Avengers: Endgame (2019)

[Chewy]

B+ @MrPink

 

The collect the stones stuff in the middle isn't the best, I don't think the pacing in the final fight is great, there's excellent character work and I did cry not gonna lie. Ninja Hawkguy, Internet Thor and everything Rocket all good stuff. Cap and Tony's arcs paid off fantastically. Will watch again.

[MrPink]

2 minutes ago, Chewy said:

B+ @MrPink

 

The collect the stones stuff in the middle isn't the best, I don't think the pacing in the final fight is great, there's excellent character work and I did cry not gonna lie. Ninja Hawkguy, Internet Thor and everything Rocket all good stuff. Cap and Tony's arcs paid off fantastically. Will watch again.

 

This is also my grade, while I didn't have issues with the pacing in the final fight, I could have done without most of the revisiting of other films, even if I appreciated seeing a lot of those cameos. The nice one was Tony getting to talk to Howard. Because Slattery is the best. Plus, it was all new, rather than putting a spin on an existing film. 

 

The one scene that legit got to me was just seeing all the Avengers line up. The movie was getting pretty exhausting up to that point, so thanks to the work of Silvestri and me loving a grand moment before a glorious charge got me emotional.

 

 

[Mulder]

58 minutes ago, Chewy said:

B+ @MrPink

 

The collect the stones stuff in the middle isn't the best, I don't think the pacing in the final fight is great, there's excellent character work and I did cry not gonna lie. Ninja Hawkguy, Internet Thor and everything Rocket all good stuff. Cap and Tony's arcs paid off fantastically. Will watch again.

Strong agree on the final fight.

[Webslinger]

Saw this one on Thursday night but was wicked tired afterward and had a crazy-busy work day on Friday, so it took a while to really sit down and piece together my thoughts. First, the standard, not-particularly-spoilery capsule review:

 

For viewers who have been immersed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for any significant portion of the last eleven years, Avengers: Endgame feels like a miracle. As if trying to bring nearly two-dozen films to a satisfying conclusion weren’t challenging enough, this one had the added burden of trying to live up to Infinity War’s game-changing, water cooler conversation flash point of an ending – and at so many points over the course of its gargantuan-but-earned three-hour running time, it executes cathartic payoffs so gracefully that I couldn’t help but sit and think “I can’t *believe* they pulled this off!” Of course, the film is designed for fans first and foremost and has a few turns that won’t satisfy everyone (one decision in particular is bound to spark thinkpieces aplenty), but this film earns all its big fist-pumping moments and devastating setbacks because the filmmakers clearly put a great deal of passion and consideration for the audience’s long-term investment in these characters. Even numerous moments that I figured were coming based on the trajectories and foreshadowing of previous installments feel vivid and enthralling as they unfold here. Like Infinity War, it does an admirable job of balancing an array of different storylines and giving nearly all the many major characters moments to shine – and the actors rise to the occasion of making those moments count as deeply here as they have in any previous film in the series (if not deeper). The film’s final hour also packs a wallop and features several scenes that, while unsurprising on a narrative level, are delivered in such note-perfect fashion that it’s hard not to get swept up in the emotions the filmmakers intend to convey. It’s difficult to talk about this film without giving away spoilers – and this is one film that absolutely plays better if the viewer knows as little as possible about what’s coming – but suffice it to say that Endgame is a supremely satisfying conclusion to the first three phases of the MCU that rewards viewers with astonishing spectacle and highly resonant catharsis. I’ll admit that it’s not quite as dynamic or exhilarating as Black Panther, but based purely on its effectiveness in capitalizing upon the threads developed elsewhere in the previous films, it marks a new peak that the MCU is unlikely to match again.

 

A-

 

And now, the very spoilery Stray Thoughts:

- Iron Man's death: Damn, dude. I fully expected this one because Downey, Jr. has played the character nine times now (ten if you count the cameo in The Incredible Hulk), but it's executed brilliantly. His death feels like an especially impactful sacrifice in light of his familial bliss - and that's a sentence I definitely didn't think I'd be writing about the character Downey, Jr. started with in the very first Iron Man. There's also some nifty symmetry in seeing the character whose film built this universe be the one who brings the arcs developed over the first three phases to a close.

 

- My heart just about melted when I saw the old Steve Rogers - and then re-solidified just in time to almost melt *again* at seeing him finally get that dance with Peggy! As someone who remains astounded by how much they loved Captain America across these movies, I thought that last shot was just perfect.

 

- My audience straight ERUPTED when Captain America wielded Mjolnir. Like, yeah, I've seen it coming since the brief sight gag in which Steve moves Thor's hammer ever-so-slightly in Age of Ultron, but it's framed so well here that it's hard not to get swept up in the payoff. I was trying to think of the last time I saw an audience applaud a movie so fervently, and I came up with: Harrison Ford and Luke Hamill's appearances in The Force Awakens; Vision (sad to not see him here, but I guess it makes sense) grabbing Mjolnir in Age of Ultron; Bruce Wayne making the jump from the pit in The Dark Knight Rises; Hulk smashing the shit out of Loki in Avengers; and Hermione and Ron finally locking lips in the last Harry Potter. And honestly, this scene probably got an even bigger reaction than all of those... *and* led into further raucous applause when the un-snapped Avengers reappeared shortly thereafter.

 

- So... Black Widow. Even with word of her own movie having come through, I didn't think she was going to make it through this movie. Natasha just always seemed like the type who felt she had nothing to lose, plenty to regret, and every reason to believe that she had to sacrifice herself, even if the one person she trusts most tells her not to do so. Yes, her death and characters' responses to it are somewhat problematic because she never really gets her due and is mourned more for her connection to a couple of men (Banner/Hulk as romantic interest, Hawkeye as platonic BFF) than her value to the team, but it's hard to imagine any other Avenger dying in that spot and having their death make as much sense in the narrative. Hawkeye has a family to get back to (a key point in two of these movies), whereas Natasha's loneliness and lack of connection to the world outside of the Avengers makes her motivations more understandable and believable. Like, it still sucks that she dies, but it would have been an even bigger cop-out if she had found some sort of way to cheat death on Vormir (which I kinda thought would happen).

 

- I really don't have any words to describe how happy I am that Valkyrie and Korg survived the snap. Both of them deserve their own movies - or at least huge involvement in a Thor sequel.

 

- Add the Mark Ruffalo "Banner as Hulk" to the list of things I never knew I needed out of cinematic franchises. The scene where he gives two tacos to a crestfallen Ant-Man is aces.

Edited April 27, 2019 by Webslinger

[IndustriousAngel]

9 hours ago, Mulder said:

I have a lot of issues with Endgame but imo this isn't one of it's issues. Vision, Loki, OG Gamora, Iron Man, and Black Widow are all dead ((Also Heimdall but...)) and are basically permanently dead.

Aside from the fact that in the Marvel Universe, people tend to "return" (ok, that was mostly in the comics, with actors it's more difficult to pull off, but now that they've opened the time travel canofworms I don't know), I couldn't care less about most of these characters - the only death that had any emotional impact was Tony's. Other "passings" were not handled well, for instance the "duel" between Hawkeye and Widow - that was cringeworthy stuff with much to much levity, made no sense to me at all. But what I really meant was that the world around the heroes hasn't changed at all - those five years of society breaking down, the ground-shaking battles - and *poit* we're back to Peter Parker in high school?!

[Mulder]

3 minutes ago, IndustriousAngel said:

Aside from the fact that in the Marvel Universe, people tend to "return" (ok, that was mostly in the comics, with actors it's more difficult to pull off, but now that they've opened the time travel canofworms I don't know), I couldn't care less about most of these characters - the only death that had any emotional impact was Tony's. Other "passings" were not handled well, for instance the "duel" between Hawkeye and Widow - that was cringeworthy stuff with much to much levity, made no sense to me at all. But what I really meant was that the world around the heroes hasn't changed at all - those five years of society breaking down, the ground-shaking battles - and *poit* we're back to Peter Parker in high school?!

The thing is if you diverge too much from the world we're in, then it's no longer relatable.

[excel1]

There was an insane amount of energy in my crowd for the  "Avengers Assemble Scene" w/ the music. My audience applauded 4 or 5 times during this 3 minute bit. Legit half the theater joined Black Panther when he screamed, I was worried they were about get out of their seats and charge the screen 

 

-Thor has become a megastar. Hemsworth is s good here, just hilarious. Fat Thor, "No no give me that, you have the little one"

 

-On that note, Marvel has mastered the silly humor so well- the Hulk Tacos, Cap's "I could do this all day" - "I know", Stark's interactions w/ his kid, 99% of Thor's lines, Scarlett Witch "You took everything from me!!" and Thanos's hilarious "I don't even know who you are!!"

 

-The women team up ends poorly when they proceed to get wrecked; they give Captain Marvel a cool moment where she is head butted and doesn't react, but then Thanos just kicks her away like NBD 

 

-The middle and very end of the film just DRAGS. Did not need to be as long as it is.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2019 by excel1

[filmlover]

An exciting, exhilarating, and emotionally-charged conclusion to the Infinity Saga that stands as the best among the 22 films. Like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, it's a farewell to these characters (well, most of them) that we have become invested in over the course of a decade that completely pays off. It's really hard to argue that anyone who's a fan of this series could ask for more.

 

For a movie about the aftermath of the apocalypse, it's effortlessly entertaining and funny ("That is America's ass." ). And the fanservice feels earned. Loved seeing so many familiar faces pop up at least briefly. And the final battle featuring everybody against Thanos produced demands to be seen with as packed of a theater as possible. I will be seeing this again in a few weeks and look forward to experiencing it with another crowd.

 

Excellent performances across the board. You could praise all of them individually, but everyone adds to their part. The one most deserving of individual praise is Robert Downey Jr., whose contribution to establishing this entire universe cannot be understated. His Tony Stark will go down in pop culture as one of the most important figures in comic book movie history.

 

Is it a bit too all over the place? Sure. Does the time travel create a mess of the entire timeline? Yeah, probably. Did it really need to be 3 hours long? No, not really. But ya know what? It doesn't matter, because when the execution is this strong, we see that these funny book movies can be more than just fluffy pieces of disposable entertainment. Take a bow, everyone. You've earned it after the last 11 years.

 

A-

[Avatree]

On 4/24/2019 at 6:42 AM, Tyrian said:

- I left the cinema confused why Gamora/Black Widow were still dead. Because I knew they are making a Black Widow standalone film - which made me wonder if I missed something during Endgame because she cant be dead if theres going to be a Black Widow movie set after?!?!!? And surely when Iron Man had the gauntlet and snapped he couldve just brought them back too with the virtual omnipotent power he wielded anyway?

 

On 4/26/2019 at 5:29 AM, Jay Beezy said:

So about that Black Widow movie...

 

 

we've known since ages ago that the Black Widow film is an origin story / prequel.

[Jay Beezy]

Hopefully, it's not just about ScarJo and they do it to establish another Black Widow for future movies.

[IronJimbo]

This really isn't for me.

 

80% of the jokes fall flat

 

Emotional rifts fall flat

 

Action sequences cliche and poorly shot

 

The film is sooooooooooo damn long. No one but fanboys are seeing this twice.

[peludo]

I liked IW way more. I think it was more epic. And I DETEST what they have done with Thor and Hulk. Why to mistreat 2 of the main characters in this way? I have felt cheated. I thought that the Hulk problem in IW would be solved with a redemption here. You can not waste a chaotic character in a chaotic war being an orthodox character. It is a treason. Even if it exists that vision in comics, the saga ending needed the original Hulk. WHY?????

 

Decent endings for both Iron Man and Captain, mainly for the former.

 

And I keep asking myself, why did they introduced Captain Marvel? just as a Deux ex machina? I find it asburd. I feel she could have won the whole war in 5 minutes.

 

Said this, the beginning of the battle is the second most brutal moment in theatres I have ever seen. I just felt more amazed with the unbeatable Rohirrim charge in ROTK, but that is all. Amazing moment. Maybe I will repeat to see it at theatres just because of it. But 3 hours for that moment is a big maybe...

 

Is it a touching movie? The best moment is Ant-man meeting his daughter. I absolutely loved it. But I did not feel the same with IM's, CA's or Black Widow's moments. Not specially touching. At least, not with me. I do not feel the dramatic moments (I am sorry to compare again to LOTR, but Boromir's death says hello, and he was not even a main character).

 

Maybe I can change with a second viewing, but I feel it is far from what I was expecting. A bit disappointing ending for an incredible experiment. I could repeat at theaters, but I am not convinced to do it. It could have been way better if they had just avoided for a single time the fucking jokes (Hulk and Thor are jokes themselves)...

 

I enjoyed it, but I will remember better TA or IW. I give it a B (the beginning battle moment compensates many mistakes).

Edited April 28, 2019 by peludo

[Alpha]

Solid.

 

B+

[IronJimbo]

Thanos was much worse in this film too, he really carried Infinity War.

RDJ carried this one.

When making sequels you have to make the next one fresh, to me Endgame felt as an extention of Infinity War, rather than a new film which is a continuation.

 

Also kinda a ball buster when the first part of a 2 parter was more epic.

The timetravel stuff wasn't great.

 

 

[Avatree]

4 hours ago, IronJimbo said:

Thanos was much worse in this film too, he really carried Infinity War.

RDJ carried this one.

When making sequels you have to make the next one fresh, to me Endgame felt as an extention of Infinity War, rather than a new film which is a continuation.

 

Also kinda a ball buster when the first part of a 2 parter was more epic.

The timetravel stuff wasn't great.

 

 

well yes it's a continuation. it's a two part film.

[IronJimbo]

12 minutes ago, Avatree said:

well yes it's a continuation. it's a two part film.

Feel like the load was blown in the first film in terms of spectacle. 1&2 act so tame and the 3rd wasnt exactly helms deep was it now

[Avatree]

Just now, IronJimbo said:

Feel like the load was blown in the first film in terms of spectacle. 1&2 act so tame and the 3rd wasnt exactly helms deep was it now

OK you have your opinion but I disagree endgame was much more "spectacular", I thought it really delivered on that front. particularly with the Time Heist.

[CaptainJackSparrow]

I have said here before that I have never cried during a movie. Well, I shed a single tear.

Anyway, this is mustering more than like 70 mil of what I thought it would gross.

[Claire of Themyscira]

It's at a B.

 

A lot of characters were treated like jokes after they experience obvious development in their arcs. One of the two main deaths was a joke, and it fell short after not knowing how to treat this character at all.

 

It was too long, and a lot of the fanservice coulda been cut down. While I do agree some of the scenes were touching, they could have selected only a few instead of having so many bog the movie down.

 

Some moments of forced and unearned representation fell really short and were obvious acts of pandering without actually making any effort.

 

There was some strong performances across the board, but there coulda been much more done. The last act was pretty stellar, some of the best I've seen in a blockbuster. I just wish the film around it was stronger.

[Fancyarcher]

My review.

 

https://dailyuv.com/978171