Avengers Endgame. A movie review.

Avengers Endgame has been hyped to the nth degree, and for good reason: it’s really good.

The Marvel Studios movie universe has been going for 11 years. 22 movies later, and Endgame arrives as part 2 of the Infinity War saga, and a movie that keeps most of the fans happy. I say most, because not everyone will like the way some of their favourite heroes are treated.

I loved Endgame, but not because of the huge superhero battles, convoluted time travel plots, occasional plot holes and over-hyped appearances (yep, Captain Marvel is a blink or you’ll miss her opportunity at several points. It appears the only reason she was hyped so much was to sell her solo movie, as her impact on Endgame is negligible). I loved Endgame for the emotional character moments, of which there are many. This movie delivers these in a big way, with gravitas, sensitivity and poignancy. Yes, there is a fair bit of humour (some of which falls flat), and some characters (two in particular) have been transformed into shadows of their former selves, but Endgame really delivers as a bookend to 11 years of superhero movies. Several character arcs are given very satisfying conclusions. If you’re not a wee bit teary by the last scene then you’re obviously heartless.

Avengers Endgame delivers on the hype. This is the kind of movie that makes me happy to be a superhero fan. It has massive moments, dark moments, bright moments and emotional moments, and provides satisfactory closure to the storylines of several major characters. For people only seeing a Marvel movie for the first time, it will be confusing and probably lack the emotional investment required to really experience this movie at its best, but for fans, this is the superhero piece de resistance.

Bravo Marvel Studios. I predict Avengers Endgame will get a best movie Oscar, similar to the way Return of the King won for the Lord of the Rings series. You heard it here first.

Rating: A+ (Non-fans seeing a Marvel movie for the first time: B)