A Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (8 August 2019)

Wow there are so many troll reviews by inarticulate rubes who can't even explain their opinions.
People are entitled to their own tastes, and the super hero genre of the Marvel variety that is a pastiche of action/adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy doesn't appeal to everyone, but for what it is, for what it succeeds at being for its target audience, Avengers: Endgame is currently the benchmark as a satisfying grand finale in a cinematic universe.
There can be no doubt that Infinity War and Endgame are masterpieces. That doesn't mean they're the best movies ever made, or that they're better than other masterpieces of different genres, it just means that it succeeds in every element required of it.
The barrier of entry to The Avengers, especially the last two films, is quite high and requires someone to watch a lot of movies, and without an investment in those characters in the Marvel film that lead up to Infinity War and Endgame, a casual viewer will not care the same way a fan will. Yet that shouldn't detract from how skillfully the writers and directors manage to balance so many elements and fuse so many genres to deliver a unique piece of pop-entertainment that is full of humor, spectacle, and drama.
The Avengers is not a particularly profound franchise. It doesn't attempt to be allegorical like The Lord of The Rings, it isn't as mind-expanding as The Matrix, it isn't as mystical as the original Star Wars, nor does it make any social commentary like The Dark Knight, but it has plenty of great archetypal characters who embody different aspects and struggles with heroism. Each character plays so well off the other and the cast has so much chemistry.
No other franchise understands its characters better than Marvel, and no writers have a better grasp of heroic conflict and camaraderie than Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Comparing their work in Endgame to other franchises like the DCU's Justice League or the current Star Wars is night and day.
That isn't to say Endgame is perfect. A Masterpiece doesn't have to be perfect, and most aren't. Certain elements of the plot feel rushed and loopholes are glossed over. Not all the jokes land, but most are pretty funny. Captain Marvel is way too powerful which constantly makes her a Deus Ex Machina. There are any combination of nitpicky observations I could make about parts that don't exactly make sense, but those are minor.
Admittedly, I do have a bit of Marvel fatigue after this. It almost feels like Endgame was so epic that I don't ever need to see another super hero movie again. Sure, I'll probably see the new Spider-Man, and even though I really like the films and the character, it's reaching a point of over-saturation.