When faced with 14,000,605 possible outcomes, it manages to be a surprising and satisfying one.

Rating: 10/10 (26 April 2019)

"Avengers: Endgame" Review
(11/10)
I didn't think Marvel would ever be able to top Infinity War, but I was wrong. Marvel delivers a fitting and surprisingly poetic payoff to the Infinity Saga.
The less you know going into Avengers: Endgame, the more you're likely to enjoy it. Obviously, you wouldn't have clicked on a review of this movie if you didn't want to know something about the culmination of a decade's worth of Marvel's superhero storytelling, but trust me: more than Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame is truly a story that needs to be experienced. Forget all the external noise from the deliberately vague teaser trailers, perfectly-calibrated celebrity soundbites, and footage leaks, and just strap in for the ride.
There's little that can be said about the film without at least alluding to its twists, but what I can say, with certainty, is that Avengers: Endgame is a marvel, both in terms of narrative scale and sheer logistical ambition. The film walks a tightrope between high drama and cathartic comedy, offering some of the darkest and most emotionally honest scenes in the history of the MCU, alongside some of the most ridiculous and sublime. There are fewer laugh-out-loud moments here than in Infinity War, but it's certainly lighter and oftentimes more joyous than you might expect from a story that begins with the fallout from Thanos' snap.
Endgame is a film that feels like it was made by fans, for fans - to the point where some scenes will undoubtedly be labeled as outright fanservice. But it's hard to view those moments as cynical pandering so much as earned and effective homages to the moments, characters, and relationships we've grown so invested in over the past 11 years. While Infinity War did its best to juggle an enormous roster of heroes spanning the entirety of the MCU's history, it's no spoiler to say Endgame rightly narrows its focus to the original six Avengers, giving them each a well-deserved moment, or several in the spotlight. The cost of sidelining so many characters is high, but it pays off brilliantly.
I know it's not the end of the MCU, but it certainly feels like it. Endgame's greatest accomplishment is how it deepens our understanding and appreciation of the movies that preceded it. This is truly a climax to an entire franchise, not just a resolution to the cliffhanger of Infinity War. This may not have been the only way for Marvel to end the first chapter of its sprawling superhero saga, but when faced with 14,000,605 possible outcomes, it manages to be a surprising and satisfying one.