What began with ‘Iron Man’ in 2008 and picked up pace in ‘The Avengers’ in 2012 got a sudden jolt in the storyline in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ in 2018. And now all pieces to the puzzle, all storylines converged and ended in 'Endgame'.
This movie is not just the 22nd movie in the franchise, it the collection of memories and actions that the Avengers themselves were a part of for over a decade. During these 22 movies, there were standalone origin movies that showed how Tony Stark became Iron Man, how Bruce Banner became The Hulk, how Thor Odinson lost his powers and regained them to become Thor, how Peter Parker became Spider-Man, how Steve Rogers became Captain America and how they all collectively became The Avengers.
The Russo Brothers (Anthony Russo and Joseph Russo) have directed something so epic that words cannot describe the emotions revolving around ‘Avengers: Endgame’. The audience inside the theatre on the first day of its release was in a celebratory mood. Mostly in their 20s and knowing all about the MCU, they cheered the on-screen arrival of all the Avengers.
They gasped with horror, shivered in freight, laughed in delight and shouted in agony - in short - they were feeling what the characters were going through. The movie begins with Hawkeye teaching his daughter how to shoot an arrow while his wife is preparing snacks when they vanish in thin air in front of him.
This scene is linked to the ending of Infinity War whrn Thanos' snap wiped half of the living creatures from Earth. Later, Tony Stark is seen stranded on a ship.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ was a fitting end to a movie franchise which began in 2008, a storyline that kept progressing with each MCU movie as did our emotions for these characters.
‘Endgame’ also has time travel so we see the Avengers go back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones in order to defeat Thanos. During this time travel we see the Avengers reuniting with their past and meeting some important characters. It is interesting to see how they react with those who many years ago in the MCU timeline did something amazing.
During the first half of the movie, we see Thor doing something to Thanos we thought was not possible. Five years later, the Avengers are trying to make things right but nothing seems to be going their way. Iron Man and Captain America, two of the biggest egos in the Avengers and rightly so because of their efforts, are not on the same page.
Every MCU movie's final battle has always been the money shot. Remember in ‘The Avengers’ (2012) when the team of Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor shed all their differences to stand against Loki? And remember in ‘Iron Man 3’ when Tony Stark asks JARVIS to call all of his Iron Man suits to defeat Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce)? You take all final battles from the 21 previous MCU movies and you merge them into one –as the final battle in ‘Endgame’. Just when you think Iron Man is beaten, Captain America's shield is half torn off and Thor's lightning does not have any impact on Thanos, someone worthy is there to control lightning apart from Thor. And just then, when Thanos is about to defeat the remaining Avengers, well, they assemble with whatever resources they are left with.
Watch the movie to increase your heartbeat. Buy your snacks before the movie because the interval will make you ponder on so many questions that will only be answered in the movie’s second half.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ is a masterpiece in its own regard. The scenes of time travel are not explained too much because the visuals speak of themselves and the decision worked wonders as the audience wants to know what happened rather than how it happened. There is action and loads of it while the witty one-liners from all Avengers especially from Rocket the Racoon are simply amazing. Each Avenger is given almost equal camera time but Captain America and Iron Man get an extra share for obvious reasons. However, the ending is pretty emotional. It was something we were not expecting. While during the final battle when the audience in the cinema were rejoicing the end of evil, they were sitting in a pin drop silence with soft cries and moans coming from here and there when the movie was moving to its end. And then, there was again hope when an old face receives a new mission and with it the responsibility to do the right thing.
MCU fittingly ended the Avengers franchise with 'Endgame'. The Avengers as we know are still there but they are now more like mentors to the new breed of heroes. Watch this movie. Experience it. Live it! Russo Brothers, take a bow!