It goes for the heart.

Rating: 9/10 (29 April 2019)

First off, I'll just say that you should put aside any fears that its three-hour run-time might be down to a lack of pace, for 'Avengers: Endgame (2019)' moves exactly as it needs to and it really does fly by. It's not too fast-paced, though, as it takes the time to make sure its events have an impact, which is greatly appreciated. The story, which is shrouded in secrecy and - on my part - shall remain so, is actually quite bold. It never feels like it's under any pressure to move in a specific direction, constantly evolving in natural and, even, somewhat surprising ways. It may take a few small leaps in logic, and generally require a bit more suspension of disbelief than is usual with this sort of stuff, but it never breaks its own rules. Every decision the filmmakers make is for the benefit of the narrative, even those which gloss over - and, thus, retrospectively highlight - some of its (admittedly fastidious) unanswered questions. None of these possible, and only very slight, 'plot holes' even matter, though, primarily because the affair is so much fun. It also takes a lot of risks, being as far away from 'cookie-cutter' as it can. While it may lean towards some elements that long-time fans of the overall franchise might have seen coming, it always presents things in fairly unique, unexpected ways and consistently puts importance on character above all else. This is, as usual, what really makes the feature work. Even when things are at their biggest (and, trust me, they get big), you're never far from a smaller, often more satisfying character-revealing moment. The major characters here are more well-rounded than in 'Avengers: Infinity War (2018)', despite the fact that there's almost as many. This includes, thankfully, Captain America himself, who was somewhat sidelined last time; in fact, he's perhaps the main player this time, alongside Iron Man. Some characterisations are also unanticipated and will almost certainly be polarising, but they're certainly appreciated - even if only for the risk. The antagonist is a little weaker this time as he's a bit more traditionally 'bad guy', but he's built on a more-than-solid foundation and is as imposing as ever. Marvel have made no qualms in calling this the end of an era - the so-called 'infinity saga', to be more specific - and it really does feel like a culmination of this (over) ten-year journey, especially in terms of the 'main' Avengers. It's certainly a film for the fans and it isn't squeamish about it. It's incredibly satisfying, to say the least. It's also incredibly moving in a number of key scenes. You'll experience pretty much every emotion a movie can give you. The whole thing is slightly strange, helped immensely by knowing very little before going in. It's almost difficult to describe, in a way, but its effect is actually quite profound. I suppose it takes a while to 'come to terms' with. I don't think I've fully formed my opinion on it just yet. Don't get me wrong, though. It's great. It's more than great. It's a new kind of cinematic event, the kind of story only possible with a twenty-one movie backlog of character histories and audience investment. The more I think about it, the more I like it. The visuals are stunning, the CG is seamless, the action is spectacular, the characters are superb, the scale is staggering, the scope is substantial, the stakes are serious and the story is simply splendid. It really is something. 9/10