Avengers: Endgame: A Fun, Messy Spectacle to Conclude the Infinity Saga
WARNING: Some spoilers ahead
Avengers: Endgame is a big, ambitious, messy spectacle with some of the largest setpieces ever dedicated to film in its climax. As fun as it is, it’s not a terribly well-tuned movie. Unfortunately, it’s quite messy.
If you aren’t the kind of person who can’t enjoy a superhero movie when it isn’t transcendently excellent like The Dark Knight or Logan then you aren’t going to be getting much out of this film. The movie is fundamentally a spectacle, driving home moments of fanservice that pay off longstanding story arcs in the other 21 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the end, these moments are just moments in a much less focused whole.
The Russo Brothers
The Russo Brothers are very talented directors but they struggle with thematic coherency and dramatic heft. They can direct a film excellently and they’re very well tuned to the tastes of the majority 15-35 male demographic that these movies are largely being produced for. Unfortunately, they struggle to create film’s that work on levels beyond those tastes. Their best film to date is easily Captain America: The Winter Soldier which multiple critics of late have started to contest hasn’t aged all that well in the past five years (although it is still quite good).
They struggle to dramatize the ideas and morals their stories are supposed to be about and end up producing movies that either work by shocking the audience into submission (Infinity War) or groove on fun dialog and character interactions without much solid structure to root their stories in. Avengers: Endgame is the latter. There aren’t many extremely surprising or shocking moments like the Hydra reveal or the various character deaths in the preceding movie. For the most part, the film is coasting by on a somber tone and clever moments.
Most of the actual necessary character work in the film is largely glossed over. Tons of story arcs like Stark and Roger’s fight from Civil War are mostly ignored beyond a few call-backs. Dramatic character work like this should’ve been the body of the film are mostly downplayed. Instead, the majority of the film is characters reacting to the events of the previous film before snapping back to normal long enough to work together on a plan to try and resolve the effects of the Thanos snap. There’s no interpersonal drama in which to get invested.
A Messy but Fun Movie
Still, it’s not bad. It’s clear the movie wants to be a massive Return of the King style climax with emotionally fulfilling character moments intermixed with epic battle scenes like the Battle of Minas Tirith. Instead, it’s more similar to Return of the Jedi. It’s a series of enormous set pieces and character beats with a lot of boring, slow character interactions that form up the body of the film’s three-hour runtime. Those moments will probably win the hearts of those who go see the film enough that it’ll be entirely worth the experience. I just wish it were more tightly woven and thematically driven in the way the best superhero movies like last year’s Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse is.
In any case, fans are going to love it.
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Comments
Why does any conservative give Hollywood their money any more? The movies they make suck and the cherry on top is that they hate your guts. These Marvel people spend most their waking hours on Twitter hating your guts.
I would say thanks for saving me from wasting cash on this garbage, but I stopped going to movies a long time ago.
Exactly. Why does one provide succor to institutions which are quite obviously out to destroy them? Millenial dopes, that’s why.
Or maybe even, “millennial” dopes.
I have no interest in these movies and I am surprised how emotionally invested people are with these characters. I guess it’s an age thing and I’m too old.
I know this isn’t popular but Infinity war was also messy and not that well done. A bunch of stuff happens…none of it lands because it’s all crammed into one movie. Thor Ragnarok was light years better than IW.
I won’t waste money on Endgame in theaters.
Infinity wars was a hot mess. It was way too ambitious with a storyline that can’t be resolved in 5.5 hours.
Oh boy, let’s see now, one superhero “Fist” fighting another and throwing them all around breaking walls and buildings. Or they shoot him with an unbelievable ray gun that only stuns the hero and he slowly climbs back on his feet fight again. Can’t they show some imagination? I am kind of embarrassed for the adults that can’t wait to see this garbage.
I listened to Nerdrotics Endgame review on youtube, so I feel like I have seen the movie and heard some really good commentary about how SJWs and PC culture are ruining the MCU.
And I didn’t spend a dime. 🙂
Captain America actor’s anti American leftism ended my desire to see any more ‘marvel’ movies. I’ll spend my $ at a salon or on cheese. Thx!
I enjoy many of the Marvel Movies as Entertainment. I loathe many of the actors and actresses who play the parts. Wit the exception of Chris Pratt.
I certainly don’t seem to fit the “demographic” as I am a 75 year old female. But I can live with that.
I hate the Infinity Wars and am wondering whether to purchase this latest one. I probably will.
Hating on something you haven’t seen is such a Democrat thing that I’m surprised to see so much of it here.
I think your use of the word “Hate” may be overstated. I used the word embarrassed and unimaginative but not hate. I used to like them but then the plots became less and less to the point that there was none. CGI took over and a plot was no longer necessary. And as mentioned above, many of the actors are full-time jerks like Chris Evans of Capt. America fame. I did enjoy “Deadpool” and “Galaxy” because they were funny and self-deprecating.
We’ll wait until it’s out on streaming. My nephew told me it’s about 4 hours long! We’re retired, have a nice home theater setup and prefer that to going to a movie theater. Don’t have to sit by complete strangers, put up with someone kicking my seat back, no one coughing, talking or using cell phones to distrumpt the experience. We can pause to use the facilities, the popcorn, drinks and snacks are affordable, we control the volume, and can watch movies from our recliners. With our cat between us.
One thought about End Game; the premise of Thanos eradicating half of mankind to preserve the natural world (resources) is an environmental theme. Making war against him to restore everyone would seem to be a kind of war against environmental extremism. And war against someone who wields absolute autonomous over the people? Have you seen the new Democrat party? I can enjoy Endgame for what it is when it comes out on streaming.
Exactly – Thanos poofs half of living beings – everywhere – and you plan to fight them, how? The movie should have been about 30 minutes or so.
“Hey Thanos, we’re here to kick your sorry bu…*poof*”
roll credits
Are these ridiculous, never-ending movies actually ending? I highly doubt it. Disney doesn’t know when to stop gorging itself on money. These movies are never going to end. Same with these new, terrible Star Wars.
Making movies about comic book characters seems childish. Used to be most outgrew comic books somewhere between 10 and 14 years of age.
I remember my aunt wanted to go see Superman in 1978. I wasn’t interested but I love my aunt so I went. It was as stupid as I figured it would be.