An emotionally and narratively satisfying swan song for the Avengers franchise, 'Endgame' is the Avengers film fans have been waiting for and deserve.
read more
The bar has been set extremely high for directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who have directed ‘Infinity War’ and two Captain America movies. It has to resolve the key plotline of how the Avengers will defeat Thanos and, as the final chapter of the franchise, deliver a conclusion befitting its 10-year 21-films history and satisfying millions of fans from around the world. The Russo Brothers have managed to achieve this seemingly impossible feat.
After Thanos wiped out half the world population, including about half of the Avengers team, the surviving Avengers are struggling to deal with the loss of their friends as well as bearing a massive burden of failure and guilt at failing to prevent global genocide while trying to get on with life. Captain America heads a support group for survivors; Tony Stark has embarked on a quiet domestic life; Bruce Banner has found a way to peacefully coexist with the Hulk and is quite the celebrity; Thor, meanwhile, has turned to the bottle and grown a massive beer belly.
Amidst the destruction, death, and solemness, what’s possibly equalling difficult to pull off is humour and it’s surprising to find that the film is laced with humour, often unexpected. Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, is always a reliable source of snappy one-liners. But it’s Chris Hemsworth that shines. After putting in a humorous performance under the direction of Taika Waititi in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, Hemsworth further flexes his comedic muscles. There is also a hilarious running joke about Captain America’s bum.
The unexpected return of an Avenger thought to be dead gives the team an idea - and some hope - on how to reverse what Thanos has done. And once again, the Avengers set off on their mission, but this time around, the mission they’ll undertake is intrinsically designed and tied to how the film is going to conclude the emotional arcs of the main Avengers (namely, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor).
It’s also emotional payoff for fans who have followed these characters since 2008 when the first Marvel movie, ‘Iron Man’, debuted. Without saying too much, the film will take the characters to portentous moments in time where they’ll come to terms with shadows from their past. For fans, it will be the best and most proper closure for their decade-long commitment.
Surpassing every franchise in history (Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Star Wars, Star Trek), the Russo Brothers and the Marvel team have delivered the mega-epic fantasy opera of our time.
read less