Avengers: Endgame review

Avengers: Endgame is one of the biggest titles to hit the big screen. It started hitting theaters on April 24 and still has available showtimes available today. This is Marvel Studios biggest film yet and is the culmination of 22 films and 11 years of storytelling.

As the direct continuation of Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame takes place in the wake up the previous film's finale. With half of the Avengers, and the world’s population, wiped out from Thanos’ finger-snap, the heroes, and humanity, are trying to find a way to carry on. This is where the story and atmosphere take an interesting turn. The heroes we’ve come to love are taken to a very human place in this film; all of them are, in their own way, trying to cope with tremendous loss and failure. Taking this direction allows the audience to experience a more real side of the characters, and goes further in that regard than any previous film in the MCU. It’s not just a super-powered action flick; this is a summer blockbuster with real heart.

One of my favorite scenes in the film was a short bit where we see Captain America sitting in a circle with a bunch of civilians in a dimly lit community center. As they start talking you realize it’s a grief counseling session where they’re all talking about what they lost, and where they go from there. Cap leads the discussion, but you can see the situation is weighing just as heavily, if not more so, on him. Despite this, he tries to reassure the group, and himself by saying that they have to find a way to go on, to make it worth it for everyone that was lost.

Reaching beyond all the character development that occurs in the film, a great action film is provided alongside a plot that feels like it has real weight. It’s not about defeating Thanos this time, it’s about doing everything they can to make sure that they survive, and that the earth is restored to the way it was before the events of Infinity War.

If you’re a fan of the MCU, either long-time or new, this is the film to see. 22 movies across the past 11 years have led directly to this moment, and this film delivers. With a ton of fan-service, a great cast, amazing acting, and a high stakes, emotional story, the climax to this chapter in Marvel’s film legacy is everything a fan could ask for.