Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2019)

Avengers: Endgame defies 11 years of mounting hype and expectations to deliver a rousing, crowd-pleasing, and appropriately emotional endcap to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Infinity Saga". From its now-humble beginnings in 2008, the MCU has evolved from mainly character-driven origin stories, to world-decimating adventures that span multiple universes. At times, this evolution has correlated to a loss in grounded emotion, but Avengers: Endgame wisely returns to the MCU's earlier method of storytelling by shifting its focus back to its core heroes and their story arcs. Avengers: Endgame fittingly ties together ALL 21 previous MCU films in a way that not only honors but elevates those previous movies - it truly feels as if every journey, grand (The Avengers) or small (Ant-Man & The Wasp), has been equally instrumental in building to this climax. The fact that Avengers: Endgame pulls off this tremendous feat, while also managing a few surprises along the way, is nothing short of a remarkable cinematic achievement. Now can critics argue that the film has its fair share of plot holes and relies too heavily on fan service at times - sure. Are the MCU's notorious tonal shifts still present and still jarring - of course. But is it likely we'll ever experience a superhero film saga this epic in scope with a pay-off this exceptional and well-earned again - no. 'Nuff said.