Avengers: Endgame- Pure Undeniable Spectacle
I know I’m really late to the party with this review but I recently
rewatched ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and I really wanted to talk about it. The consensus
on Marvel films and the superhero genre has weirdly come full circle, the
comics were loved by the few in society and the medium was mocked by the
general public originally but come 2019 these characters have become household
names. A superhero film is the highest grossing film of all time, just let that
sink in, growing up I loved these comics and felt like there was no one who
appreciated them that I could talk to, but now they are the most recognisable things
in pop culture. And weirdly this has started a new wave of arrogance, with this
new idea that these films aren’t ‘real cinema’, gatekeeping and once again shunning
people away from enjoying this franchise. It drives me insane to perceive anything
as ‘real cinema’ because that is completely subjective, we should be enjoying
what we enjoy no matter if it is a Scorsese film or ‘Endgame’. I do believe in striving
for artistic integrity in the media we consume, but I also truly believe that
all (if not most) of the films in the MCU have a trademark of artistic
integrity. Anyway, I thought I’d revisit ‘Endgame’ and look back at a film
which has honestly still left me in awe.
This film is huge, momentous and mesmerizingly operatic, it
has become a cliché to say, but it truly feels like the accumulation of
everything this franchise has worked towards. Yet it manages to have an overall
really melancholic feel to the whole thing, it is an exhaustingly sad film at
times and shows a surprising amount of restraint with the tone. When I first watched
it in the cinema, I was disappointed with the amount of tonal inconsistencies
that were present in the first act, but retrospectively, with the knowledge of
where the characters develop, it feels much truer to ‘Endgame’s’ characters. Of
course, Rocket is going to joke and be the laughing stock, of course Tony still
quips and makes snide remarks, of course Ant-Man is going to Paul Rudd around
because that is realistically who these characters are. The Russo’s create this
driving melancholic first act through the moments where we see through the veneer
of their iconic characters, Simply put, keeping Tony and Rocket the way they
are makes moments like ‘I lost the boy’ and Rocket holding hands with Nebula
even more impactful because the character hasn’t been compromised. The, I guess, prologue of the film before the
time lapse is so fast paced and throws you off in this expert diversion, the action
is slick and energetic and then it immediately pulls the rug and reveals that
emotional and harrowing ‘Five Years Later’.
After ‘Infinity War’ I really wanted to let, pun intended,
the dust to settle. I wanted to really see the impact of this moment before everything
goes back to normal, I wanted that ‘Empire Strikes Back’ level of dread and boy
does ‘Endgame’ deliver. It is devastating throughout the first of this first
act, from Scott Lang reuniting with his daughter, to some much-needed humanity
in Natasha, or Steve starting support groups and not to mention Thor’s
wonderful development. He was the character I had most concerns about first
viewing, I think the shock of it all combined with how much comedic potential
they get out of him was kind of distracting. And whilst I still think there are
a couple of moments that could have done with removing or toning down (Him agreeing
to join just at the promise of beers still bugs me) I think it is a surprisingly
bold portrayal of depression and PTSD. His arc stands out as something unseen
in the typical Marvel movie, he doesn’t go from rock bottom to Norse-God
throughout the film, instead he takes realistic small steps and moments to self
realisation and Hemsworth really sells it. The ‘I’m still worthy’ moment still
brings a tear to my eye just from his delivery.
The second act is everything a second act should be, this is
the majority of the film and is a collection of scenes compelling characters
and storylines to motivate them to their conclusion. At first glance, the
concept of revisiting the ‘iconic moments from the MCU’ seems fan sercivey and
gratuitous but I think it is a really unexpected portrayal of these moments, Shifting
the focus to showing the change in these characters in comparisons to their previous
selves is absurdly clever writing. It becomes the driving force to almost all
of the character arcs in this film, this is essential in making that finale
work. The Russo’s do a lot of work with these characters, Thor’s scenes with
his mother, Tony’s with his father, Steve looking at Peggy, Nebula seeing old
Nebula and even Professor Hulk reacting to 2012 Hulk. Everything feels
retrospective, yet still serves a purpose to the characters and narrative and it
contains what may be the darkest the MCU has gone with that scene or Vormir.
Seeing two close friends who have been apart of this franchise for years fight
over sacrificing themselves for each other is excruciating to watch and a real
brave scene with brilliant performances from both Johannsson and Remmer.
What do I say about ‘Endgame’ in its finale, it is ridiculous,
and I think this is where people aim the ‘not true cinema’ argument because it
is this big CGI battle with moments purely to excite and absorb the audience, but
I don’t know how that makes it not cinema? Watching this at the midnight screening
in a ridiculously packed cinema and hearing the roar of excitement and
community during this set piece is exactly what cinema should be. Everybody
revels at different moments and characters appearing and interacting, it is
beyond satisfying to witness but doesn’t feel at all contrived. Everything
coming together feels worked for, it pays tribute to the fans for watching all
the films by including moments that elicit specific emotional reactions
depending on how you responded to other films. And for the cinema to go from
this outrageous excitement to complete silence for Tony’s death is a feat. It is
almost broadcasted from the beginning that this is the end of Tony Stark and my
god is it so emotional to witness it, RDJ is at his peak and his final moments
are what made ‘Endgame’ so spectacular and I’m not ashamed to say I cried for
probably 30 minutes worth of this film.
After 11 ish years of these films, it is spectacular that they
are still as mesmerising as ever. I think the epilogue puts such a perfect bow
on this franchise which is bizarre because I loved ‘Far From Home’ and am
excited to see more. I really love how we say goodbye to a lot of these characters,
especially Steve and Tony with those heart-breaking scenes that we knew were
coming but still broke everyone. It blows my mind that the highest selling film
of all time from the biggest franchise of all time, closes with a shot of two
people dancing. I genuinely think that at the end of the day, a film is as successful
as what it evokes, and I think there is a technical level that is undeniable in
contributing to this. Alan Silvestri’s score is insanely impactful, occasionally
risky and experimental as well as combined with some excellent sound design it
brings together a lot of the film’s most important moments. It feels weird to compliment
it, but the visual effects are unbeatable, there are several fully CGI
characters that I don’t blink an eye to which is just insane to witness.
It is in no way a perfect film; the pacing is sometimes
exhaustingly fast and disorientating as well as a few characters and moments
that I wish could have been devolved more. But this is a film with a ridiculous
amount of stuff on its plate and it does so much so well throughout the three
hours that I think any complaints are weirdly just me wanting more, more time
with these characters and settings because it is pulled off so well. Cinema
brings people together, cinema makes you laugh or makes you cry or makes you punch
the air with joy after hearing ‘Avengers Assemble’. Yes, I suppose it isn’t an indie
masterpiece full of auteur-level skill, but it is the best a blockbuster can
be, don’t dismiss it because of your preconceptions of a genre instead embrace
and enjoy everything ‘Endgame’ has to offer.
Thanks for reading!