A true gem of the mcu and a satisfying end to a decade of Marvel movies.

Rating: 8/10 (7 May 2019)

Wow...now that's how you wrap up a long running series! I did actually enjoy Infinity War a tiny bit more just because it was generally more of a nonstop ride and had a slightly more coherent narrative as it built up to its cliffhanger ending, whereas this was kind of all over the place, but in a good way! Infinity War, or part one as it really was because these two movies go together so amazingly well, was better in terms of action and was more conventionally 'fun', but this is definitely a deeper and more emotionally and thematically rich movie and it certainly made an impact on me, by the end I sure felt I'd been through the cinematic wringer! At the beginning I was quite taken back by how they unceremoniously lop off a very weakened Thanos' head and the screen abruptly cut to five years later. The movie slows itself way down and spends a hefty amount of time setting up how broken the characters are as it languishes in the faded world that the dreaded snap left behind, and I won't lie that part of it did begin to drag for me, but it was still a much needed slow start, because it serves the purpose of just carrying on where things last left off and making you feel for the scattered heroes more as they gradually mobilise and begin to formulate a very tenacious plan of action to set things right, and when the lost heroes do return from oblivion near the end it felt very earned. It was so brilliant how the quantum realm time hopping Infinity Stone hunt doubled as a way of tying up some very longstanding plot threads and character arcs. I think what they did with Captain America was beautiful, with him doing something for himself for once instead of the greater good and having the happy ending he deserved in the time where he truly belonged. Cap always seemed a bit like a man out of time and it was touching to see him get to go home at last... I also liked the scene where the comically chunky, but no less heroic where it counted Thor got to share a few words with his mother, I thought her death in Dark World was sad and I'm pretty sure I'm one of the few out there who actually thought that particular movie was pretty good! The best reunion though for me would have to be when Tony Stark finally shared a scene with his estranged and late father, albeit a much younger version of him, and although he might not have known who Tony really was, they had such an easy chemistry together that you did believe them as father and son and that moment did offer a little closure for Tony as a character, and I loved that scene. Robert Downey gave it his all and while seeing his character die was really sad he did sacrifice himself to save the whole world and maybe even the universe, there's surely no grander a way to go out than that! His character was certainly the most iconic Avenger and probably a main factor of what got this franchise off the ground and turned it into what it became in the first place, so it was only right that the final defeat of Thanos should have belonged to him. They saved the really huge fantastical fight sequence till last, but man did they make up for it, such an incredible battle, good god was I in awe!!! The stakes were effectively higher because after seeing that his grand plan for the galaxy didn't really change anything for the better as well as his own death, Thanos had a far worse plan in store once he had his hands on the stones and was more malevolent and determined than ever before to destroy the Avengers, so it did kind of make sense how he was harder to defeat in armed combat with a giant sword against all three of the main Avengers champions than he was when armed with the gauntlet! The big, purple and bald tyrant just would not go down and there were numerous awesome moments to take in, among the best being Scarlet Witch's reckoning where she breaks his blade in two with her powers and almost tears him limb from limb until he cheats and orders an aerial bombardment in order to get away, and I loved when he took out that overpowered wench Captain Marvel with one Power Stone-powered punch, because she was just as tacked-on and off-putting as she was in her stupid lame movie! I also liked the clever role-reversal in the subplot with the reformed Nebula convincing the younger Gamora to turn to the side of good like she once had done with her, but unfortunately being unable to reach her more fanatical former self... So this was terrific, I'm so glad that I was able to get onboard with these movies that involved and expanded upon each other and slowly build up to this incredible closing chapter, I don't speak for everyone of course, and I'll happily check out whatever's next for the mcu, but as far as this movie goes, the whole endeavour feels like it's run its course now, and I doubt very much that they'll ever be able to equal it, much less top it. Infinity War and Endgame were the big one, and I loved them, wonderful conclusion, what a blast, what a Marvel! X