Avengers: Endgame

After intergalactic despot Thanos (Josh Brolin) uses the immensely powerful Infinity Stones to eradicate half of all life in the universe, the surviving Avengers cope with the aftermath. Some, such as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle), and Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) continue to operate as heroes while others like Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) choose different paths. But when Scott Lang/Ant Man (Paul Rudd) arrives from the quantum realm where time operates differently, a chance to undo Thanos’s destruction presents itself. Will the past hold the key to a better future?

To an even greater extent than its already insular predecessor (2018’s Avengers: Infinity War), Avengers: Endgame is less a standalone movie and more of a final chapter to a long running cinematic saga. For the uninitiated and uninvested, sitting through three hours of callbacks, references, and allusions is torturous. But for those who have kept faith with Marvel movies, Endgame’s rewards are rich and varied.

A product of the same team responsible for Infinity War (the Russo brothers directing, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely writing), Endgame delivers a mix of action and humor that befits its creators. However, its first half also seems to owe a spiritual debt to Christopher and Johnathan Nolan as the few brave souls banding together to utilize risky technology to save a disaster-plagued planet felt very reminiscent of Interstellar. Indeed, the first hour – slower-paced and character-driven – does a fine job of establishing stakes and exploring the vulnerabilities and doubts that even the powerful and empowered harbor.

In doing so, the film allows previously underutilized actors to shine. As with Infinity War, Endgame boasts an absolutely massive cast, and some roles are inevitably reduced to little more than cameos. But here we see Renner give master archer Barton – absent from Infinity War and long mocked by the fandom for perceived uselessness – the rage and pain of a grieving husband and father. We see also Cheadle’s Rhodes step out from the role of Stark’s sidekick and act as a pop culture-versed voice of reason, forming an amusing odd couple with Nebula (Thanos’s augmented, resentful adopted daughter, played by Karen Gillan). On the other hand, the more comedic takes on Thor and the Hulk offered by Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, while definitely entertaining, tone down the power of both characters to an insulting degree for plot-convenient reasons.

Speaking of plot, Endgame has one though it at times seems like little more than a pretext to revisit and relive former glories and turning points. Expect flashbacks galore, inspirational appearances by previously-killed characters, and one final, posthumous Stan Lee sighting. Endgame’s mechanics are best not left to scrutiny lest contrivance and implausibility overwhelm enjoyment. Look past that, however, and you will be rewarded with a final battle for the ages: tense, awe-inspiring, and beautifully choreographed.

The 22^nd film of a cinematic universe that began more than a decade ago, Endgame is not truly the end (more Spiderman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Black Panther films are in the works) but it does present several major, disruptive changes to a status quo and provides a cathartic sense of closure. You’ll feel drained after watching it, but if you have any affinity for the MCU, you’ll be glad that you did.