An Epic semi-Ending to an Epic Franchise

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2019)

If there's also any single phrase that sums up the guiding principle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe it's this: Hold that thought. (Truth be told, with Endgame's running time of three hours, "hold that bladder" would also apply.)
But the bottom line is that it's as hilarious as mush as it is Heartbreaking.
It's helpful, before going to see Endgame, to cast your mind back to the contradictory feelings of that final scene. This one focuses on the efforts of Cap and the remaining Avengers to implement a do-over - essentially rewinding the effects of Thanos' snap - feels at once sad and deeply satisfying, complicated and surprisingly comic. If many of us have grown up with the MCU, the films themselves have also grown more complex, like a fine wine.
In a sense, Endgame is an example of the MCU cannibalizing itself, but it has always done so. And it does so here in a fresh way that is closer to homage than lazy appropriation. These affectionate flashbacks also serve as a tip of the hat to all the loyal fans who have held this sprawling mythology so dear.
Spoiler Alert? Sure! THOR IS FAT!!!
As high as the stakes are in Endgame, it is also a very funny movie. The humor of the story - some of which takes place in the future, five years after the end of "Infinity War" - has to do with surprising ways in which the lives of certain characters have changed (along with their personalities and, in some cases, their physiques). If Infinity War was about failure, Endgame is, ironically, all about acceptance and moving on. After 11 long years, the Infinity Saga is finally, fulfillingly over.
There is no post-credit scene. But oh, what a going-away party these old friends have thrown for themselves. You'd certainly be in more tears then you were during Infinity war's climax. Tears of joy for most, that is.