Ever since the premiere of “Iron Man” in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken the film industry by storm. “Avengers: Endgame” marks the end of the “Infinity War” storyline and concludes their 11-year-long tenure. “Avengers: Endgame” has the high expectations of wrapping up complex and decade long storylines as well as filling the empty feeling “Infinity War” left for fans. This movie accomplishes both of these feats with grace.
The overall plot of this film, not to give anything away, is a direct extension to the prior film. “Endgame” starts directly after Thanos’ infamous snap at the end of “Infinity War.” As the plot unravels, it continually subverts expectations and keeps the audience on their toes. The fanbase has spent the past year theorizing about what happens in this film to a great extent, with some of these theory videos on YouTube containing millions of views. This film continually surprises the audience while showcasing scenarios that are not only predictable, but believable to the viewer.
The film focuses solely on the six surviving Avengers in a sensible, balanced way and is consistent in tone and concentrated, rather than juggling the 20 something heroes “Infinity War” had to. The film raises the stakes by showcasing the post-war trauma the heroes endure from the first film. A common critique the MCU has is not having any stakes: the hero always wins and the villain always loses. This film guides the viewer to relive the horrors of “Infinity War” while knowing that the stakes in this film are permanent as the heroes try to reverse the prior.
Alan Silvestri’s composition of the film sadly goes unnoticed. The score held a large presence in “Infinity War,” driving the emotions of the story. In “Endgame,” the score is used as it is regularly in films: an addition to the viewing experience rather than something that amplifies it. The cinematography, conducted by Trent Opaloch, is absolutely stunning. The shots in the film effectively replace the score of the film by amplifying the emotional aspects as well as hyping the audience when necessary.
The real credit goes to the directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, for both the direction of the plot and the writing in the film. Screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus deserve their credit but the film would not be the same without the vision of the Russo brothers and of course, Kevin Feige producing the film. Not only does the film feel as if it’s a comic book coming to life, but every step the characters take feels perfectly in tune with their decision making and development in the prior 20 plus films.
If the Russo brothers created a less of a film, audiences would constantly demand for another film, a continuation of this worldwide phenomena. This film manages to quench the decade long thirst of knowing what the endgame is, how do these heroes end up and what comes next. For the first time in MCU history, the viewer can exit this movie being content with no further sequels. Without a doubt, this movie is well worth the price of a movie ticket and well worth watching the 21 movies of the sage prior.