SPOILER FREE REVIEW FOR- LOOK, I’LL CUT ANY PRETENCES, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ ON, AND I CAN PROMISE I WON’T GET INTO SPOILERS, BUT I ALSO URGE YOU TO SEE IT FIRST, BECAUSE THIS MOVIE IS THE CINEMATIC EVENT OF OUR TIMES

It’s crazy to think that 11 years ago, the first Iron Man movie seemed doomed. Jon Favreau actually expected his movie to either bomb at the box office, or somewhat ambitiously break even. Robert Downey Jr.’s hiring to play Tony Stark was seen as baffling and a potentially dangerous gamble on behalf of the studio given his troubles leading up to the role. The movie didn’t even have a completed script when it started shooting, with the actors actually having to improvise a lot of the dialogue on set.

Nobody could have expected that it would be successful. Nobody could have expected that it would spawn a pop culture phenomenon. Nobody could have expected that Robert Downey Jr. would go on to make his character iconic alongside those played by the relatively unknown Australian Chris Hemsworth, Human Torch reject Chris Evans and a smattering of others. Yet here we are, not just at the epitome of this astonishing wave of Superhero movies, but in The Endgame of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it.

No wonder this movie brought me to tears on multiple occasions. This franchise and these characters have been virtually ever-present throughout my life. I’ve learned from them, been caught up in their stories, laughed, cried and seen these people develop and become a huge part of my life.

Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end. But what better way to culminate the last decade of the MCU than with its greatest movie yet?

Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a sequel to Avengers: Infinity War. The movie is once again directed by the Russo Brothers based on a screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and stars a staggering ensemble cast that features Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlet Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Karen Gillan, Brie Larson and Josh Brolin among others. The story follows on from the events of Infinity War, where – you know the drill by now – Thanos notoriously completed his quest in finding the six Infinity Stones and Snapping his fingers to wipe out half of all life in the Universe. After that cliff-hanger, Tony Stark and Nebula are stranded drifting out in space, the Avengers are searching desperately for a way to reverse Thanos’ actions, and all appears to be lost. That’s all I can say without getting into spoilers. The level of secrecy and number of surprises in this movie are mind-blowing.

I’m going to try to avoid making this one of those reviews where the critic vaguely hints at a plot development and says, “I enjoyed when these people did this thing” or “I couldn’t believe what happened to that character”, deliberately diverting from revealing plot details to preserve the ‘spoiler free’ nature of their review. Frankly, for a movie such as this, it’s always going to be difficult to write a spoiler free review. All I can really do is delve into my opinions and thoughts on the movie generally. Sorry for any and all ambiguity. I’m planning to do a spoiler review, which will be much more fitting for the kind of story Endgame is telling.

For audiences with a peripheral knowledge of the MCU and Superheroes in general, Endgame will be very entertaining. But for those who have stuck with these movies from the very beginning, watched all the films and empathised and cared for the characters, this movie is a dream come true. I have never seen a movie – not just a Superhero movie, but one of any genre – give the fans so much of what they wanted going into the movie, and yet still shock and awe in the way it does. For Marvel fans, this movie must be seen a number of times to fully appreciate. I apologise that this is all just vague opinion, but I genuinely believe that everyone should go and see this film ready to be surprised and entertained, and come out having experienced the full effect of this astonishing movie. I laughed, cried and bursted with joy, and it didn’t feel like three hours – I didn’t want to go, forgive the pun – I wanted to spend more time immersed in this story.

Inevitably with this movie, the question people will ask is whether it surpasses Infinity War, and in my opinion it does. Whilst Infinity War had global stakes and real threat, Endgame acts as a more personal story with emotionally driven conflict, and as a culmination of the Universe that has come before, it really works, especially from a character standpoint. These characters we’ve grown to know and love face their toughest challenge, and the Russos still manage to make them layered characters we can empathise with. Even more audaciously, a number of characters are taken in surprising directions in this movie, and made fresh once more, something you would imagine to be impossible over twenty movies in. But Marvel have done it.

The focus in this one is on the central six Avengers (the A6), and in many ways this makes it more distinctly an Avengers movie than Infinity War. Each character arc is executed in a surprising and compelling way, and the endearing charm of these characters as embodied by these actors gives every scene an injection of energy. I could go on and on about how Robert Downey Jr. gives another exceptional performance (probably his best and most engaging yet), or how Chris Evans embodies Captain America in a way unlikely to be surpassed, but by this stage, we know how good these actors are, and it’s truly outstanding that in this whole ensemble, there isn’t a straight-up stilted performance. Even Captain Marvel is more endearing than in her solo movie, and she’s used in just the right dosage. Endgame nails character, and because that aspect of the movie is nailed, the emotional payoff of this end of an era really works.

Now despite the huge runtime, Endgame does follow a three Act structure, and the way it’s done is very unique and entertaining. The first part of the movie is a little bit of a slower burn, and used to really set the stakes, the character motivations and add layers to those guilty after failing to stop Thanos. After this however, Act Two is much faster and breezier. Not to say that the first Act wasn’t as good – it was exciting, enjoyable and I was immersed as an MCU fan – but Act Two really starts pushing the boundaries of this genre, and captures the unique spirit of the movies in this interconnected Universe brilliantly. Then you get to Act Three. Which is insane. I don’t know if I’ve seen a more high-stakes, riotously entertaining, emotionally heavy Third Act in my life, and all I’ll say is that the finale truly is the icing on the cake. It’s so awesome!

Regarding criticisms, my only real ones are nit-picks for logistical things, and due to the nature of this movie and its complexity, there are always going to be minor chinks in the armour when dealing with a colossal project as huge as this. But honestly, this movie is a technical masterpiece and masterclass in how to make a Superhero romp. The writing is sharp, the dialogue is witty, the movie makes you laugh, smile and cry, and the Russo Brothers are really adept at using that screenplay and constructing an onscreen event that truly exceeds the written word due to all these wonderful performances, surprises and epic set-pieces. The action sequences are thrilling and well choreographed, the visual effects are deserving of an IMAX screen (I’m seeing the movie in IMAX 3D tomorrow, it’s that spectacular), yet the story still retains a heart, and I think that’s what makes these Marvel movies so captivating and endearing. The human heart, the passion with which each character and storyline is treated, and above all else, the fact that they’re just so ambitious and damn entertaining. Stan Lee would be very proud.

I won’t say any more – this is unmissable. Don’t let anyone spoil it for you. Thanos demands their silence.

VERDICT: EXCELLENT

There’s so much more I want to say, but I think I’ll wait a little while until everyone’s had a chance to see this movie. Then I think I’ll break down some spoilers, because if ever there was a movie to do it for, it would be this one. All I’ll say for now is that the fact they’ve managed to pull off an achievement on this scale is truly extraordinary. Other than that, thank you all for reading, and until next time, I bid you adieu! 🙂 🙂 🙂