So most of the time I just post a spoiler free version of my review and leave it at that. 

And you guys are still getting the spoiler free version, but since a lot of this movie is very hard to discuss without some spoilers coming out, I’m doing an extra spoiler review down below that one. 

So. 

If you haven’t seen the movie, just read the top of this post. And if you have seen it, keep on a-scrolling and we can chat in the comments. Sounds good to everyone?

Cool. 

Let’s get into it.

 

Avengers Endgame Review

Synopsis:

Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers — Thor, Black Widow, Captain America and Bruce Banner — must figure out a way to bring back their vanquished allies for an epic showdown with Thanos, who decimated the planet and the universe.

 

SPOILER FREE VERSION:

(this shall be understandably vague and brief)

 

Good Stuff:

• Tied up many ends with a beautiful bow on top

This movie promised to be the end of a Marvel era, and boy oh boy was it. It was very nice in the way that this wasn’t like… the end of everything? But it felt very much like the passing of a baton on to a new generation. 

• A very even mix of sad, happy and funny

From what I heard and from all the hype, I was honestly expecting this whole movie to be a nonstop assault on my feelings. Extremely heavy the whole way through and soul crushing to the extreme. I was kind of scared for the final chapter. And while there were certainly some emotional moments, the majority of the movie was actually…. really fun and cool? I cried at a few parts yes, and near the ending especially had some very tear inducing stuff. But the majority of the movie wasn’t actually crushing so that was very nice.
I’m just here to tell you that you don’t need to go into this movie terrified for your life. xD

• Central plot was beautifully done

Infinity War had a huuuge scope of characters they were using to propel the plot forward with pretty equally split screentime and that worked well for what it is. Endgame narrows it down to fewer characters and gets a lot more theme and finality out of it. They’re ending some stories here, and they really do a beautiful job finding their core and working it the best they possibly could for a big ol’ finale. 

• All the in-jokes

Teeny threads that get wrapped up and just small things from all the other movies are so wonderful. ❤ It’s really a treat.

 

Bad Stuff:

• Side plots a little messy

I have more specifics on this down in my spoiler review, but to stay vague…. basically there were a couple of characters who weren’t handled all that well? Not a deal killer for me because I was too focused on the beautiful central plot to get nitpicky about the side stories. But I know a few friends who this was a deal killer for so. Be warned. 

• No end credits scene

NOT SPOILERS OKAY, you guys gotta be warned. There’s a pretty cool montage at the beginning of the credits showing the original six Avengers and that’s worth hanging around for, but the very end of the credits is…. I mean, stay if you want? But all you get is a nostalgic sound clip. xD
A little mean of Marvel to train us all into waiting around that long and not give us anything. 
Even if it is understandable? I mean they said it was so it would be a more definitive end of that chapter without teasing more movies. -shrug-

 

Overall:

A legendary end to the saga and the dawning of a new age. A definite must-watch for Marvel fans.

 

 

So yes. Go watch it. 

And if you haven’t, then leave now. Abandon ship before the spoilers attack. 

Only those gifted with knowledge may continue on. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPOILERS INCLUDED VERSION:

 

 

 

 

 

 

TURN BACK NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT

 

 

 

 

 

SERIOUSLY

 

 

 

LAST CHANCE GUYS

 

 

 

So here we go. 

Good Stuff:

• CAPTAIN AMERICA

This was by far the biggest thing for me. 

Steve Rogers was basically my only reason for watching any Marvel movies for many years. And while I grew to appreciate other characters a whole lot, Steve’s always been sort of my home base and I’ve always loved him. 

And going in, I was seriously seriously scared for him. Because his one consistent thing has been how he just never gets a happy ending. And that is not a good track record to have going into Endgame. 

But I just…. trust me when I say I could not be happier with how they ended his story. 

He had so many amazing moments and there were definitely happy tears at the very end. ❤ It felt just so…. full circle and so planned from the beginning. It left me feeling very very happy and complete, as opposed to most Captain America endings that leave me feeling so sad and wishing someone would hug poor Steve. 

All the small moments were amazing and they just did a really good job with his character. 

And of course the big moments. Fighting his younger self and being annoyed with the “I can do this all day” mentality. xD Working together with Tony. (HUGE HIGHLIGHT I’ve been waiting for this for so long) And of course catching the hammer and basically the entire final fight. 

Just incredible. 

I’m so happy for my star-spangled favorite. 

• IRON MAN

My heart got a little more broken on this front. 
Okay so actually a lot more broken. 

But he was so, so well done it’s hard to be too mad. 

He’s come so far in his character arc through the whole series, it’s just incredible. I loved seeing him with his daughter so so so so much, that was the sweetest. And just his whole life with Pepper. And heading up the rescue attempt despite the life he’d built back for himself. (sELFLESSNESS AHH <3) Him working with Steve and Scott was amazing. And I am so happy he got to talk to his dad back in time. ❤ The reunion with Peter Parker was legendarily sweet. 

Of course also the ending. 

There were…. also tears here. 

At first I thought we were safe and he was gonna make it. And then I didn’t even register the fact that he was truly gone. Aaaaand then Niagra Falls at his funeral. ;-;

“Proof that Tony Stark has a heart” just killed me. 

Rest in peace, Tony. You will be sorely missed. </3

• Time travel

IT WAS SO COOL JUST SEEING PAST EVENTS THROUGH A DIFFERENT PLOTLINE

It was just amazing having that much more of seeing how far the whole story has come. Such a cool tieback. 

Not to mention just seeing all the old events through new eyes. It was a really cool mission. I was so hyped when they started doing it and was not disappointed. ❤ (Possibly my favorite bit to see from a different angle was Star Lord’s opening GotG scene. My favorite poor idiot, getting his musical number all screwed up with time travel.)

• Nebula

A very minor, very interesting character from former movies getting turned into a main character and being given a super cool plotline and character arc to follow? Yes please. 

• Scott Lang

I’m still heartbroken that he missed so many years of Cassie’s life. But he was a ray of sunshine and I love him a lot. 

• Black Widow and Hawkeye

Best Marvel friendship. 

And heartbreaking…. so many things. Clint and his family. Natasha going after him and just that whoLE SCENE where they were fighting over who would die. 

Extremely well written and also tragic. 

• So many cool small things

We could be here all day, but just all the in jokes and callbacks and plot aspects and theme aspects. 

Just overall there was a lot that I liked. 

 

Bad Stuff:

• Thor and the Guardians

Okay, what I mentioned earlier about a few characters suffering from lack of effort put into their story? 

-points to this little group- Mmhmm.

Thor, I’m a little divided on and I’m not condemning his whole presence. But it could certainly have been tweaked to be much better. The poor, poor man has been through so much and I feel so sorry for him. His response to everything was very real feeling. 

Things split a little bit after that. Because while in the theater, I actually laughed at him a lot. Which was…. weird feeling, when he has so many things going on. I felt bad laughing at him and it feels just off how in the retrospect they played his trauma and depression as a comedic element. 

I still love him as a character and they’ve done a good job with him, but this was certainly not the most shining moment in his writing. (BUT I will say I appreciated the beerbelly. Nice subversion of the usual fangirl eye candy that he is + he looked much more genuinely viking. xD)

And then the Guardians. (Excluding Nebula)

I’ll say more about Gamora below, she was a whole new can of worms. Rocket was alright. Not the star of the show, clearly, but he sort of played into the misuse of Thor’s arc here so I’m a little wonky on that. 

But within the small amount of screentime he had, Peter Quill was sorely misused. Him and Gamora in Infinity War were just such a gut punch of a plot element (and honestly my favorite Marvel couple, so that was a lot of ouch for me). But in this movie, again, it was played for laughs. And again, I actually did laugh, but felt horrible about it afterwards. 

Biggest whiplash moment of the whole movie for me: Peter’s reunion with Gamora. He came up to her and honestly I was tearing up before I remembered “wait this version has never even met him before”. And then she whacked him and everyone was laughing and saying how the choices for her were “either him or a tree”. 

Oof. 

And the end with him and the other guardians and just -squint- while the dynamic with Thor on the ship was kind of funny in IW…. I dunno man, just the whole guardian dynamic feels wrong in this. Everyone’s so mean on each other and Peter especially.

I’m not putting this as a complete movie killer because they were in no way the main characters of this movie and had like no time on screen. And honestly I’m kind of more excited for the next GotG movie now because they have an interesting plot to follow. 

Still, Engame was not a shining moment for Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor fans, sadly.

• Minimizing of other sacrifices

Just a couple of points here:

Gamora’s death in the last movie was a really sad and amazing plot thread and I really feel like that could have been picked up on more than they did. She felt very forgotten. 

And then Natasha deserved a funeral too come on, guys. 

• Poor Bucky

Sadly I know why he was kept in the present. Grand Lord Disney has plans for him being shoved into his own TV show with Falcon. But that did not feel right at all. 

He seriously should have gone back in time with Steve. Bucky deserves a happy ending and this was definitely not one for him. It didn’t seem natural for Steve to leave him at all.  

Plus being shoved off to the side for his best friend’s last few minutes on screen and like… barely getting to be reunited at all. 

It just doesn’t feel like a ton of payoff after everything that they’d gone through in The Winter Soldier and Civil War. -sigh-

(That being said, his and Steve’s exchange from the first movie being brought back in the end was awesome and warmed my heart.)

• Bruce Banner

Not as much of a negative element for me as just an odd one. 

He served a purpose within the movie, yes? But he just seemed kind of like a filler character and I have no clue what they’re doing with him from here on out. He was just kind of… there. I’m confused. Not happy, or displeased, just squinting sideways at him wondering what’s up with his character. 

• Time travel

I know this was on my list of good things, but I’m sorry it’s showing up here too. 

If I think about it really hard, yes it works. But they really presented time travel in an incredibly confusing way in this movie. And a rather prideful confusing way as well, which was…. even better. xD

I was 100% with Scott Lang on referring to Back to the Future (aka the most straightforward way of looking at time travel ever. Cause and effect, people.) But then he just got scoffed at and “no dude that’s not how it works in the real world! This isn’t a movie!”

-cue Scott looking into the camera in confusion-

And then we just get presented with this whole new crazy set of rules for how time travel works and it just made my brain hurt. 

Overall:

It wasn’t flawless. It wasn’t the be-all and end-all for cinema. 

But it was a really good movie. And overall, I loved it. I can nitpick, but I think overall, we couldn’t have gotten a much better wrap up to an 11 year long, grand-scale story. Marvel deserves a huge thank you for taking us all on such a wonderful, wild ride, and I’m most certainly giving mine. ❤

 

 

-deep breath- 

ANYWAY. 

Those are my thoughts on this big ol’ movie. 

What did you think of it? Favorite bits?

Talk to me in the comments!

~writefury