Let me start by saying that there are no spoilers in this
review in spite of the fact that the movie AVENGERS: ENDGAME has been out for
some time and many have leaked. As a matter of fact the description of the plot
here will not take up a lot of time either. That’s because this movie has done
something amazing. If you haven’t seen AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR though there are
some things in that being revealed here. So go buy it, rent it or borrow it and
watch it.
Many people have given the super hero movies a bad time
since they began coming out. What they fail to realize is that these movies are
at their heart the same stories that have been told since the times of ancient
Greece and earlier. They are stories of heroes, men and women who place
themselves in harm’s way for something greater than themselves. They are meant
to inspire mere mortals to do better.
Marvel Comics has taken their properties and done with them
something no one has ever achieved before in movies. Forget sequels and franchises.
They rarely make it past a few films with only a fleeting glimpse at
continuity. Only the James Bond series might come close and even there we had
several actors in the lead role. No, Marvel has done something beyond even
that.
Beginning in 2008 Marvel began telling a story. In the
eleven years since they’ve released 21 films that have culminated in their
final chapter with the 22nd film which is AVENGERS: ENDGAME. Each
movie beginning with IRON MAN was a chapter in the book that was this wide ranging
story that brought together characters from various comics and timelines, from
Earth to outer space, from humans to aliens. At the end of each movie a hint of
what was to come next began something no one had done before this effectively,
a post credit scene that made people sit in the theater through all the credits
to find out what was coming next. And each also paid tribute to the creator of
most of these characters with a cameo by comic book legend Stan Lee.
That’s an amazing thing when you consider it. When you put
these movies together and give them perhaps 2 hours each that’s 44 hours of
story, probably more since most were not that short. And each one was a
stepping stone to this one, this last movie in the initial lineup of the Marvel
Cinematic Universe. It will go on but with different stories and perhaps even
different players. We’ll have to wait and see.
So this movie. Time for spoilers somewhat. At the end of
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR the evil Thanos had removed half of the population of not
only Earth but the entire Universe. Many of the heroes we’d been watching just
blew away into dust never to be seen again. ENDGAME picks up five years later
with a world where people are still recovering from this shock. And the
Avengers are still trying to find their place in this world. Then Scott Lang
(Paul Rudd), Ant-Man, suddenly pops up.
Trapped in the quantum realm when everything took place he
was unaffected by it all. And he has a theory that they can use the quantum
jump machine he used to go back in time. At first Tony Stark (Robert Downey
Jr.) thinks this is impossible. But he figures out a way to make it work and
the next thing you know the various members remaining are traveling in time to
acquire the Infinity Stones and reverse all that Thanos has done. Of course
something is bound to go wrong. It does and the result at the end of the film
is an entirely new battle between Thanos and his forces and the entire Marvel
heroes lineup.
Like the classic movies that featured a star studded lineup
of multiple actors this film does that in spades. If you were a player in any
of the Marvel movies in the past, if you were a hero, you’ll have screen time
here. The main players more than others but everyone is represented.
In addition to that like all good dramas there is tragedy on
hand here as well. Not everyone will make it out of the last battle or even
getting to it. This might leave an opening for new stories but at least for one
it will be a fond farewell. I dare anyone to watch the entire film and finish
without a lump in the throat or a tear fall.
That’s because the film is not about men in tights but about
heroes. People who are willing to sacrifice for the big picture. People who are
willing to lay down their lives for the greater good. These may be comic
characters but it makes you think of those in real life who would do the same.
These movies should inspire children to do their best, to realize that
sometimes life is about more than just them. With 22 movies Marvel has done
just that. It’s an achievement that should be applauded. And this movie, even
at 3 hours long, is well worth your investment of both time and money. It’s one
of the best pictures in some time.
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