As the finale of a storyline over a decade in the making, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ understandably has a lot to unpack. The sequel does far more than providing a conclusion to last year’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, as it finalizes a bevy of storylines, some from the variety of Marvel movies from years ago. This will be as spoiler-free a review as possible. Mostly, so tread carefully.
It begins thus: Right after Hulk snaps all of his fallen comrades back into existence using the recovered Infinity Stones and a Stark-made gauntlet, Thanos arrives. With everyone else incapacitated, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor charge into battle against the Mad Titan, played by actor Josh Brolin in an arguably career-best performance. They put up a fight, and the villain proves far too powerful, even without the Infinity Stones. And things go from bad to worse, like in every comic-book movie worth its salt.
Therefore, the following are reasons why any fan of superhero films, or really, a well-crafted action film with pitch-perfect emotional notes, should sit through the entire 3-hour run of the film.
- It’s crafted by veritable virtuosos
The brothers Russo, Anthony and Joseph, joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, and went on to ‘Captain America: Civil War’. They were soon given the keys to the Avengers franchise, making bigger, better movies as they went along. ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ cemented their status as master craftsmen, so ‘Endgame’ is unsurprisingly the duo’s masterpiece. The execution, from the first scene to the last, is nothing short of a marvel. Pun intended.
- It’s got everyone in it
As is expected, more than 30 superheroes appear during the climactic battle with Thanos, providing as much thrills as heart. Almost everyone who’s someone in the MCU shows up in one way or the other, reminding audiences why they stuck with this franchise through the years and all those explosive films. It boasts surprise appearance after surprise appearance, ensuring an abundance of cheers. If you have a favourite Marvel superhero or supporting character, chances are he or she is here, and all for a good reason.
- Heart
The best superhero stories are based on relationships, and ‘Endgame’ has that practically woven its very DNA. From the warmest reunions to the most awkward run-ins, the story, which zips into all kinds of timelines, gives literally the best of many worlds. And that’s meant in every sense of the phrase. Spoiler: Tony Stark meets his father, Howard, at a pivotal time in the existence – or would-be existence – of our hero. And that’s just one of many scenarios which will tug – or yank, really – your heartstrings.
- Unbelievable action set pieces
Going against an all-powerful Thanos, our heroes have to contend with a bad guy who is spewing philosophy one minute, then beating the stuffing out of them the next. While the movie began as a slow-burn emotional rollercoaster, it built up into an incredibly-executed finale, in which all the main characters shone, and even the supporting ones had their time in the proverbial sun. So powerful was the climactic battle, that it’s almost guaranteed that viewers will stand up and cheer in the theatre. Said battle, alone, is more than worth the price of admission. By the time the movie was done, all two hours and forty minutes of it, the audience didn’t seem like one which had been seated for an hour even.
- It provides closure
We get to say final goodbyes to three of the main heroes that began the MCU, and with an ending that proves to be as satisfying as it is anxiety-inducing. Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, it’s hard to imagine how a special effects blockbuster like this pulls that off. But it does, and the fans are the richer for it, paid back for their longtime loyalty with a story that does justice to the universe and characters Stan Lee and co. created. And even though it’s a well-felt goodbye, it’s still open to a lot of futures which upcoming movies will certainly explore.
All 5 reasons listed above, and more, will cement ‘Avengers: Endgame’ as the most important film of the decade, even if it is for its scope, reach, and depth. It will certainly occupy cultural zeitgeist for years to come, after shattering box office and industry records.
The film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Danai Gurira as Okoye and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, and Josh Brolin as Thanos.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ is currently showing in theatres across Nigeria.
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