Release Date: April 26, 2019

Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo

Starring: Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye)

Our Rating: A+

“Part of the journey is the end”. For the Avengers, this journey has followed 11 years of storytelling through 21 movies in an interconnected universe of heroes and villains alike. In “Avengers: Endgame”, every corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is brought together in the franchise’, which follows the breathtaking and catastrophic events of  2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War”. From “Iron Man” in 2008 to “Captain Marvel” in 2019, all of the characters that have been developed over the past decade have at last been defeated, and they are presented with the seemingly impossible task of achieving victory over Thanos in what is arguably the most ambitious crossover event to date.

The first culmination of Marvel’s superheroes in a single movie occurred in 2012, with “The Avengers” to resounding success, becoming one of the most profitable superhero movies ever, pulling in over 600 million dollars at the domestic box office and nearly 900 million dollars overseas in its lifetime in theaters. After just its first weekend in theaters, “Endgame” has nearly met that mark, with 400 million dollars and counting in the U.S. and 1.2 BILLION overseas, meaning that “Endgame” has surpassed the original “Avengers” internationally in under a week. It would be of no surprise if it were to eventually overtake the highest grossing movie of all time, “Gone With the Wind”, after earning one third of “Gone With the Wind’s” total profit, adjusted for inflation at 3.7 billion dollars, in just three days.

Financial profitability aside, “Endgame” not only excels as the climax of a cinematic franchise, but as its own individual movie. Whether fans watched the previous 21 films or just tuned in for the incredibly hyped experience, the movie provides context on all of its characters, locations, and events. That being said, however, it is a movie driven by deliberate fan service, with several emotional and nostalgic references that pay homage to the universe’s most beloved characters and stories.

“I couldn’t stop crying throughout the entire movie. It was so emotional and epic and I loved every second of it,” junior Nicole Valdes said.

Despite being three hours long, the movie is remarkably fast-paced and eventful from the very beginning, with the Avengers lamenting the consequences of Thanos’ actions and evaluating any means possible to undo the genocide that occurred as a result of the snap. The first two acts of the movie are arguably among the most well-written and structured in the entire franchise, providing a stark contrast between the overall development of “Infinity War”, which was heavily reliant on an abundance of action throughout its entirety. While lacking in action, the first pair of hours is heavily focused on storytelling and character development to epitomize the influence of the original six Avengers on the universe as a whole, perfectly setting the film up for an exhilarating final act.

” “Avengers: Endgame” was such a god-tier movie. It was an amazing finish to an amazing era and the fans definitely got their money’s worth,” junior Rodney Michel said.

For the third act, however, “Endgame” ends the MCU with a tribute to its roots: completely over-the-top, gratuitous, fan-servicing action. During my viewing of the movie, the density of gleeful yelling from the audience was largest during the ending fight scene, and some tears were seen outside the theater afterwards. Despite ending on one of the most ridiculously scaled and well-done fight scenes in any movie to date, with breathtaking aerial acrobatics and stupendous visual effects, the final few minutes temper the excitement of the previous hour to emphasize the end of the series. To put it simply, “Endgame” is a fitting end for all of Marvel Studios’s great work over the past decade in creating THE cinematic universe of the generation; an instant classic.

[powr-social-feed id=ce849cbf_1556897971583]