“Avengers. Assemble.”
SPOILER ALERT.
The greatest thing about superheroes is that they too are human at the end of the day. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ truly embodied an emotional catharsis folded into a cinematic masterpiece, with strong human elements and heroism deeply entrenched throughout. The final Avengers installment proved to be a beautiful, fitting tribute and homage for longstanding Marvel aficionados after a ten-year monumental journey.
The Russo brothers gave storytelling a new dimension in the Marvel universe as they interwove an overarching superhero film with a montage of pay-offs and satiable nods for all its characters. There were many elements that set ‘Avengers: Endgame’ miles apart from any wrap-up film in a trilogy; not only did the final installment have to sew together various Avenger narratives, but it also had to do so in at least three hours (without letting a fan’s attention sway). Yet ‘Endgame’ miraculously met expectations, that too after the momentous hype that its predecessor brought forth. The essence of ‘Endgame’ ultimately lied in bringing our heroes back after Thanos snapped his fingers and instantly obliterated fans’ idols into an abyss – and it did exactly that, with lots of twists and turns of course… what’s a Marvel film if the road to redemption isn’t jagged?
Within all the emoting melancholy the film seeped out, humour was far well done than other MCU films – while before it might have felt all the more forced, in ‘Endgame’ it was slapstick, witty and unscripted at most when executed; an example being Thor and Peter joking about who is the captain of the ship – “there will be no knife attacking one another.” However, forced humor still served as hiccups that did often dilute the darker undertone ‘Endgame’ was; nonetheless, it was less profound than in ‘Infinity War’ (thank goodness).
The CGI and visualization were undeniably buttery, with the cherry on top being gauging the scale of the battles between the Avengers and Thanos’s terrifyingly claggy army – this was also the ultimate pivotal point where the entire cinema couldn’t help but burst into a dazzling array of applause.
The most strained relationship out of any was that of Iron Man and Captain America, a consequence of the events that unfolded in ‘Civil War.’ It was critical for Marvel to ensure that this was not a quick fix and to their credit, they pulled it off well. Without giving away too many details, one side does not let the other one off easy! Perhaps the most critical element in this movie also proved the biggest tearjerker – the heart-aching goodbyes. There was more than one painful goodbye for several of our heroes and in more ways than we thought possible.
What’s next for the MCU? This was the one question that wasn’t answered but there were slight hints dropped throughout. While there was no post-credit scene to stay behind for and no cameos to look forward too – as hurtful as that may have been, it was after all, what a closing tribute should be. The journey had to end and we were treated to its progression, which made the ending all the more bittersweet.