Hail Marvel! Electrifying, emotional, surprising and mind-bending, Avengers: Endgame is the culminating epic we have all been waiting for

Rating: 8/10 (6 May 2019)

After 11 years and 22 films in the making, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become one of the ballsiest experiments ever taken in cinematic history, and one that has captured entire generations. Perhaps the most anticipated blockbuster since Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Endgame marks the culmination of the first 3 phases of this forever running series, wrapping up multiple storylines and character arcs in the process.
After the shocking and devastating events of 2018's Infinity War, the original Avengers are left stranded on Earth with no clear path of their futures. The mad titan Thanos wiped out 50% of the population and the world has become something of an apocalyptic wasteland. They can either move forward and live different lives or find a way to bring back what was once present.
The second of a two-part finale is shaped over a 3 hour and 1-minute runtime, and the result is a roller coaster ride unlike anything Marvel has ever done before. If Infinity War was the ultimate fan film, Endgame is a different beast. Its predecessor was an ensemble piece, a simple good-vs-evil plot populated with multiple characters while blending humour and character motivations to spectacular effect. This is more like an old fashioned epic, channelling ambition, scope, and storytelling as dense as films from Lawrence of Arabia to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Screenwriters Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFeely and directors Joe and Anthony Russo work hard to focus on the right elements of the storyline, without disastrously going off the rails. The script is mostly absorbed with the past, creating not just a sense of nostalgia and poignancy, but overall a unique viewpoint on the past 22 films. It makes you realise how far these characters have come, which feels satisfying. Even if the action and special effects are, for the most part, impressive, the film's strong point is the character focus, which was the perfect direction to take.
There are a few stumbles along the way. The pacing can be bumpy across 3 hours, especially when expositional scenes frequently overstay their welcome. You cannot help but feel overwhelmed at times due to the overstuffed amount of story, which can make action scenes feel less satisfying than they should. But for a finale as monumental as this film, not everything can work. There are more stories to tell, but there is no doubt that anything following on will come close to matching the brilliance of Endgame.
Finally, this is a Marvel film that demands repeated viewings. Mark my words!