Solemn and Subdued

Rating: 6/10 (30 April 2019)

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little disappointed. The Avengers: Endgame has been one of the most anticipated movies since... well since The Force Awakens but that was way back in 2015 and in this day and age that's like a million years ago. The point being: Endgame was the talk of the town since all of those beloved MCU characters faded away. Infinity War was such an epic movie what could Marvel do as an encore? Or better still, what could Marvel do to conclude the magnificent journey they took us on?
If anything, Endgame proves that it's hard to write a perfect ending. Perfect endings are stuff of legend. Whether the ending has a twist, a ride off into the sunset, or a mixed bag they are hard to write and hard to execute. Endgame is supposed to be just as the title suggests: the end. This is where the Avengers wrap it all up. Endgame was one long goodbye and it seems they tried to make it as heartfelt and dramatic as possible.
Infinity War started with a bang and ended with a bang. It was a fast moving roller coaster throughout. It came together so nicely with all the different characters, the different tasks, and the different battles. It was a superb blend of flavors that came together for an excellent meal. Endgame, on the other hand, was almost like a decompression. If you were huffing and puffing from Infinity War then Endgame was a chance for you to rest, catch your breath, and absorb all of what happened. It was a long slow exhale with just one last burst of energy before retiring. And it wasn't what I was expecting.
Not that getting what one expects is necessary to be considered good because sometimes you can be surprised in the best way. After all, we've trusted Marvel thus far so no reason not to trust them to put the finishing touches on their masterpiece. Now that I've seen their final brush strokes and the completed work I have to say that their hand slipped a little when adding the finishing touches.
Like a fireworks show or a symphony I wanted the ending to be this huge crescendo. I'm not talking simply about the last 20-30 minutes of the movie, but the entire movie. I wanted to see all of the fine Marvel characters in their finest form, or close to it, as they went for their last hurrah. I wanted them all to be like John Elway retiring after his second Super Bowl, retiring on top, not Muhammad Ali who held on too long and had a less than flattering exit from boxing. But that's not what I got.
We got to see heroics, of course it's a superhero film, but it was so subdued. The entire tone of the movie was muted. It was a somber morose three hours. The humor wasn't as humorous. The fighting was somehow less awesome. Everything was just darker and more lifeless. Even the hero moments which were supposed to evoke the most joy, awe, and righteous triumph didn't quite do it. Now it could be because it was 12 a.m. by the time the movie wrapped up and I was tired but I don't think that was it. Many a movie has revived me due to it's captivation. End Game didn't revive me or stir me in the way I thought it should. If anything, they put me to rest along with the Avengers saga. I was going for a conclusion, yes, but I also wanted reinvigoration and revival. Sadly, I got solemn and subdue