Wow - just WOW. This is how to end on a high note!

Rating: 8/10 (17 May 2019)

I have enjoyed almost all of the previous Marvel films - but cannot call myself a superfan (evident by the fact I'm finally watching Endgame after nearly the rest of the world.) But regardless of your emotional investment in the saga - It cannot be denied this a supreme cinematic achievement. In scope and ambition, I can really only compare this with Peter Jackson's "Return of the King."
I really enjoyed the opening act of the film - the tone is like nothing I have ever seen in a superhero film. They made some BOLD choices here. The Avengers did LOSE the "Infinity War" and this film allowed the audience to experience that loss in a way I didn't expect. The plot really took it's time - for a 3-hour film it was brilliantly paced, my attention never wavered once. The beginning was more of a human drama / comedy than an OTT action film. These characters are treated as real people outside of their heroic adventures - rare for a film of this genre. They have dealt with the cataclysmic events of the previous film in various ways - they are all changed people.
Endgame deals with themes with surprising clarity and depth - grief, depression, family, regret. They really took some risks when writing this film. Most paid off brilliantly. I absolutely loved Hulk in this film. It's an iconic character, but we have never seen him played in this way - and it was simply perfect. I can't imagine him any other way now - Mark Ruffalo has never been this charismatic. Overall, the jokes mostly landed right - there are more laughs to be found here than in many actual comedy films. I personally found "Fat Thor" a bit OTT silly, but Chris Hemsworth made it work. Another stand-out performance within a enormous cast.
The acting here is genuinely GOOD. Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey, Jr. especially. They have really thrown themselves into these roles and are giving some of their best work. The film was moving, uplifting, funny, exciting, thought-provoking. Everything you could hope for! Yes, there is fan-service also - but all of it feels earned.
Of course the end of Infinity War had left our heroes at a dead-end which could only be fixed in one way - time travel. When films start messing with time, things can get messy. The stakes can seem lowered and plot holes are near-impossible to avoid. Not so here. The concurrent time plot-lines really work together flawlessly - this is especially impressive considering they had to work around (and compliment) a 20-film decade long saga. I cannot imagine the difficulties they had balancing all these factors when writing the screenplay. I hope this is acknowledged come awards season.
Most importantly, this was certainly an ENDING for the 'OG' Avengers stars. The film clearly respected this. While still obviously relevant, the newer heroes were allowed to take a backseat. A wise decision - with so many characters and plots to juggle, some had to take centre stage. They chose the right ones. This is even more impressive when compared to another media behemoth coming to an "end" now - Game of Thrones. Where GOT has crumbled under it's own weight and expectation - failing miserably. The Avengers have risen to the challenge incredibly. It works on every level.
One issue I have always had with these "extended universe" franchises is that they never seem to have a definitive ending. A small glimpse of continuation must always be given, to carry on the saga. Not here. The felt like the END of something important. And a damn good one! I do not think the film is PERFECT - but in terms of what the film was trying to achieve, I don't think they could have done better! For me, the best film of 2019 - 9/10 *********