Movie Review: “Avengers: Endgame” is a jam-packed homage to 11 years of MCU world building

Movie Review: “Avengers: Endgame” (PG-13)

Spoiler alert! When we last saw the Avengers, they were attempting to come to grips with the devastating realization that alien warrior Thanos (Josh Brolin) had wiped out half of all living things from existence. With “Avengers: Endgame,” sibling directing team the Russo Brothers and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely aren’t only looking to give fans a satisfying resolve where the bleak ending of “Infinity War” is concerned: They’re also attempting to offer up sufficient closure after over a decade of epic MCU world building, a journey that began with “Iron Man” way back in 2008. Has team “Avengers: Endgame” succeeded with the ultimate Marvel capper? For the most part, they have! This isn’t to say it’s the best Marvel movie ever made, but it’s still pretty darn entertaining!

“Avengers: Endgame” picks up a short time after the dreaded Thanos snap. The world is a much different place, and the heroes who remain find themselves in quite the vulnerable position. In short, the Avengers have lost, and all they can do now is go their separate ways and live their lives to the best of their ability. And that’s exactly what they set out to do over the course of five long years. Eventually, though, a plan is hatched at the hands of an Avenger with a most ambitious proposition, one that finds the band getting back together in an effort to hopefully save all that was lost. How? Well, let’s just say that it wouldn’t take a quantum physics expert to decipher how our favorite Marvel superheroes might find redemption and attempt to save the day once more.

“Avengers: Endgame” is one ambitious beast of a movie, and it isn’t just a continuation of “Infinity War.” It’s still very much its own thing. At just over three hours long, it’s a massive adventure that brings genuine emotion and extreme exhaustion in equal measure, and for all the epic battles and pure spectacle on display, it might come as a surprise that it’s the smaller character moments and undeniable cast chemistry that are most worth noting. But then, for fans, perhaps there’s nothing surprising about that at all.

The thrust of the plot — which echoes, among other things, elements of “Back to the Future Part II,” “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” and the beloved TV series, “Quantum Leap” — finds our fearless heroes splitting up into teams in an effort to make right what went so very wrong.

While the zany plot hook here is certainly of the high-concept variety, it is clearly designed as a means to allow viewers to get up close and personal with these beloved characters. Further still, the makers of “Endgame” have a lot of fun with the somewhat unpredictable positions we find some of these characters in when we meet up with them again.

To that end, the Russo Brothers and their screenwriting team are to be greatly commended. Not only do they put a handful of these characters in a unique, unexpected headspace but they also appear to be drawing endless inspiration from the various tones exhibited by the some 21 movies that have been unleashed in this shared universe over the course of the last 11 years. In particular, while a tad on the jokey side, hats off to this film for its inspired treatment of both Thor and Bruce Banner. Chris Hemsworth has real comical chops, and he puts them to great use here while an offbeat Mark Ruffalo has never been better as Banner.

In fact, Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Don Cheadle (War Machine), and Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) all bring their own flavor and lively sense of energy to the table. And while each of these performers are given ample moments to shine in this massive ensemble, there’s no doubt that an emphasis has been put on both Cap and Iron Man. After all, they are the heart and soul of this universe.

Chris Evans shines once again as the original greatest American hero, lending the inspirational Steve Rogers/Captain America a stoic sense of purpose. He brings his usual charisma and physicality to the role and punctuates it with moments of undeniable  playfulness, even going so far as to comment on the merits of his own ass. And it all culminates in a final Steve Rogers moment that couldn’t be any more appropriate.

That said, if “Avengers: Endgame” has a single MVP, it has to be the incomparable Robert Downey Jr. His brash Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) is the character who started this whole thing off, and the role fits Downey Jr. like one of Iron Man’s high-tech gloves. Over the course of multiple films, Stark has gone through one hell of an arc, and in the end, Downey Jr. might be the best superhero casting choice since Christopher Reeve as Superman. Not only does Downey Jr. have a quick wit but he brings real emotional gravitas to the role of Stark. Look no further than a scene in which he comes face to face with an individual from his past. Downey Jr. is so earnest and so sincere that what could have been a throwaway scene emerges as one of the most poignant moments in the entire picture.

It speaks volumes that I walked away feeling moved by the intimate and dramatic nature of “Avengers: Endgame,” even though at its center this is a big tent-pole movie filled with gobs of CG and battle scenes in the vein of “Lord of the Rings.” And in fact, if I’m being completely honest, the big showdown that takes up a big portion of the final act of this picture felt dull when stacked up against the sacrifices, the dramatic beats, and the journey that leads to said battle.

There’s plenty of darkness to be found in “Avengers: Endgame.” With characters reeling from the loss of half of all living things and with our heroes having to walk around with the knowledge that there’s a deadly heavy like Thanos hiding out somewhere in the universe, how could there not be?

That said, it should also be noted that there’s a ton of humor in this picture. The midsection of “Endgame” in particular is creative, thrilling, and light on its feet. True, this movie as a whole is probably a tad too long, but given that it has a lot of ground to cover, the three-hour length was to be expected. Not that hardcore fans will complain.

“Avengers: Endgame” certainly plants seeds for future adventures — meaning that yes, there are a couple of loose ends here. But mostly, it does offer up closure and serves as a heartfelt homage to the 21 films that came before it. There are plenty of unexpected surprises to be found, too! If you’re a Marvel fan, chances are that you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll walk away from this great big love letter with a grand sense of hope. In short, you’ll walk away from “Endgame” feeling like an Avenger.

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