Please note: This review contains spoilers.
‘Endgame’ was not just a title or even a movie. The endgame was an emotion. That being said, “Avengers: Endgame” lived up to the global hype it created and surpassed all expectations. With every hero getting a moment in the limelight, hypothetical scientific accuracy is on point (as always) and gender equality finally kicking in seamlessly, this movie has set a new standard for a good film. It will be the benchmark- and an unmatchable one for a while, at that- for all movies to come. Major spoiler alert at this point, in case you already didn’t guess that.
You can feel the sad reality the Avengers have been thrown into as soon as the movie starts. Watching Hawkeye’s family disappear before his eyes really bring the back the severity of Thanos’ victory. It’s not easy to see the Avengers, the Earth’s mightiest heroes, falling apart, hanging by a thread. And what’s more disappointing than watching Captain Marvel, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Natasha and Rhodes attack Thanos less than fifteen minutes into the movie- watching Thor finally go for the head, only to realize that it’s too late.
With all the effort that has gone into guessing the plot of this movie for almost an entire year, no one really got it right. I mean sure, the rumor of time travel involved proved to be a lot more than talk, but no one I know of was able to get the whole idea right. That says a lot about the creativity involved in making this movie. It’s crushing to see the drunken wreck Thor becomes after that and somehow slightly disturbing to watch Ironman try to fit into the life of a normal man. The number of times he denies helping out to have “a second chance” to beat the mad titan shows how badly his ego is hurt, how scared he is to once again become the avenger he always has been. It’s also equally heartbreaking to see Natasha crying over her lost ‘family.’ But watching them pull it together one last time, in hopes of righting all the wrongs, really made energy course through the veins of all Marvel fans.
One of the best parts of the Avengers series has been their ability to stay very close to science, mainly by using science and technology which may be well possible in the future. (Excepting Doctor Strange and maybe Captain Marvel) It was no different with the Endgame. Concepts like split timelines and Quantum tunneling through the space-time continuum are real physics concepts at this point of time. Notably, they are theoretical concepts… today. And due credit to the mouse who brought back Ant-man, the mouse which caused the “billion is to one cosmic fluke” and made their entire second chance possible. And though it seemed slightly far fetched to watch the Avengers split up and go back in time to collect all six infinity stones before Thanos could, nothing about the plot was illogical. Watching Captain America fight Captain America and Nebula kill Nebula proved that this movie has been the most scientifically complex and creative one Marvel has come up with as of today.
Like any other Marvel movie, friendship, love, and sacrifice were essential central themes here. Watching IronMan blame Captain America for “not losing together” and later asking him “Why the long face” really brought that friend-enemy relationship full circle. And whether you’re on team IronMan or Team Captain America, the moment when they shake hands will warm up your heart. Tony Stark decided to take the second chance so that he could bring back his mentee, his friend, Peter Parker. Watching Romanoff and Clint actually fight each other so that they can kill themselves shows how strong that bond has always been, how their love for each other was always unwavering. “She sacrificed herself for the damn soul stone.” Yes, yes she did. The black widow was always a hero. She finally managed to “wipe out the red in her ledger.” What a heart-wrenching moment it was to watch her go. She’ll always be missed.
The Endgame really did give the fans everything they wanted in the epic, last stand- the final battle scene. We got to see Pepper in her suit, something long overdue. We got to see Thor reunited with his beloved Mjolnir, only to later see it lifted by Captain America. He was worthy. Of course, he was. The man out of time was probably the only man whose heart was always almost as pure as God himself. As he took on Thanos in a one on one fight, it became clear that he was still more than a man with a shield. Hearing him cry out “Avengers, Assemble!” gave everyone in the theatre an adrenaline rush. Not only were the victims of Thanos’ infamous snap resurrected but we got to see Scarlet Witch’s brilliant entry and watch her single-handedly almost blow Thanos himself to smithereens as she yelled “You took everything from me,” a scene that had the audience hollering with emotion. It was great to see Doctor Strange again, although he could’ve done more than hold off a hurricane- after he brought everyone who was resurrected to the battleground. We also got the most awaited “Captain Marvel vs. Thanos” as she was able to save the universe from another fatalistic snap, merely by holding the Titan’s fingers apart. That was before she was flicked away like an insect, something that was actually painful to watch. And one of my favorites, we got to watch Peter Parker grow into a much bigger hero than he already was, one who was powerful enough to keep the Gauntlet from Thanos for awhile.
Now all that’s left is the ending, right? It was torn striking but in a good way. “I am inevitable.” “And I.. am.. IronMan.” There could not have been a more glorious ending for any hero. The first man to cause Thanos to bleed was the man who ultimately killed him with a snap of his fingers, even though it cost him in life. That scene has probably caused heartbreak all around the world, but Tony Stark will always be in our hearts. The story of the selfish man who learned to care about the world, who learned to put the greater good above his own interest, ended in the most poetic, gracious way possible. What should make us happy is that he died knowing that his father cared for him. And how satisfying it was to watch the insane purple monster turn into dust after that. Thanks to Tony Stark, everyone got their happy ending. Even Steve Rogers. And we all know we’re curious to see what Sam Wilson will do with the shield.
That’s it. It’s the end of an era. No more Avengers. But I hope you take a moment to realize that this series taught us so much. That everyone can be a hero. That we can all save the world in our own way. That strength invites challenge and challenge breeds catastrophe, but strength can take on a challenge, no matter how difficult it gets. It taught us courage, love, friendship, sacrifice, and forgiveness. Here’s to the happy life that Steve and Peggy lived together. Here’s to the beautiful woman Morgan will grow up to be. Here’s to Thor’s new path. Here’s to Clint and his family and his happy ending. Here’s to Wanda moving on… or better yet, Vision being recreated, now that Shuri’s back. One last time. Here’s to the Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes.
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