The cinematic universe model eats itself.

Rating: 6/10 (25 April 2019)

I remember ten years ago when I was a comic book fan and the whispers that were coming out about a Thanos Avengers movie blew my mind. Infinity War satisfied that desire greatly, but Endgame is a mixed bag. I came out of the cinema feeling rather underwhelmed.
To be sure, the action is superb. The last half hour of action made me grin from ear to ear and it gave me a similar feeling to watching Return of the King for the first time. However, it was a long road to get to that point.
The film is too long. Far too long. It carries far too much baggage from the last movie and drags its heels, which in turn creates a jarring tonal discordance from quipping-Marvel fun to apocalyptic moping. Stop telling me how important things are. I know. Show me why they're important.
Another problem I have is the story. It never felt like I was watching one. Infinity War was a hectic race against the clock, Endgame felt like I was watching a board meeting of writers and executives discussing how they're going to tie up loose ends. This is a movie that serves a cinematic universe owned by Disney, rather than serving to tell us a story.
Without discussing spoilers, the plot is far too convoluted. The all-powerful Infinity Gems created enough plotholes you have to ignore, but adding time travel to the mix compounds this even further. It would be fine if the movie just dismissed these plotholes, but it keeps harping on the precise mechanics of how the time travel works in the MCU over and over, forcing me to think about how it makes no sense over and over. I don't like thinking about plotholes but Endgame just kept reminding me of them. Combined with the length this makes a large amount of the movie rather a chore to sit through.
You must think I hate this movie after that, but I don't. The positives are the ones that come with the standard Marvel movie, funny writing, excellent music, effects, acting and likable characters. I'm certainly glad to have seen it, but unlike Infinity War, it wears out it's welcome after the first viewing.