Endgame Review

Darius Luster, Staff Writer

Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame is the finale to the eleven year journey started by Robert Downey Jr. playing Tony Stark for the first time. Before I go any further I should let you know that this review is full with spoilers, so you’ve been warned.

To understand the entirety of Endgame you probably should watch the 21 previous movies, especially Infinity War. Endgame picks up 23 days after Thanos erases 50 percent of the universe’s population. The first 15 to 20 minutes feel rushed and aren’t very entertaining, but after, the five year timeskip makes the movie interesting.

The way the earth is shown is a perfect example of what would happen if we lost 50 percent of the population. People cram together in these AA type meetings, trying to figure out how to cope with losing loved ones. The whole tone of the post-snap world is depressing. Shots of harbors packed full of abandoned ships and the dark fog that engulfs Manhattan shows how important 50 percent really is. By the first hour marker, I went from a little disappointed to completing tuned in.

Endgame is like an emotional roller coaster that you climb until learning how the Avengers plan on bringing everyone back. Then, you have the big drop which is shown by the  the heart-wrenching scene where Black Widow sacrifices herself for Hawkeye to have the soul stone.

The climax and by far the most important part of the movie is the final battle between the Avengers and Thanos’ army, returned from the past. I’ve seen a lot of these “final battles” in my seventeen years, but it was special to see all these characters, of major roles and minor roles, stand side by side and stand against the big bad villain and his army as they did in first Avengers seven years ago.

It’s hard to keep up with everything that is going on because there is so much happening, but to me the most amazing part of the entire movie was seeing Captain America using Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, and hearing the theater erupt in cheers when he summoned it to himself.

The Avengers’ victory is portrayed perfectly, having it come down to Thanos and Iron Man. In the end, Stark gets the stones and he snaps away Thanos and his army, but at a cost. Using the gauntlet causes Stark severe damage and he isn’t able to pull through. You then see a reversal of roles between Spider-Man and Stark as Spider-Man is forced to say goodbye to him as Stark did at the end of Infinity War when Spider-Man began to turn to dust.

I’ve loved comic books ever since I watched the first Iron Man in 2008. I read the character encyclopedias, went to comic cons, and even got my picture taken with Stan Lee… twice. Sure I read DC comics, but they never had the same effect as the Marvel comics.

So until 8 pm on Thursday when I saw the movie, I was running around like I had drunk four energy drinks. But once I sat down in my seat I sat still and was completely focused. Endgame is probably one of my top three favorite movies of all time, and you might not enjoy superhero movies, but it is still a must-see if you’ve at least seen Infinity War. The Russo brothers should be proud of this movie that they’ve directed, because it’s a work of cinematic genius.