After seeing Avengers Endgame it became very obvious to me that it would be a hard movie to talk about without getting into spoiler territory almost immediately, which is why I have split my review into this spoiler-free review and a more depth one review where I discuss my fully-spoiled thoughts in detail.
For those in need a refresher on the events of last year’s Avenger: Infinity War: Thanos, The Mad Titan, has been plotting in the background of many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films for the better part of a decade, slowly trying to accumulate the six Infinity Stones with the express purpose of using them to wipe away half of the life within the universe as a mercy. Over the course of the previous film, we see him make his final push to acquire all six. In closing moments of Infinity War, he completed his mission and retires to watch the sun rise on a grateful universe.
Our story picks up within moments of the snap, putting the audience immediately back into the turmoil of Thanos’s deeds. The film that follows is a character study of the original six members of the Avengers as they regroup, set out to find Thanos, and avenge all those were lost.
For as grim as the set-up is, this film is not as dire as Infinity War, and it’s a more straightforward and joyous story than its counterpart. There are moments of emotional honesty and character payoff that fans have been waiting for.
This film is not perfect, but in my opinion, it sticks the landing pretty well. It’s the kind of experience where a second viewing will help enjoy the journey without needing to focus on the destination. I liked it; the film might crack my Top 10 Marvel films. Overall, I think it is a good send off to the first chapter of the cinematic universe and perhaps the end of an era. I’m happy to have been here as it happened.
Ryan Sainio is a Graphic Designer who writes about EDH, the EDH community, and streams on Twitch in his down time. He has been playing Magic: The Gathering since 7th Edition in 2002 and values flavorful and fun gameplay over competitively optimized decks.