Avengers: Endgame is some of the most thrilling, powerful, beautiful, and emotional entertainment ever put on the big screen.

Rating: 9/10 (28 October 2019)

When I walked into the theater for my first viewing of Endgame, I was prepared to see a great superhero movie. I expected some massive fight scenes, a few emotional gut punches, and to walk away with a generic positive message about overcoming obstacles. But I could have never guessed that night that I would cry like a baby, go completely numb from pure awe, and leave the theater with a fresh take on what it really means to be human. It was a night I'll likely remember for the rest of my life.
It all started back in 2008 with the first Iron Man, which was soon followed by several other movies based on popular superheroes from Marvel comics. These superheroes became known as Avengers, appearing together in several blockbuster hits to fight world-threatening enemies. Endgame is the culmination of 22 movies across 11 years, and the anticipation and pressure from the fans were higher than ever before. But somehow, Marvel managed to produce an overwhelmingly satisfying conclusion that met or exceeded all expectations.
The premise of Endgame's storyline is fairly simple: defeat the mad titan Thanos after he wiped out half the universe's population and bring back everyone he killed. However, it ends up quite complex, dealing with quantum physics and time travel. The directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, do an admirable job of making the storyline easy to follow, bouncing between dozens of different settings and timelines without feeling too cluttered. There are also a surprisingly low number of plot holes considering that the movie deals with time travel.
When it comes to pacing, the film has some minor issues. It sometimes feels unnecessarily drawn out during some of the middle sections, where the movie takes a less serious tone and the stakes don't feel quite as high. But it more than makes up for it with an action packed beginning and ending filled with shocking surprises and adrenaline rushes to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
One of the movie's most impressive feats is how it is able to include so many characters without making a single one feel left out. The main characters of this movie are the original six Avengers, which include Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the Hulk. Apart from the Hulk, who unfortunately does not get much of a spotlight, all of their characters develop beautifully throughout the movie and have several major moments to shine. Iron Man in particular ends up almost the complete opposite of his selfish, egotistical, and ignorant past self. Even Thanos, despite being the main antagonist, has a very interesting arc that affects his grand motives as he learns more about humanity's flaws.
As we have come to expect from marvel, the production quality is as good as it gets. The acting performances from all the cast members are easily some of the best they have ever done. Whether through dialogue or simply just facial expressions, the actors and actresses do an amazing job conveying their characters' emotions. The visuals are stunning, with a vibrant color palate and awe inspiring cinematography. The movie relies heavily on cgi, but it is done so well that everything looked completely photorealistic. Accompanying that was a stellar soundtrack by Alan Silvestri that masterfully matches the tone of each scene, elevating them to new heights. "Portals" in particular is one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard, and it still gives me major chills every time I listen to it.
The movie particularly excels at creating a very atmospheric feel to many of its scenes, using it's soundtrack and visuals to immerse the viewer into its vast world. Some of the best examples of this are in an early scene with Iron Man in a spaceship, which wonderfully captures the melancholic but peaceful tone of the scene. And perhaps the most prominent example is in the iconic "Portals" scene, which emanates sheer awe with its beauty and scope, starting slowly and naturally building up to an earth-shattering climax.
A common criticism with superhero movies in general is that they are mindless "popcorn entertainment" only good for action and surprises. However, with Endgame, this could not be further from the truth. Through the Avengers' personal struggles and Thanos's quest to make a perfect universe, the film goes the extra mile in showing how the world and its people are far from perfect, but our lives can still be beautiful. This idea is especially shown within the deeply moving final few scenes.
Avengers: Endgame is a wonderfully thrilling experience for its audience. But it goes a step further and shows us why cinema and storytelling are so important. As Endgame illustrates, emotions are defining characteristics of humanity, and whether good or bad, they shape our lives and allow us to grow. What better way to experience these emotions than through some amazing stories?