Avengers: Endgame is the film we've waited eleven years for. As this phase of the MCU comes to a close, I can only hope the next will live up to the stellar accomplishments of the first.
“The fourth installment of the Avengers series is the once-in-a-lifetime culmination of 22 interconnected films and the climax of an epic journey. Earth’s heroes will finally understand how fragile our reality is—and the sacrifices that must be made to uphold it—in a story of friendship, teamwork and setting aside differences to overcome an impossible obstacle. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says, “Prepare to be wowed!””
There is a reason Avengers: Endgame is now the highest grossing film of all time. Marvel has created one of the most immersive, entertaining and definitely profitable universes in cinematic history, giving fans of these characters all they could hope for and more, bringing them to life on the big screen and treating them with the proper respect they deserve.
I’m sure those reading have seen the film already based on the box office record and the fact I couldn’t get a seat in any theatre in town for weeks after the release date. That being said, there may be some minor spoilers ahead based on the storyline of the film.
Coming in at a little over three hours, the longest running Marvel film, one of the most impressive things about the film is how it weaves the exorbitant amount of characters seamlessly into the film, giving ample attention where it needs to be. Needless to say, everyone has lost a lot, and dealing with that loss comes differently to each one of them. Whether it’s Hawkeye evolving, or should I say de-evolving into Ronin, a killing machine hell bent on eradicating those who prey on the weak post-snap to try and get over the loss of his family, or Thor, who has drank himself into a stupor trying to deal with his failure, they all are explored beautifully and with a lot of heart. These heroes, who are used to pulling off the impossible and overcoming the odds to win, lose everything, and not just for themselves, but for every single life in the entire universe. Of course, it does help that half, if not more, of the heroes aren’t around thanks to Thanos snapping his fingers, so the storylines don’t get too convoluted with an overabundance of heroes running around.
I had so many questions going into this film, how they were going to undo the snap and bring everyone back. I mean, we already knew the next film after this was Spiderman: Far From Home, with a huge block of upcoming films on slate to give a major clue that those snapped would be returning, but the how and cost were the biggest mystery of Endgame. The biggest surprise for me was that the film jumps five years into the future, people’s lives in shambles, governments in disarray, the normal day-to-day routine still not recovered from Thanos. But, after all is said and done, the most gutsy move ever pulled off by Marvel is the fact they made the events of those five years stick. All the people dead due to the events after the snap: wars on other planets, people who I’m sure couldn’t live with the pain of the loss, the government and most of the planet in shambles. Not going back to normal. It’s a major change in the MCU, a choice I don’t know if I liked at first, but still respect the hell out of.
When it comes to the action, there is no better Marvel film out there, especially in the third act. Seeing all the heroes in action is unlike anything I could have imagined, including an amazing scene involving Captain America, something that sent everyone in my theatre cheering and screaming. As great as the action always is in The Avengers films, the humor is always top notch as well. Antman’s larger role with the team is a big plus in this category, especially during the ‘time heist’ as he calls it. Thor and Hulk’s chemistry continues to be great and riddled with hilarity that stems from Ragnarok.
As a fan of these films and the universe that Marvel has created over these eleven years, Endgame is easily my favorite of the entire 22 films. What Infinity War and Endgame did so well was create doubt that The Avengers could win. With Thanos being so powerful and an immeasurable army at his command, it seems like he can’t be stopped, even going into the third act of this film. Then, Captain Marvel shows up. It was at that point the tension drained out of me as all she has to do is fly through everything. As I felt in the film, Captain Marvel, she’s just too powerful to create any kind of tension on screen. I’m hoping this can be remedied in some way in future films she’s involved in, but a throwaway line such as ‘there are a lot more planets out there that don’t have you guys’ to explain why she can’t just show up and insta-win isn’t going to cut it.
Video
Avengers: Endgame is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1. The 4k transfer looks exceptional, with the HDR providing brilliant brights, deep darks, with some of the most vivid colors. With the amazing palate of colors between all the heroes, their suits, and the stunning settings the film takes place in, 4k is the way to go when watching this film.
The Blu-Ray is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, one of the highlights of the disc by far. This track sounds amazing, with the surrounds and atmos speakers providing a stunning display of action. Levels are well balanced, with clear and concise dialogue coming from the center channel.
Special Features
There is a wealth of extras on this set, located on its own separate disc. Fans of the franchise will no doubt want to check these out in their entirety, including a very special tribute to Stan Lee.
- Remembering Stan Lee
- Setting the Tone: Casting Robert Downey Jr.
- A Man Out of Time: Creating Captain America
- Black Widow: Whatever it Takes
- The Russo Brothers: Journey to Endgame
- The Women of the MCU
- Bro Thor
- Deleted Scenes
- Gag Reel
Saying good-bye to some of the characters we’ve watched grow and develop over the past decade is definitely a hard pill to swallow, as is witnessing the new direction the MCU is headed in which is never going to be the same. With the imminent rollout of Disney+ and scheduled release of a plethora of Marvel content, fans can look forward with eager anticipation for the next phase of their favorite franchise.
