Eleven years in the making...and worthy every minute of the wait.

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2019)

The movie doesn't waste time with any recapitulation. It assumes we, as the movie-goers, are already familiar with what happened in the preceding movie. And, so, it starts off with a bittersweet opening scene at the Barton family picnic.
As in, Mr. and Mrs. Clint Barton and their three lovely children.
From there, we--the audience--are shown the ultimately fruitless aftermath. Not just three weeks into the future (where Thanos is anti-climactically executed by Thor). But, five _years_ into the future, as well!
I don't want to spoil everything for those of you who haven't seen it, yet. Suffice it to say that the solution to the problem (inspired by Paul Rudd-as-Scott Lang) makes great use of all the past films. Both stock footage and new scenes ingeniously spliced together!*
Of course, this wouldn't be a Marvel film without a little poignancy sprinkled throughout. Cap, as a grief counselor trying to believe every word he's telling to his "patients." Tony Stark, as a man trying to be just as brilliant at being a father as he was an inventor. And Bruce Banner, trying to hang on to the miraculous integration of his brains and the Hulk's brawn.
Of course, there's also some comedy relief in the form of an overweight Thor and an out-of-place Rocket Raccoon!
In short, we--the audience--at the movie theater where we saw this did just as we were supposed to; we laughed, cheered, clapped, and cried. And in all the right places. Especially the climactic battle scene against Thanos' past self...and his army. Of course, being a battle, not all the Good Guys come out alive. A lot of the returning characters (those "finger-snapped" out of existence by Thanos in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR) don't survive this second encounter with him. But, any watery eyes the rest of you get over the sad stuff will almost immediately be cancelled out by tears of joy.
In short? If you go to see this movie, you will enjoy it. I guarantee it. And if you don't? Then, you must've gotten soul-gemmed!

*My favorite scene was Captain America fighting with himself. LOL!