Review: Avengers: Endgame

Part of the journey is the end, and what an end. Of course, it's not strictly the end to one of the most successful and arguably singular cinematic film franchises of all time, but it is an epic and wholly satisfying culmination of a journey that has spanned 11 years and 22 films. Avengers: Endgame can't necessarily lay claim to being the best Marvel film of all time, nor can it boast of having the most spectacular action scenes or the funniest lines of dialogue or sterling character dynamics, yet Marvel's unimpeachable and yet to be successfully replicated formula of technical wizardry, characterisation, a narrative worthy of Shakespeare or Greek mythology, and crackling comic banter has never paid off more than in Endgame.

Avengers: Infinity War featured one of the most amazing cliffhangers of all time with alien warlord Thanos (Josh Brolin) finally attaining all six of the Infinity Stones and using their power to decimate half of the world's population, which resulted in many of our heroes like Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) disappearing into dust before our eyes. It was shocking to say the least, leaving fans wondering how this development could be reversed. It should be no spoiler to say that the Infinity Stones play a big part as does the Quantum Realm, in which Scott Lang a.k.a. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) was present when the Snap occurred.

When Scott is spit back out into the real world, five years have passed and the universe is still in ruins. The survivors - Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner a.k.a. The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), James Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine (Don Cheadle), Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), and Nebula (Karen Gillan) - are still trying to live with the guilt and the loss. Some wonder how they can move on for their identity is tied to their purpose and if that purpose no longer exists, then who exactly are they? Others have moved on - some would say for the better as they have found some modicum of peace, whether it be in the form of family or of self-acceptance. It's perfectly understandable that many in both camps would be reluctant to go into the breach once more when the opportunity for a second chance presents itself.

Naturally, the reluctance falls by the wayside and the team reunite for a mission: impossible - go back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones and undo what has been done. What ensues is a tremendously smart feat of narrative engineering that allows for the reappearance of many characters (Tilda Swinton's the Ancient One, Rene Russo's Frigga, even Robert Redford's Alexander Pierce) that are gone but by no means forgotten, new perspectives on scenes from previous instalments, and some opportunities for our heroes to confront not only their past selves (Captain America fighting himself is pretty great) but a chance not only to see loved ones again (Cap glimpsing his beloved Peggy Carter is quietly heartbreaking) but to attain some sort of closure. The constant through-line has always been about family, whether it be the one you're born into or the one you assemble for yourself.

Though Endgame includes another spectacular showdown filled with many a rousing moment, the pervasive tone is one of melancholy. This is very much a farewell and, whilst the groundwork is established for new beginnings and the film is without equal in the amount of star power it has gathered, Endgame is about paying tribute to and affording the most focus upon its original band of Avengers. There's a fantastic physical sight gag involving Hemsworth that is worth the price of admission alone. Ruffalo finds new chords to play within both Bruce and the Hulk. Evans' portrayal continues to be a master class in making decency a compellingly watchable trait. Then there is Downey, Jr., who dims his trademark comic snark for a genuinely moving and deeply felt performance. There's nothing more to say except thank you.

Avengers: Endgame

Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely; based on The Avengers by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Letitia Wright, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Evangeline Lilly, Samuel L. Jackson, Tilda Swinton, Benedict Wong, Cobie Smulders, Linda Cardellini, Jon Favreau, Hayley Atwell, John Slattery, James D'Arcy, Robert Redford, Frank Grillo, Angela Bassett, Natalie Portman, Rene Russo, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waikiki, William Hurt, Kerry Condon, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ken Jeong, Yvette Nicole Brown, Sean Gunn, Marisa Tomei