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Eleven years, twenty-two films, and over 18 billion dollars at the box office : all statistics that will doubtless be bandied about in reviews of this film, but frankly, the scale of the feat achieved by Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios with this series could be debated until the cows come home. The real question is why should you sit through more than three hours of some of the biggest stars of the past decade parading about in CGI spandex?
Avengers Endgame carries on from where Avengers Infinity War left off. After the failure of the Avengers to stop stubborn, misguided antagonist Thanos, they now seek to fix their broken universe, and are prepared to do “whatever it takes”, as the film’s tagline boldly states. One of the key strengths of the film is that it takes its time exploring the aftermath of the previous film from the perspective of our plurality of protagonists. Very little time is devoted to the implications of this new status quo for society at large, but I think this was wise. The Marvel films wear their soap opera nature on their shoulder and it is this focus on the personal that allows Avengers Endgame to rally its audience. Many character arcs reach their conclusion in this film, and we see some genuine status quo shake ups. These character beats were satisfying for me, but for the uninitiated I can see them lacking the same emotional punch.
Avengers Endgame does require a rudimentary knowledge of the films that came before. While many argue that seeing all of the Marvel films is imperative for understanding the new ones, in actuality this is more a perception that the Walt Disney corporation has profited from greatly. Most of the films are accessible for those with no prior knowledge such as the less nerdy among us. Having done one’s homework undoubtedly adds to the experience, but is far from a necessity. The two most recent Avengers films, Infinity War and Endgame are glaring omissions to that rule. This is because many of the events that occured in Infinity War are of great consequence to Endgame . This is also what makes the film so impactful. For fans Avengers Endgame is a treat, but the ordinary film goer may hear the plot mechanics grinding in a way that superfans like me couldn’t over that triumphant score by Alan Silvestri.
In the end however, I feel that in the context of the series, Avengers Endgame is a satisfactory conclusion to this stage of the MCU saga. It ties up the loose ends for its characters in entertaining fashion. It may have spotty CGI at times, overt product placement (likely to pay for its cornucopia of talented actors) and a plot that is trying to juggle character arcs with spectacle and fan service, but that does not concern in the moment. The film makes the most of its long run time. The deliberate first act pays off and the result is an ending to a chapter in a pop myth that regardless of how time may treat it works in this moment, and that is why it is worth seeing.
Wait a second? There’s another Marvel film releasing in a few months. I don’t know about you, but I am getting tired.
