After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe.
As a movie critic, there are certain perks that go along with the job. Getting to see “Avengers: Endgame” several days before it opens to the public is most certainly one of them but as a prerequisite, we have all been asked by Marvel not to give away any spoilers in our critiques or social media coverage so here is my full review.
“Avengers: Endgame” rocks! THE END.
Seriously, most reviews constitute having to sometimes give away certain plot points in order to let the readers understand the overall narrative because depending on the film’s structure, it would be virtually impossible to critique the movie any other way so as I move forward with my own review, just know that while I won’t divulge any major plot points, some smaller aspects of the story will have to be disclosed in order for you to understand what’s going on.
It is five years after the cataclysmic events of “Avengers: Infinity War” and those who survived Thanos’ finger snap, are trying desperately to move on with their lives the best way they can. The remaining Avengers also try to come to terms with the fact that they failed in their mission to protect earth and also each other. When Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) unexpectedly turns up at Avengers Headquarters, long after he was declared dead because of his absence, he explains that for the past five years, he was stuck in the quantum realm, events which we saw transpire at the end of “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” He states that the quantum realm is an alternate dimension where the laws that dictate time and space do not prevail and while it is possible to enter the realm at one point in time, it is also possible to exit it at another point in the timeline. He tells them that for the rest of the world, his time spent in the quantum realm was five years but for him, it was only five hours. After Bruce Banner and Lang try but ultimately fail to make it work, they call on Tony Stark to help out (we see that he makes it home in the trailer so I’m not giving anything away but how he gets home you’ll have to see for yourself). Stark initially refuses to help, stating that he and Pepper have moved on with their lives but Pepper knows if he doesn’t try to make it work, he’ll always regret it so, at her insistence, he reluctantly joins up with them.
Their strategy is that if they can go back to a point in the timeline before the infinity stones were all collected by Thanos, they could possibly undo the events of “Infinity War.” The only catch is, the six infinity stones are spread out across the universe so the Avengers will have to split up into teams in order to complete their objectives. Also, because their journey will take them back to previous moments in their lives, they are to avoid, at all costs, any possible interactions with their other selves so as to avert, as Doc Brown from “Back to the Future” quite elegantly said, “a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe!” And so the adventure begins…
Honestly, that is all I can say about the movie without resorting to spoilers. Most of the scenes I mentioned above are already visible in the many trailers that have been released thus far but I won’t reveal how they come about, e.g. Scott Lang’s appearance, Tony Stark’s return, you will have to see the movie to find out for yourself. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have created one of the most entertaining superhero movies of all time, and I do not say that lightly. “Infinity War” was terrific, I absolutely enjoyed it wholeheartedly and secretly wondered if the duo would be able to top themselves with “Endgame” and I can say with all honesty, they most certainly have. “Avengers: Endgame” brings Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to an end and with “Black Panther 2,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” and “Doctor Strange 2” right around the corner, I am very excited to see what Phase 4 has in store.
In theaters Friday, April 26th
