Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | 181 minutes | action, adventure | Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin, Tessa Thompson, Evangeline Lilly, Pom Klementieff, Tom Holland, Jon Favreau, Elizabeth Olsen, Dave Bautista, Sebastian Stan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katherine Langford, Tilda Swinton, Letitia Wright, Kerry Condon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chadwick Boseman, Winston Duke, Frank Grillo, Ty Simpkins, Sean Gunn, Emma Fuhrmann, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong

The Russo brothers have definitively established themselves as the kings of the superhero genre with ‘Avengers: Endgame’, following successful predecessors ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’, ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. The epic of the Avengers, started in 2008 with ‘Iron Man’, comes to a fitting end after 11 years, 22 films and 41 hours (!) of material with a conclusion that will more than satisfy the many millions of fans. With ‘Avengers: Endgame’ a unique in film history is offered a dignified end.

Rarely has talking about a movie been a bigger hornet’s nest than Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’. The marketing department of this film has done a worldly feat of making a film that has been eagerly anticipated for years, without being revealed. Now that the end result can be seen in cinemas, it would be a shame to get an idea of ​​the story in the reviews. This review will therefore deliberately be vaguely and comprehensively formulated and without examples.

Anthony and Joe Russo’s strength lies in storytelling from characters. Also in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ the characters are central. Ample time is taken to make the audience aware of the consequences of the previous film, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. The first hour of this three-hour film is devoted to this. Considering the scale of this film, this is quite an investment, but it pays off. Not only does it build the tension further, all resolutions are earned at the end of the film. These resolutions, so plural, mean that ‘Avengers: Endgame’ suffers somewhat from the same problem as ‘The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King’; with an ending that seems to go on and on. At some point, the plot is done, but the character developments aren’t all complete yet. This makes the ending feel a little long, but as said, the time the Russos have put into setting up these moments makes it more than deserved.

When it comes to setting up moments in this film, attention must also be paid to the care that executive producer Kevin Feige has put into this gigantic project. Statements that were made almost ten years ago in other films and have since long been forgotten, are now being taken back and paid out. The biggest fans will recognize these quotes, but even they will still be surprised by the fact that these loose ends are tied up in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. A long-forgotten dialogue between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner is a prime example of this.

Aside from the ending, the only point of criticism is part of the plot; set up in a post-credits scene from an earlier film. This element at times feels like quite the finger work and cheap screenwriting. However, the Russos know how to deal with this very well, by making fun of it. The characters themselves are already burning the plan, with a piece of self-mockery that Deadpool would be proud of, so this doesn’t bother at all in the end.
This self-mockery is of course a well-known part of the Marvel formula; humorous moments are one of the most distinctive aspects of these films. Also in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ there is enough to laugh, without this detracting from the general depression that characterizes the first hour of the film. That in itself is a remarkable achievement, but combined with all the other factors it makes ‘Avengers: Endgame’ a masterpiece.

There are countless other aspects that make this film the masterpiece it is (such as the acting, camera work and music), but without discussing essential aspects of the story, these are indescribable. Experiencing this film is by far the most fun without any kind of knowledge about the plot; although knowledge of the previous 21 films is a must.

Joe and Anthony Russo manage to drag the audience out of their seats and take them on an emotional rollercoaster into a world full of wonders and horror. Three hours seems to pass in no time and at the end you flop exhausted in your chair, watching the credits in amazement, while slowly coming back to reality. If that’s not the power of cinema, then nothing is.