‘Avengers: Endgame’ Review: No Other Film Experience Like It

Looking back a decade at the origins of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s hard to imagine that what began with a box of scraps in a cave would turn into this cosmic juggernaut featuring a multitude of comic book characters and storylines from across the galaxy. Last year’s Avengers: Infinity War brought them all together to take on the Mad Titan Thanos in his quest for the six Infinity Stones and then snapped them in half by the film’s end. Avengers: Endgame is about dealing with its fallout and the struggle move on from their biggest loss yet. The culmination of the past 11 years and 21 films from Marvel Studios, Endgame hits all the emotional levels and brilliantly captures that comic book magic. There is no other film experience like it!

The film picks up from where Infinity War left off with half of all living things in the universe turning to dust in the wind. Determined to do whatever it takes, the remaining Avengers regroup for an all out attack against Thanos and reclaim the Infinity Stones in the hopes of undoing the snap.

It’s no doubt difficult to talk about the film without going into spoiler territory, but Endgame delivers one of the most satisfying payoffs in Hollywood history. Fans have spent years with these characters, dating back to Iron Man in 2008, and Endgame manages to pull off the near impossible feat of bringing all these storylines together for a satisfying conclusion where every character interaction or fan service reference feels earned.

The biggest surprise of Avengers: Endgame is that it isn’t as action packed as you would expect and it more of an emotional journey that connects the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are scenes in the beginning that deal with the immediate impact of Thanos wiping out half the universe and how society should move on, and I can’t help but see the parallels with Endgame being the conclusion to not just Phase Three but all the films that came before it. Right from the start of the film, it’s giving audiences advise on how to move on to whatever comes next from the MCU.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have handled massive character set pieces in the past with Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, but neither of those two compare to the scale of Endgame. It’s absolutely massive, and the brothers do a fantastic job at spreading out the screen time and making sure everyone has their moment in the spotlight. There are of course plenty of surprises as well, and the story will have you on the edge of your seat, eyes wide in amazement.

Avengers: Endgame is pure excitement. It takes control of your emotions and immerses you in the experience of a lifetime. There really is no other film quite like it. Yes, it has a couple of plot elements that don’t quite make sense when you take a deep look into them, but for three hours the film makes you feel like a part of their world. Rarely do films live up to the hype of their predecessors. Endgame does that 21 times over.