The End is Nigh

Hard to believe I know, but it’s been over a decade since Disney/Marvel gave birth to the MCU we’ve all come to love with 2008’s ‘Iron Man.’  Over that timespan no fewer than 22 movies have been released, making this franchise the most popular and lucrative in cinematic history to date.  Alas, all good things must come to an end, the end of an era if not in the definitive sense, and so Phase 3 of the MCU draws to a close in ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ marking the conclusion of a chapter that included two of its leading and most iconic heroes, Iron Man as played by Robert Downey Jr. and Captain America as portrayed by Chris Evans.

 

It’s time to “avenge the fallen” in ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ the tail-end of the two-parter which began with ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’  As you will recall, A:IW ended with the Avengers and some of their allies failing to stop the Titan Thanos from doing us all a favor by solving Earth’s overpopulation problem.  All is not lost, however, as the movie hinted via Doctor Strange’s far-seeing prescience through the innumerable skeins of fate that there is one in 14 million possible outcomes (still better odds than hitting the Powerball jackpot, eh?) in which Thanos can be defeated, and that is indeed the epic story told in what turned out to be a 3-hour “love letter” to all that came before.  And ‘Endgame’ may well take its rightful place as the greatest superhero story ever told.

 

Notwithstanding all the supposed online backlash from Endgame’s plot-holes and “transgressions” including its disregard of the so-called rules of time-travel (including its own), the Captain America ending and its portrayal of Thor, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is easily ranked among the top 5 of the 22 films made so far.  Anthony and Joe Russo have done it again and proved why they are my favorite directors of all the MCU films so far (sorry, Joss).  ‘Endgame’ has it all: thrilling action, riveting melodrama, all-too-human characters we deeply care about, selfless heroism, noble sacrifice, heart-breaking loss  and triumphant redemption.  It is a profoundly bittersweet experience that pays respectful homage and gives nods to its predecessors and makes us await with impatience and anticipation for what is yet to come in the next phase of this irresistible cinematic universe.

Grade: A+