After years of more anticipation and hype than probably any other movie this decade, the grand finale to the Avengers saga, nearly eleven years in the making, is finally here. And the three-hour extravaganza has been an undeniable success, smashing records such as Biggest Opening Weekend of All Time ($1.2B) and Fastest Movie to make Two Billion Dollars (nine days). But did the film live up to its unprecedented hype?

Spoiler-Free Review:

In short, yes. The film absolutely was worth the wait.

“Endgame” proves the storytelling and emotional capacity of superhero movies and of a massive cinematic universe is far greater than anyone could have expected. The scale of the storyline is bigger than probably any superhero movie before it, moving from the heartbreaking destruction from the end of the previous film “Infinity War,” to the adventurous, universe-spanning second act, to the epic throwdown at the end. I can say confidently that few superhero flicks before have taken as many storytelling risks as this movie, and with such a satisfying payoff.

“Endgame” also sports some of the best acting and emotional depth ever seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Particularly strong is Robert Downey Jr.’s fantastic performance as Iron Man; he draws on every single movie in which he’s played Iron Man to make his actions and relationships to the other characters the most believable and emotionally powerful we’ve ever seen from this character. Other than Iron Man, every single character has been so well-established that nobody feels out of place or unbelievable in the film; they all work together and fit in seamlessly with one another, and all the actors know exactly how to play the characters they have been portraying so well for so long.

The strength of this film is the solid foundation it was built on: all the previous Marvel movies. That’s why this movie feels so special when you’re watching it: it draws on literally every movie that came before it in the series. From perfectly following up the preceding film to reminding us of details we’d totally forgotten from the older movies like “Thor: The Dark World” and “Iron Man 2” to inserting easter eggs from Marvel movies and comics, “Endgame” is ultimately a treat for the fans. Whether it’s fans who saw Iron Man on opening night all the way back in 2008, fans who became addicted after they watched one Marvel movie just to see what all the hype was about, or fans who have been reading comics since they learned to read, the movie has moments of both heartbreak and joy for anyone and everyone who calls themselves a Marvel fan.

Despite some pretty heavy leaps in logic (which I will discuss more thoroughly in the Spoilerful Review), the good things about this movie far outweigh the not-so-good. “Endgame” is a monumental movie; a treat for practically everyone who’s seen it.

Spoilerful Review:

I can’t believe Hulk dabs. Like seriously. What was that?

But in all seriousness, there are a few problems with the film, and most of them lay with the leaps in logic the audience has to take to enjoy it. The plot holes are numerous, if you think about the movie too hard: where did Peggy’s husband go after Captain America went back in time? Was Captain America just hanging out doing nothing while preventable world events unfolded around him? How does Captain America know how to use Thor’s Hammer, when, in “Thor: Ragnarok”, Odin said that Thor’s power comes from Thor and NOT the Hammer? Why doesn’t changing the past affect the future??? Practically endless plot holes crop up the more you think about the movie. However, any movie that features Time Travel features countless plot holes and paradoxes, even the best of them (see “Back to the Future”, “Terminator”, etc.). So many of these leaps in logic are excusable, for the simple fact that “Endgame” is a Time Travel movie.

Beyond the plot holes, there aren’t too many issues I take with this movie. In fact, there was a lot that was really incredible about it. As I said, Robert Downey Jr.’s complex and emotional performance. The beautiful and altogether fitting way the writers bid farewell to Captain America, and the dance he finally shares with Peggy. The passing of the Captain America mantle from Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson. Even the death of the incredible Black Widow, heartbreaking and unexpected as it was, seemed to fit the tone of the film and emphasized the complex, self-sacrificial, and courageous nature of her beloved character.

On the subject of the tone, I actually really appreciated the darker take on the storyline that the Russo Brothers chose to take. While some people disliked “Infinity War” and “Endgame” for the dark subject matter (and all the character deaths), I thought it was an appropriate contrast to Marvel’s recent trend of making funnier, more light hearted movies. It felt like it returned the series to its roots in more serious storylines such as “Iron Man” and “Captain America: The First Avenger”. The sadder tone of the film really allows the audience to feel strongly for the characters and get truly engrossed in the story.

And to cap everything off, the final battle was truly spectacular. Each Avenger gets his or her moment to shine against Thanos’ formidable and intimidating army. The setting of the ruined Avengers HQ, the epic score, all the characters finally coming together—the scene was probably the biggest and best battle in superhero movie history.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and it felt like it did great justice to the rest of the series. The film has it all: real emotion, great actors, fun, epic scale, and lots to please both fans and casual watchers alike. It’s one that will stand the test of time as one of the biggest movies ever made, to be enjoyed by generations to come.

8.5/10 Stars