Review of Avengers: Endgame (2019) by Youmedead — 03 May 2019

I'm not entirely sure how to start this review. I've taken some time after seeing the movie to sit on it and reflect on it to see if my initial opinions on it would change, but I still stand by what I said the instant I walked out of the theater.

This is without a doubt the greatest superhero movie of all time, and arguably the best movie of all time in general. Now, part of that opinion comes from the fact that I have sat by the series since 2012 (yeah, I jumped on a little late, sue me) and have been invested in these characters from the original Avengers.

Each little detail that they threw into this movie to callback to other movies struck a chord with me because these movies are such a huge part of my life. Only someone truly invested in the characters of a story can be reduced to sobbing by a conversation about cheeseburgers.

Every scene in this movie was expertly designed to fill you with a sense of elation. You can't help but gape at the beauty of some shots, you can't help but cry in the huge moments of emotion, you can't help but laugh at the little things.

This movie was designed in a way that it can only be enjoyed after multiple viewings, because you will miss something the first time, and maybe even the second time, because there is just so much stuff shoved into this movie.

From the opening scene of Hawkeye losing his family to the final goodbye to Cap after he gets his dance with Peggy after years of believing she was lost to him forever, you are filled with a sense of awe and wonder.

This movie makes you realize just how much you care about these characters, even if you didn't realize it already. There are two sequences in particular that made this movie stand out to me. There is the part where they are all in the past, going through their previous mishaps, giving these movies a last hurrah, and it just works so well.

It was such a fun, nerdy sequence that you can't help but enjoy it. The other is (shocker) the final battle. What felt like a ten minute explosion of beauty is actually a forty minute epic. We watch as Thanos makes quick work of all our heroes, leaving only Cap.

The shot of Cap standing alone against the army is easily my favorite cinematic shot of all time. But then the portals open, and we finally see the scope of this universe. We finally see just how big the world is, and how many characters we have fallen in love with over time.

It is one of the most powerful moments in all of cinema. The fight that ensues is one of the most chaotic, yet perfect battle I have ever seen. And the way it all ends with the Avengers fighting Thanos for the stones, just as in Infinity War, is amazing.

This time, Thanos isn't victorious, but only at the loss of one of the greatest characters of all time. The way Tony is said goodbye to, first from Rhodey, then Spiderman, then Pepper is incredibly powerful.

The funeral that ensues and the dreaded cheeseburger scene left not a single dry eye in the theater. This is truly a masterpiece that was made by people who truly care about these characters, their craft, and making a good movie.

We have so much to thank the Russos for, and we should all go see Endgame again. If you haven't seen it yet, watch it. You won't regret it.