Viewing Review: Avengers Endgame (Spoilerless)

AVENGERS ENDGAME is a culmination of over ten years of films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is also a celebration. Think back to the time IRON MAN first came out in 2008 where it all began. You will see how far Marvel has come in sharing its properties to a larger audience. And AVENGERS ENDGAME shows you just how beloved and embedded these characters are in pop culture now.

The movie is a story about family and relationships. Thus, it is something that the whole family can enjoy with its thematic approach to reconciliation and growth. Aside from the fact that the Avengers themselves are one big family, you get to see a lot of other family related themes in the film. I dare say, everyone can relate to them, and the scenes are worth enjoying as part of the storytelling of AVENGERS ENDGAME. However, younger audiences might not last the three hour film, so I’d recommend scheduled trips to the utilities before and after the film. Otherwise, they will miss some emotional moments…and there are a LOT.

The emotional moments of the film build up from the very beginning. The story starts by reminding us what these heroes have lost, and slaps that in the audience’s face. Let there be no mistake, what happened in AVENGERS INFINITY WAR was horrible, and the movie early on stresses that point. It also adds to it in a way that makes it more hopeless than it already is. This hopelessness is needed to remind everyone that the loss is high, and the stakes in succeeding are much higher. Without the focus on the initial pain and suffering, I believe audiences would not properly appreciate the ending. This just builds up to the hope that comes later, and it succeeds in moving the film to the next act.

Every single character of importance to the MCU is here. EVERYONE. And, it is a swan song for some. Though, their parts in the story were not forced. You will see and appreciate that, if it were done any other way, the background of these characters would not be consistent with the decisions that they make in this film. And, this consistency in character is part of the beauty that makes AVENGERS ENDGAME a great film, and arguably the best super hero comic adaptation to date.

There is a lot of fan service here. But, it is a fan service that works with furthering the plot, and, just like the presence of the MCU characters, is not forced. In the process, audiences will get a glimpse of what the MCU intends to do move forward. Don’t worry if you’re not a comic book fan or reader. AVENGERS ENDGAME will appeal to everyone who has followed the MCU thus far. If not, then you probably miss the point of the storytelling designed for the MCU. Move along because this film is not for you.

Overall, AVENGERS ENDGAME is a great comic book film, and is also one of the greatest films of all time. You will see a lot of action as is consistent with the MCU. But, it is the character moments, and the emotional tugs that truly make this film a notch above everything that came before. Watch it, and enjoy the moments. You might not get a super hero movie like AVENGERS ENDGAME again.