Logan Sork Film Reviews
Avengers: Endgame
After 21 previous films over the past 11 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become something of a pop culture sensation. With its vast array of different films featuring different characters and styles, there is surely something for everyone in this vast collection of stories. All these stories come to a head with Avengers: Endgame and while it definitely has problems, one cannot deny the sheer epic proportions this film presents as not only a love letter to the franchise’s humble beginnings but a promise of what’s in store for the future.
Avengers: Endgame is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and is the 22nd installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a direct sequel to 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. The film takes place in the aftermath of Infinity War in which Thanos (Josh Brolin) acquired all six infinity stones and used them to wipe out half of all living beings in the universe. Looking to undo Thanos’ action, the remaining Avengers – including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)- must figure out a way to acquire the infinity stones once again and resurrect the beings who died as a result of Thanos’ actions.
What I really appreciate about this movie was the way in which almost everything about it was epic in one way or another. This is the culmination of 21 previous films over the past 11 years, so it just had to be grand in every sense of the word and on that front, it did not disappoint. The way in which all of the cinematic elements, from the cinematography to the music to the effects, work in tandem to create this film is what helps create the epic feeling that the film radiates. The action scenes in this film are some of the best I’ve seen in any comic book movie and the climactic third act battle is perhaps one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever seen in theaters. And it’s not just the action sequences that make the movie feel epic, but also great character moments. These are characters who we have been with for the past 11 years and it is just truly amazing to see how some of their arcs end, giving us some emotional resonance to balance out the films epic action moments (something the previous entry lacked). Between these great character moments and breathtaking action scenes, this film is about as epic as it gets.
Another thing that was really great about this movie was the way in which it honored the legacy of the past entries and also set up the future. One could make the argument that every film needs to stand on its own in order to be good, but for me this is a very different case. This film honors its legacy in a very cool and unique way through the central plot (which I will not spoil) and brings back some of the Universe’s most unique characters for some truly great scenes that pay tribute to the past. It was so incredible to watch this film honor its legacy in such a touching way. As much as the film honors its legacy, it also sets up a lot for the future, which looks as bright as ever given some ideas laid down int eh films closing moments. This movie is a love letter to a franchise that is still going and has given us some truly awesome movies and I couldn’t be happier with the way this one was written.
And how could I not mention the cast and characters. They are in a way the most important [art of the film, as they are the true roots of this franchise. It was so cool to watch where these characters, which we have grown with over the past 11 years, to go on one last hurrah together. The real standouts of the cast are Robert Downy Jr. as Tony Stark, who started this journey and gets some of the best moments in all of superhero cinema. Scarlett Johansson is the best she’s been in the franchise as her character gets some truly standout moments and Chris Hemsworth is both hilarious and awesome as Thor. Even in their smaller roles however, each and every cast member gets a dedicated moment ot shine, showing how truly great each and every one of these characters truly are.
As much as this movie was good, no movie is flawless, and this film does have some major issues that I must address. As cool as it was to watch the main plot of the film carried out, the logistics of it all are made unnecessarily complicated. Without getting into spoilers, the movie takes time to set up these unique rules of the plot, which are different from most other films dealing with this subject matter. However, these rules just make everything so much more complicated than it needs to be. On top of that, the movie also makes choices that make you question exactly how certain things happen and never really fully explains how or why. While I’m all for ambiguity, this is stuff that just cannot be answered no matter how hard you try. There are also one- or two-character arcs that fall flat for me, leaving me more confused as to why they were carried out this way when compared to how satisfying everyone else’s arcs were.
In the grand scheme of things however, these flaws are pretty nitpicky. When you take it at face value Endgame is still quite entertaining faults and all. When you step back and look at the big picture, with 11 years of buildup surrounding it, you start to realize how truly special this movie is. And with its epic sense of grandeur, great homages to its legacy, the promise of a bright future and some great character moments across the board this film is sure to satisfy you in one way or another, faults and all.
8.5/10