Avengers: Endgame (2019)

[Silver Nemesis]

I was of two minds about seeing Avengers: Endgame, but I decided to go and check it out at my local cinema this afternoon. I should just preface this by saying that I was completely unaffected by the hype for this movie. Everyone else has been buzzing about it for some time now, but I really didn't care. I watched a couple of trailers when they first launched, but remained otherwise indifferent to the film's release. That said, I'm also not one of the haters that's rooting for the film to fail. I've got issues with Disney and I'm wary of the impact the MCU's success has had on the American film industry in general, but I'm not a Marvel hater by any means. I have however been suffering from superhero movie fatigue for some time now and have generally avoided the more recent CBMs. But I decided to see Endgame because (A) I'm a fan of Jim Starlin's original comic and (B) I wanted to see the conclusion to the saga that began 11 years ago with the first Iron Man movie. I was there at the beginning, and I wanted to be there at the end too. So here are my thoughts. I'll mark SPOILERS in white.

I wrote in my review of Infinity War that my final verdict would depend on the quality of the sequel and how successfully it resolved the plotlines initiated by its predecessor. Endgame continues the Malthusian and deterministic themes of Infinity War, with the deterministic quandary receiving particular emphasis this time around. At its heart, this is a time travel movie. The science of the MCU, and superhero comics in general, has always been iffy. But Endgame does at least try to present a proper science fiction narrative. I've written some published time travel stories myself and am a lifelong fan of the genre, so I was pleased to see the film's plot steer in that direction. The time travel element allows the narrative to undertake nonlinear detours throughout the franchise's history, similar to the final act of Back to the Future Part II. We get to revisit past films and reunite with familiar faces in such a way that neatly ties everything together. Because of this the end credits feel like a roll call for the entire MCU, not just this latest film.

Of course this is Hollywood time travel we're talking about, and that brings with it all the temporal paradoxes you'd expect from a 'soft' sci-fi adventure. SPOILER For example, if the Avengers had really gone back in time and seized the Infinity Stones before Thanos got hold of them, then Thanos would never have performed the 'snap', no one would have died, and consequently the Avengers wouldn't have had the impetus to go back in time and retrieve the gems to begin with. The film seems to suggest that changes to the past give rise to divergent alternate timelines, but that still doesn't explain how you can preserve an effect after altering its cause. This sort of paradox is common amongst Hollywood time travel stories. But without it, there wouldn't be a plot. So I'm willing to suspend my disbelief. One thing I find harder to overlook is the fact it didn't occur to Stark or Banner to use their limited supply of Pym Particles to go back and get more Pym Particles from Hank. That way they wouldn't have had to split up into small desperate teams. Eventually they do think of this, but surely it would have occurred to them straight away? It occurred to me. I'm also a bit confused about Peter arriving back in high school 5 years after the snap. Is Far From Home set before Infinity War? Because if it's set afterwards, why do all the kids look exactly the same when half a decade is meant to have elapsed? END SPOILER I suppose we'll just have to wait until July for the answer to that one.

The time travel element reminded me a lot of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. And speaking of Star Trek, the end credits with the actors' signatures appearing next to their names was strongly redolent of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The final signature to appear in Star Trek VI was that of William Shatner, and the last one to appear in Endgame is Robert Downey Jr's; effectively signalling that he was the captain steering this ship. Indeed, Iron Man was the backbone of the MCU since it first started. SPOILER And now Tony Stark is dead, the vessel requires a news helmsman. I can't say I was shocked at Iron Man's demise. Downey's been playing the role for 11 years now, and I expected both him and Chris Evans to bow out in this movie. I'm just glad they got to leave on such a high note. They both received a dignified swansong that felt appropriate for their particular character. I'm less certain about the fate of Black Widow. Isn't she getting her own solo movie? Or is that a prequel? END SPOILER

There's also the issue of the Russo brothers moving on. One of Marvel Studio's greatest strengths is their ability to pick the right people to helm the right projects. They started off with Jon Favreau, who directed 2 of the 6 Phase 1 films and produced The Avengers. Then the torch was passed to Joss Whedon, who in turn stepped aside for the Russo brothers. But who will be next? Endgame marks the end of an era. The sense of finality is one of the things I like about it. SPOILER They don't even have a teaser after the credits. END SPOILER Endgame offers a feeling of closure, similar to The Dark Knight Rises. Only unlike TDKR, this universe is set to continue. Now that this Golden Age of the MCU has ended, will the momentum that's been building for the past 11 years carry on into the Silver Age? Or will the bubble finally burst? It'll be interesting to observe what happens.

The momentum generated by the rapid fire release schedule is obviously a strength when it comes to box office, but it's a weakness when it comes to the film's ability to stand on its own. I can only imagine how incomprehensible this movie must be to someone who's never seen any of the preceding instalments in the franchise. The plot demands familiarity with the mythology and assumes the viewer has it. I'm reminded of the age before television, when film serials would bring audiences back week after week to see how each cliffhanger was resolved. The MCU, and indeed the broader trend of the shared universe format, is steering commercial cinema away from the standalone event pictures of yesteryear and towards something that's structurally closer to television. Endgame feels like a tremendously satisfying season finale, but a cripplingly esoteric chapter for the uninitiated. This is why I don't think posterity will regard these movies as great films. As a great series, collectively? Sure. But as great specimens of the art of filmmaking? I doubt it.

Some of the usual pitfalls of the Marvel formula are also present, as you'd expect. The humour doesn't feel as intrusive this time around as in some of the earlier Marvel films and most of the jokes landed with the audience I saw it with. One thing I really like about the first two thirds of the film is how the heroes resolve their problems using their wits more than their brawn. It's not just people punching each other through CG walls every five seconds (though there is an abundance of that during the final battle). When the heroes encounter a problem, they often have to think or talk their way out of it. SPOILER This leads to some surprisingly moving scenes, such as when Thor is reunited with his mother or when Tony gets to meet his dad. The scene where the missing heroes return to help Captain America face off against Thanos is also quite stirring, though it does inevitably lead into the familiar third act trope of the overblown battle scene. This might have made more dramatic impact had they not already staged a similarly scaled battle in the previous Avengers movie. END SPOILER Despite this, the majority of the film's runtime is allocated to quieter character-driven moments and the bombastic spectacle is mostly restricted to the final act. Normally with blockbuster films of this length they don't have enough plot to fill the runtime. In the case of Endgame, I was pleasantly surprised by how much plot it did have. I never felt bored watching it. But I do wish they'd shaved 10 or 15 minutes off the final battle. Other than that, I didn't have a problem with the pacing.

All things considered, I thoroughly enjoyed Endgame. It suffers from some of the same issues that are endemic in the modern superhero formula. But for what it is, it's extremely well executed. This is the payoff fans have been waiting for since that first glimpse of Thanos back in 2012. It's a fitting conclusion to the saga and strikes a note of finality that was absent from Infinity War. For some of the original Avengers line-up, this literally is the end. It's a good note to go out on. The MCU formula has gotten stale for many of us, but I thought this was a very good instalment in the franchise. Surprisingly good, in fact. I'll be interested to see where the series goes from here on out, but my gut instinct is telling me it's peaked with Endgame. To an extent, they're now going to have to start from scratch and build momentum for a brand new story arc. And with several of the old guard bowing out, that might prove difficult.

If you're already predisposed to hate the film, then don't waste your time. But if you enjoyed the earlier Marvel films and are curious to see how the saga ends (at least this stage of it), then I'd say it's well worth seeing Endgame on the big screen.

[Silver Nemesis]

Avengers: Endgame has already grossed $1.2 billion worldwide in its opening weekend: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48084977

Needless to say that's a new record. The previous global OW record was held by Infinity War, which grossed $640.5. Endgame has almost doubled that amount.

With the positive reviews and strong word of mouth it's receiving, this is going to breeze past $2 billion and stands a very good chance of dethroning Avatar as the highest grossing movie of all time (unadjusted for inflation).

[thecolorsblend]

Without putting too fine a point on anything, I get the idea that a lot of MCU fans are considering this the end of the line for their own participation in the series. People are suggesting that the MCU from here on in could be diminishing returns.

I'm not predicting anything. I haven't even seen the movie. But based on the spoilers you posted, it sounds like a lot of fundamentals about the MCU will change in a big way going forward and it's reasonable to ask how much that could affect the Marvel brand.

[Silver Nemesis]

Without putting too fine a point on anything, I get the idea that a lot of MCU fans are considering this the end of the line for their own participation in the series. People are suggesting that the MCU from here on in could be diminishing returns.

That's more or less where I'm at with these films. I was never a diehard fan of the MCU, but I have enjoyed a decent chunk of it. However I'm more than ready to move on. Any further interest on my part will depend on the creative direction, not the brand name. If the MCU's Silver Age is a continuation of the current formula, only with diversified d-list characters and an increasingly woke mentality, then I'm out. But if they shake things up a bit and make good use of their lately reacquired Fox assets then the Silver Age of the MCU could prove immensely interesting. Rumours are already circulating about what the next big storyline might be. Secret Wars? The Coming of Galactus? Something revolving around the X-Men?

I'm potentially interested in seeing the sequels to Doctor Strange and Black Panther, because I enjoyed the first entries in those series (though the hyperbole surrounding BP was undeniably absurd). I'll probably see Guardians of the Galaxy 3 at some point as well, and I'll watch anything with Doctor Doom in it. And of course more than anything I'm rooting for the return of Daredevil, be it on the big screen or the small. Other than that, I'm going to judge each film and TV show on a case-by-case basis. And in most cases I expect I'll probably pass.

Still, it's amazing what Marvel Studios has accomplished. I remember back in 2008 when sceptics were saying it was a mistake for a comic book publisher to invest in their own film studio and bank its success on a b-lister like Iron Man. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see what an incredible gambit that was. The Silver Age of comics was approximately 14 years, and the Copper Age only lasted for about 6. Marvel has created an 11-year saga consisting of 22 feature films (23 if you count Far From Home, which is the final entry in Phase 3) and about a dozen TV shows spanning heaven knows how many episodes. That's hundreds of hours worth of footage. If 20 minutes of screen time corresponds with one issue of a comic – with each 2-hour movie being the equivalent of a 6-issue miniseries – then we're talking around 900 issues worth of stories. Marvel basically created an entire age of comics in live action. That's pretty incredible when you stop and think about it.

That's why I refer to everything up till now as the Golden Age of the MCU. Granted, they're already divided into Phases. But Phases 1-3 constitute a single era. And now that era's over. I was thinking there are three main ways you can view the MCU up till now. One is that the whole thing has been Iron Man's story, in which case the essential viewing list would be:

•   Iron Man
•   Iron Man 2
•   The Avengers
•   Iron Man 3
•   Avengers: Age of Ultron
•   Captain America: Civil War
•   Spider-Man: Homecoming
•   Avengers: Infinity War
•   Avengers: Endgame

Another perspective is that it's all been Captain America's story, which gives you the following required viewing list:

•   Captain America: The First Avenger
•   The Avengers
•   Captain America: The Winter Soldier
•   Avengers: Age of Ultron
•   Captain America: Civil War
•   Avengers: Infinity War
•   Avengers: Endgame

Alternatively you could say it's Thor's saga. I'd imagine that's the least common of the three viewpoints, but it gives you the following essential viewing list:

•   Thor
•   The Avengers
•   Thor: The Dark World
•   Avengers: Age of Ultron
•   Thor: Ragnarok
•   Avengers: Infinity War
•   Avengers: Endgame

Now that SPOILER two of those three characters are gone END SPOILER it's going to require a fresh start. It's time for new characters to take centre stage. But they need to choose those characters very carefully, as their popularity will determine the success or failure of the next era. But even if Marvel does everything right, I just can't believe the monumental success of the MCU is going to continue at its current pace. Solo movies like Black Panther and Captain Marvel are averaging over $1 billion each, and Endgame could well become the first movie ever to gross over $3 billion (I don't think it will, but it is possible). Kids who were 12 when Iron Man came out are now 23. People grow up and move on. The current level of success just isn't sustainable. But it's hard to predict future box office returns for the MCU since no other movie franchise in history has ever performed like this. There's no precedent to compare it with.

As to what constitutes my MCU, here are my top five favourite entries in the franchise. Not necessarily the ones I think are the best, just the ones I enjoy the most:

5) Doctor Strange

4) The Defenders

3) The Avengers Infinity Gauntlet Duology

2) The Captain America Trilogy

1) Daredevil

Returning to the subject of Endgame, Infinity Gauntlet writer Jim Starlin has given his thoughts on the two most recent Avengers movies. Apparently he made a cameo in Endgame, but I didn't spot him. Here's his opinion on the two films:

"I was amazed ... I was just flabbergasted, just the spectacle and the emotional ride. The up and downs that you have on it. There's some really heartbreaking moments mixed in with a lot of really funny little instances here and there."

On the depiction of Thanos:

"His final moments in the movie I think are just priceless. His demeanor once he realizes what's happening, I think that's just one of those little moments in film that everyone is gonna remember. It's like acceptance and taking it like a man, you know? I thought that was perfectly played."

On the ending:

"Well the movie didn't have a number of the characters who we had in the book. Like [Adam] Warlock, Silver Surfer, and all that, so they had to depart from where I was going at the book. I thought at one point that Nebula might get ahold of the Gauntlet, 'cause that was in the book, but everybody else did at one point or another,. I thought it was very satisfying. I've done a lot of time traveling stories myself in my time, and I think their humor that they handled it with and their explanation on things worked really well."

https://uk.ign.com/articles/2019/04/30/thanos-creator-reacts-to-avengers-endgame-spoilers?abthid=5cc7904c3b9de7527d001abc

And here's an amusing video where a body language expert analyses Brie Larson during an interview with Chris Hemsworth and Don Cheadle. It confirms what we already know about Larson and suggests her co-stars share our opinion of her.

And if any more proof was needed, check out this interview with Larson and Jeremy Renner. Observe Renner's body language and the way he responds to Larson describing her role as a 'platform'.

My respect for Renner just went up a notch.

[Silver Nemesis]

Brie Larson wants Marvel to move more quickly on the diversity front: https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2471047/brie-larson-wishes-marvel-would-move-faster-with-diversity

Luckily for Brie, some of her fellow SJWs have found a way of accomplishing this. There's now a petition for her to step aside as Captain Marvel so a black homosexual woman can play the role. At first I thought this was a joke, but upon closer inspection it looks legit.

We need Brie Larson to step down from her role to prove she is an ally of social justice and ensure a gay woman of color plays the role. Let Monica, the original female & BLACK Captain Marvel instead of white-washing characters for the benefit of the straight, white men running Disney.

She hasn't donated money to any charity other than The Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation (https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/brie-larson) and it's time for her to show she is not all-talk.

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/972/607/589/demand-captain-marvel-is-played-by-a-woman-of-color-not-brie-larson/

Come on, Brie. It's time to put your money where your mouth is and do the right thing. Prove you're "an ally of social justice". It's one thing to point out the lack of diversity in someone else's work, but now you've got a unique opportunity to promote diversity in your own profession. You've already gotten two $1billion+ movies out of this role. Now move aside so someone else can have a seat at the table.

[thecolorsblend]

I'm not too sure about the Renner thing. To those who think he loathes Larson, I'm not saying you're wrong. Just saying it's wide open to interpretation.

The Cheadle thing is harder to ignore though.

Disclosure: I'm not involved in any way with the movie industry. But I've got a friend or two in that business who's professional dealings have, on occasion, involved Cheadle. And they say he's everything you heard about. Even when he thinks nobody is watching, Cheadle is legit. Just about the nicest, coolest guy you could hope to meet, even when there are no cameras or anybody else around to impress.

His demeanor looks like somebody who can't stand to be in the same room with Larson. If she rubbed even him the wrong way, I can only imagine what a pill she must have been on the set.

[The Joker]

Watched this the other night. As a MCU film, it's pretty much what one would come to expect by now. I can't say I found anything new or different in it's approach to the MCU style of storytelling, and one's enjoyment virtually rests on your overall reception for the abundance of MCU product we have received for the past 11 years. Entertaining? Sure. Contrivances? Of course. Plot holes? Well, yes. Formalic, lots of CGI, Snark/One-Liners? You bet.

SPOILERS























Missing anything with Strange's winning scenario?





















END OF SPOILERS

[Silver Nemesis]

With worldwide box office now at $2.189 billion, Endgame has dethroned Titanic to become the second highest grossing movie of all time.

https://deadline.com/2019/05/avengers-endgame-second-weekend-china-global-international-box-office-1202607401/

It needs another $600 million WW to beat Avatar.

[thecolorsblend]

Finally saw the movie a while ago. On my mini-moon at all times. But that's how it goes when you marry a fan girl, I guess.

It was good. Don't see why everyone is spraying their shorts over it though. It wasn't all that.

[thecolorsblend]

The directors of the movie say that the moratorium on spoilers ended this past Monday. If it's good enough for them, it should be good enough for you. Spoilers abound from here on in.

I should say I had the same essential objections about the fix for the snap that SN pointed out. Using time travel to acquire more Pym Particles seems like a no-brainer. I understand that the story needs the particles to be in short supply. But obvious gaps in logic should've been avoided. When time travel is a factor, finite resources become a virtual non-issue so there should've been a reasonable obstacle standing in the way of getting more Pym Particles.

The paradoxical element of time travel is a consideration. But there is a lot of conjecture that time travel would result in alternate timelines. In effect, each trip into the past creates a new member of the multiverse. Meaning the snapped MCU still exists, at least in theory. Still, from a creative standpoint I dislike the idea of the MCU dabbling with the idea of a multiverse. To me, that's always been more of a DC concept.

The other thing is that it leaves the door wide open for Stark or Cap to come back if Downey or Evans ever needed the money. The door should have been shut more definitively. Time travel, the multiverse, all those things allow something important to be easily undone if circumstances ever warrant it. I believe that's the wrong move.

The solo Black Widow thing is more of a challenge now. But still, Natasha's death is certainly a reasonable outcome to her story. She said herself that she has a lot of red in her ledger. She's done terrible things. But in the end, her life counted for something. As did her death. I like the idea of her checking out on a hopeful, redemptive note. The woman who took so many lives sacrificed her own life to bring back presumably trillions upon trillions of lifeforms across the galaxy. That's big stuff. Bringing her back would undermine the dramatic value of her death, imo.

My big quibble is that Thor got a teary-eyed reunion with his mother and Stark got a teary-eyed reunion with his father but we never really got to see Cap's teary-eyed reunion with Peggy. Putting more of a bow around that story would've been a fitting conclusion to their story together... which, when you think about it, we never saw much of.

In the end, I'm glad that MCU fans have a movie they can rave so much about. But honestly, nothing about this movie really grabbed me. I guess it was worth it to see the conclusion of my investment in the franchise(s) but if somebody else hadn't paid for my ticket, I honestly doubt I ever would've bothered watching it.