Avengers: Endgame

Matthew Preston: “It ruled.”

The absolute culmination of 10+ years and 22 movies of incredible work. I craved a satisfying ending to this MCU phase and was not disappointed. The sheer volume and delicacy that comes with the inclusion of so many supporting roles was handled in a way that Hollywood can rarely pull off. This genuinely felt like a labor of love.

More random thoughts in the full discussion.

− April 26, 2019 • more by Matthew • log in or create an account to reply

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Scott Hardie: “It ruled.”

After the events of Infinity War made it both possible and necessary, this movie mostly turns away from grand action spectacle and focuses on the humanity of its heroes, showing how a few of them cope with the weight of their actions. It's a surprisingly emotional and talkative movie at this point in Marvel's marathon of blockbusters.

And "marathon" is another way to describe the sensation of seeing it. This movie is half an hour longer than the already crammed Infinity War. It's an overwhelming amount of movie, the equivalent of stuffing yourself at a buffet until you cannot bear another bite. It sort of stuns you and numbs you. I cannot imagine Marvel, or any sane company, attempting another epic on this scale again. I'm not complaining; I'm just describing what the experience is like to see this.

If the company's goal was to satisfy the audience, then they certainly accomplished it with me. I was moved in different ways by the emotional journeys of the characters, most of them essential but a few just played for laughs. The weight of the previous 10 years and 21 pictures really makes a difference. And a bajillion callbacks and Easter eggs and fanservice in-jokes really help too.

My only complaint about the movie is the visual darkness during one key battle scene. It was so dark that I could barely make out what was happening, as one silhouetted figure punched or dodged another, in front of a crowd of blurry extras. Did this suddenly turn into one of Netflix's Marvel shows? It may have been the darkening 3D glasses that I wore; it might have been an underlit theater; it might have just been my own eyesight getting worse with age.

I intend to see this again, to better take in not just that one dark scene but also the countless other details crammed into every other scene. If you have invested in following the MCU, this movie will absolutely pay dividends.

− April 26, 2019 • more by Scott • log in or create an account to reply

Scott Hardie: Having now seen the movie in 2D in a better-lit theater, I retract my complaint. It was much easier to see the second time. − May 19, 2019 • more by Scott

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Evie Totty: “It ruled.”

The feels. OMG the feels. It starts a bit slow - but once we get through the first hour (!) - it's quite the ride. If you want so see more of my opinion - see the spoiler-free discussion in the Movie of the Month discussion

But go see it and see it again as many times as you can stand it.

− May 3, 2019 • more by Evie • log in or create an account to reply

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Erik Bates: “It ruled.”

Talk about the end and ending. I'm sad that we won't be seeing some characters anymore, but after this many movies, it's about time to hang up the hat for a few of them, before we have to start trading out actors and pretending like they're supposed to be the same person, like some crazy superhero soap opera.

− December 10, 2019 • more by Erik • log in or create an account to reply

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Samir Mehta: “It ruled.”

Not perfect, and honestly a bit of a letdown from Infinity War, but it did its work well. (Why do I like IW better? Endgame really undermines the depth and complexity of Thanos. And the "girl power" scene, while appreciated in concept, was just so rushed that it didn't hold up. That moment felt like a microcosm of the issues in Endgame - it had lots of great moments but it was less hooked together than IW.) Solid capper, if not a perfect one. (My other grievance? Everything involving Hawkeye and Black Widow.)

− December 16, 2019 • more by Samir • log in or create an account to reply

Scott Hardie: Yes, agreed. One thing about the "girl power" scene that never made sense to me is why someone as powerful as Captain Marvel, who can fly through solid matter as dense as Thanos's ship, would possibly need help from the likes of Mantis and Nebula. That would be like me showing up to help Christian McCaffrey move a football downfield. − December 31, 2019 • more by Scott

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