the jokes don’t land as well as they should or sometimes feel a bit inappropriately placed, and despite me being one of those people who can sit through long runtimes, I do feel like this film could’ve used a few cuts and edits here and there to make it seem like less of a slog. While most people complained that the first half felt too long for them, I had no problem with the first half as I think that it sets up the story pretty well, but it was the ending that felt a bit dragged on – I almost thought I was watching Return of the King again.
In conclusion, the grand finale of Marvel’s Avengers series may have its setbacks, but it is on the whole a film worth watching – whether you’re a Marvel fan, casual observer, or something in-between. It is a movie that manages to entertain both sides of the spectrum, through great action, heartfelt moments, comedic dialogue, unapologetic comic book-ness, and an ending that will no doubt touch the hearts of many.
Final score: 9/10
The Art Archive 