Warning: Spoilers Ahead
Full disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy most of the movies in this enormous franchise, but I don’t love very many of them. I grew up in a time when the only movies based on comic books available were 1990’s dismally weird Captain America and the failed Dolph Lundgren Punisher from 1989. I was and continue to be excited about the fate and future of comic book movies, and for the time being, they seem to be in pretty good hands.
Critical reception to Endgame is very close to an effort in futility. Minds have been made up at least since the title was announced – and there’s nothing wrong with that. Over the course of now 22 films, we’ve been trained to eagerly await the next chapter. How could anyone have known then that we’d be here now, all these years later, at the end of a monstrous story that has spanned more than a decade? Even someone like me, who certainly hasn’t been on board with many of the cinematic choices made throughout these films, couldn’t wait for Endgame. So, there I sat at 8:30 on Friday morning in the middle of a packed house. The entire theater was electric with anticipation. And then it began.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
Endgame begins with a whisper. This quiet, but emotionally effective preface serves as a recap of the final moments of Infinity War (without showing anything from that film), as well as informs us that this closing chapter may be a bit different than what we’re used to. The subtlety of the opening sequence is nearly poetic (or as poetic as I’ve seen from this franchise anyway), so much so that I knew I was hooked from that moment – a rare occurrence for me and action movies. What follows over the next three hours is a mix of predictability and clever subversion of that predictability, but the ride is fun as hell no matter how you look at it.
There could be no doubt that Thanos would be defeated and the damage he’d done in Infinity War would be reversed (new films already in production prove this). But just how it would be done remained a mystery. With some thought, time travel seemed inevitable, but again, what would this look like? How would it be achieved? Would every character survive? If not, who dies, and how? While I may not be as emotionally invested in the characters of the MCU as many, I still found these questions intriguing. I surprised myself by realizing that as the events unfolded, maybe I did care after all. Crazy world.
Endgame operates in two basic parts. The first (and longest) is an action-lite caper story that borders on comedy. And it is fun, fun, fun. The MCU has always been decent at peppering laughs into their films, but outside of Thor: Ragnarok this is the funniest installment (if you can believe it). I’m not always the biggest fan of pop-culture references in my movies (it tends to date them), but when you’ve got superheroes sitting around arguing the “rules” of time travel based on what they’ve seen in other movies, there’s a lot to grab on to.
On top of that, I’d like to label Endgame what it really is: a heist movie – and a good one at that. The time travel aspect allows for all sorts of shenanigans and subversions of both the caper and comic book genres and Endgame exceeds on those fronts. One of my issues with MCU films of yore is their formulaic plotting and sometimes forced faux-importance. Endgame never feels like that. It’s a family reunion where everybody is having fun even though they know it’s the last time they’ll see great-aunt Hortense. It’s so refreshing that this, the final installment of an 11-year franchise, defies expectations in matters of story, pacing, and action-to-character ratio. Especially considering they could have thrown macaroni at a wall for three hours and people still would have come out in droves. It’s as if we were given a reward for years of loyalty. Not a cheap shiny watch either, but a well-thought-out thank you.
The second part is all action and plenty of it. It mostly works, but deliberate emotional manipulation is relied on a bit too much. The medium of film is all about the manipulation of emotions, of course, but some of the timing in the final showdown seemed overly so. It worked on me, as I am a mere mortal, but when I’m aware of its presence I’m taken out of the experience somewhat. The action is good, though. It has a nice back and forth, even if you know damn well who the victor will be. How it’s finally achieved you may see coming, but that doesn’t lessen the impact when it finally hits you.
I’d like to take this opportunity to point out that I sat between two grown men who were openly weeping during the climax. This isn’t a knock on these gentlemen, mind you. Endgame is extremely successful at pulling this kind of response out of even the grumpiest fans. However, in recognizing the maneuver it becomes less effective. Such is my curse.
There’s a whole lot more I could write about Endgame, as it’s surprisingly rich in mythology, philosophy, and allegory. Thor’s sad and cruel arc, the existential tragedy of Nebula, and Thanos’ 1% agenda will get treatment from me, but I think I’ll leave it for further analysis. For now, sagas come to an end and new franchise branches are born. And so it goes. I’m a grumpy film critic but I went into Endgame wanting to be entertained like I was when I was a kid. I wanted my disappointment in last year’s Infinity War to be turned to dust – and it mostly was. I am truly excited to see where the new phase of this crazy franchise takes us. I won’t complain if a new, 11-year saga gets started any day now. I’ll gladly be along for the ride. There isn’t much hope in avoiding it, so I might as well enjoy myself, right?
For the characters who made it through, I’m looking forward to your future journeys and to meeting your new allies and enemies. For those that didn’t – farewell.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.