I'm sure by now most of us are aware that a small independent film, Avengers: Endgame, was just released in theaters worldwide on Friday, April 26th. And if you are a frequent movie goer, chances are you may have already seen it if the historic opening weekend box office is any indication.
However, if you have not seen it yet, and want to go in spoiler-free, please do NOT read this blog!
The reason I decided to write a spoiler review is because, 1.) It has been out for three days now (four counting Thursday night previews). 2.) This film is just such an emotionally powerful and resonant film, that the only way to truly discuss it and fathom it is to discuss spoilers. And the only way to truly appreciate and experience this film is to go in completely clean.
If you have not seen the movie and don't care about spoilers, feel free to read on. But if you share ANY spoilers with anyone who has NOT seen it, then I will snap you out of existence with the Infinity Stones!
This is your final warning. SPOILERS BELOW!
Still here? Ok. Let's discuss this masterpiece.
It feels like yesterday that we first saw Robert Downey Jr. bring Tony Stark to life in his first on screen adventure in Jon Favreau's Iron Man. But it was actually 11 years ago, more than a decade! That makes me feel as old as Steve Rogers.
I first saw Iron Man in 2008 when I was 13 years old. I was actually not that into superhero movies. Don't get me wrong, I liked superheroes. I watched Teen Titans and Batman The Animated Series. But I never really read comic books. I was more into Star Wars to be honest. Superhero movies, at least on the surface, appeared generic and formulaic to me. It just all kind of felt the same.
But then I saw Iron Man. I couldn't really describe it. There was just something about it that felt so fresh and brand new. It was funny, it was dark, it was intense, it was action-packed, it was smart, and exciting. It was the perfect summer movie. It had mind-blowing special effects, an engaging story from start to finish, and a cast of unforgettable characters, particularly Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Nobody had expected Iron Man (2008) to succeed. It was based on a comic book character that nobody outside the geek community heard about or cared much for.
But the second Robert Downey Jr. appeared on screen as the lovable genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist, all doubts were washed away. The film became a huge smash it gaining critical praise and making a killing at the box office.
At 13 years old, I had no idea who Iron Man or the Avengers were. To be honest, I didn't even know that there was a cinematic universe, let alone an Avengers movie, being made until about 2011. I didn't even know there was a post-credit scene after Iron Man where Nick Fury told Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative.
What can I say? At age 13, I didn't really follow movie news as closely as I do now.
When I did finally become aware of what this cinematic universe was leading up to, I went back and watched Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger to prepare me for The Avengers, the cinematic event of the early 2010s.
I first saw The Avengers (2012) with my friends and family for my birthday party. It was the best, most exciting experience I ever had at the movies. I don't think I've ever been in a movie theater where the audience was more electric. On its own, the movie works as a piece of solid blockbuster entertainment. But having seen the previous movies, it added to an unforgettable cinematic experience! I remember watching cartoon crossovers as a kid like "Jetsons Meet The Flintstones", "Jimmy Timmy Power Hour", "Kim Possible and Lilo and Stitch", etc. But this was the first time I saw a crossover like this on the big screen. I just couldn't believe what I was watching! At first, the idea of making an Avengers movie seemed impossible. Laughable even. But they not only pulled it off. They made it into a groundbreaking, record-breaking cinematic event that changed Hollywood forever.
It seemed as though the Marvel Cinematic Universe had finally reached its peak with Avengers (2012). I mean, how can you hope to top that?
And for whatever crazy reason, Kevin Feige and his team of geniuses at Marvel managed to top it more than once.
They added depth to the story with Captain America: Civil War, and expanded the universe with Guardians of the Galaxy (to this day, my favorite Marvel franchise). Every time we thought this cinematic universe had reached the point of diminishing returns, they managed to surprise us.
Last year, their 10 year cinematic universe experiment culminated in Avengers: Infinity War. It was a movie that involved EVERY SINGLE HERO in the Marvel Cinematic Universe up to that point!
If you thought making a superhero ensemble movie with six heroes seemed impossible, try making a superhero ensemble movie with more than twenty heroes!
Once again, they succeeded. They managed to make a superhero ensemble movie with more than 20 heroes work as an exciting, entertaining blockbuster on par with The Avengers (2012).... But then took it further. They managed to create an iconic villain in the vein of Thanos, played brilliantly by Josh Brolin. Prior to that point, the weakest part of these Marvel villains had usually been their villains being less interesting than the heroes. (Quick! Tell me the name of the villain of Thor: The Dark World without googling it!)
In the past couple of years, their villains had imporved significantly with the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Hela in Thor: Ragnarok, Killmonger in Black Panther, and of course Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
Thanos is my favorite kind of villain. He's a villain who sees himself as a hero. He believes he is doing what is necessary to improve the universe. He believes the problem with the universe is it has too many life-forms and not enough resources. His solution is to gather all the Infinity Stones: the Soul Stone, the Mind Stone, the Power Stone, the Space Stone, the Reality Stone, and the Time Stone, and use their infinite power to wipe out half the universe.
Rather than give it a typical MCU ending with the heroes coming out on top, directors Joe and Anthony Russo decided to give it an "Empire Strikes Back" level cliffhanger where Thanos succeeds in his goal. Not only does he wipe out half of existence. He managed to kill of half the heroes we spent nearly a decade being invested in.
It's been a year since Avengers: Infinity War, and Endgame is finally being released. The year long wait for it has seemed like an eternity. But it's finally here. I saw it yesterday for my Birthday. And it's even better than we could have hoped!
Is it a perfect movie? No. None of the Marvel movies have been perfect. But even the worst Marvel movies were still entertaining thanks to their charming heroes.
But Endgame is a combination of all the MCU's best qualities (soul, wit, humor, heroes with humanity), and takes the series to new emotional heights. It's a celebration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what it meant to my generation.
The movie has been advertised as the "end of an era". It appears as though this is the final Marvel movie. I mean, all the characters from the previous movies are reunited to take down the big boss in a final showdown. And the title literally says "Endgame". But realistically speaking, it isn't. It's not even close to being the last one. As if Disney's gonna look at the record shattering opening weekend box office and think "Ok. That's enough Marvel. We have enough money."
But it is the end of a story. A story that started with Iron Man (2008). And it is the end of many major characters that we feel so invested in.
(Ok. Now we're getting to spoilers. For real this time. If you don't want to be spoiled, LEAVE THIS POST NOW!)
My favorite thing about this movie is how much closure it brings to all of its characters. If the movie has a unifying theme, it's reconciliation. Every character gets a chance to reconcile.
Tony Stark got to live out his final years with closure. He got married to Pepper Potts, and they had a daughter named Morgan Stark. The scenes with him and his daughter are some of the most genuine father-daughter moments I've seen in a movie.
When the Avengers have to go back in time to get the Stones before Thanos and set everything right, Tony Stark runs into his father Howard Stark back in the 70s. Howard Stark does not know it's his son, but yet he seems familiar to him.
Even though Tony Stark has to keep his identify a secret, he still manages to have a long, satisfying conversation with his father. His father tells him how his wife is expecting ( their son, Tony), and he asks Tony what it was like when his child was born. Tony tells him about his daughter, Howard Stark's granddaughter.
Even though it's brief, Tony Stark got to speak with his father one last time. He spent years angry at his father feeling as though his father never cared for him. And now he got the father-son bonding moment he always wanted.
Thor also manages to get some closure. Throughout the movie, Thor is not himself AT ALL. In Infinity War, Thor lost everything. He lost his home, he lost his parents, he lost his brother Loki, he lost his best friend, and he even lost his eye.
After getting a magic axe from Giant Tyrion Lannister, Thor confronts Thanos and stabs him in the chest. Unfortunately, he should have gone for the head. Thanos still snapped his finger and wiped out half the universe. Thor had ONE CHANCE to stop Thanos and stop his evil plan before it started. And he FAILED.
And his arc in this film feels like what everyone would go through in Thor's predicament. He becomes an alcoholic with a big belly and just sits around playing video games all day. Trying to avoid thinking about his problems.
Fans of Thor might be disappointed to see him reduced to such a low point in this film, especially after how much he shined in Infinity War. But Thor still manages to have an intriguing arc. And just like how Tony Stark gets one last moment with his father, Thor gets one last moment with his mother Frigga. Thor speaks to her after traveling back to the year 2013 before his mother died in Thor: The Dark World. He opens himself up to her about how disappointed he is in himself. His mother assures him in a way that any loving mother would. She gives him back the confidence he needed to help the Avengers save the universe.
The movie ends with the greatest fight scene in superhero movie history! It makes the airport fight in Civil War look like a game of dodgeball.
Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was there! There is even one shot of all the female Avengers, including Pepper Potts in the Iron Man suit! It was a true "Girl Power" moment!... That is, except Black Widow was not there sadly.
Thanos, Black Widow, and Iron Man both bite the dust in this movie. It was no secret that a major character was gonna die. Many of the original Avengers have spoken publicly about how their contract is up after Endgame. And the trailers have them saying "Whatever it takes" to defeat Thanos and save the universe. Basically implying that someone is gonna sacrifice themselves.
In Infinity War, Thanos goes to the planet where the Soul Stone is (I can't remember the name of it. Sue me.) And the Red Skull tells him that the only way to retrieve the Soul Stone is to sacrifice someone you love. A Soul for a Soul. For Thanos, it was his stepdaughter Gamora. He threw her, this girl he treated as his favorite daughter, down the pit for the Soul Stone because he thought he had to do it to save the universe.
This time, Black Widow and Hawkeye go to that planet. They learn about what they must do to get the Stone. But unlike Thanos, both Black Widow and Hawkeye offer to sacrifice themselves. They both race to the pit to sacrifice themselves before the other. It's both heartbreaking and kind of hilarious. Ultimately, Black Widow is the one who dies. It hit me hard. Black Widow was one of my favorite characters. And when I first saw her in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson became of my first celebrity crushes along with Natalie Portman, Zoe Saldana, and Carrie Fisher (RIP <3). Her character became more developed as the series went on. And her death seemed like a perfect ending to her arc. Earlier in the movie when mourning the loss of half of existence, she tells Steve Rogers how prior to joining the Avengers she had nothing. She spent most of her life as a Russian Spy in the Cold War. With the Avengers, she had a cause worthy of fighting for. But more than that, she had a family. To see her give up her life for her friends and the universe seemed fitting. Though to be honest, her death scene could have been handled more dramatically. For instance, the characters barely have time to mourn her for long. Meanwhile, Tony Stark got a whole funeral.
Oh yeah that reminds me.
Unfortunately, I had Tony Stark's death spoiled to me. Someone recorded a video of it on YouTube and it appeared on my suggestions. WHY WOULD YOUTUBE THINK I WOULD WANT TO SEE AN ENDGAME SPOILER?!?!?!!??!?!?
(deep breath)
Anyways, I had Tony Stark's death spoiled to me. And the whole movie, I was expecting it and hoping it was not true and it was just a fake spoiler.
But when it happened, it still hit me. Hard.
This is a character I spent ten years of my life with. He was my favorite character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though I was Team Cap for "Civil War", it was rally because I agreed with his stance on the issue. But Tony Stark had always been the closest to my heart. He was the one who introduced us to this universe. He was the one who had the most interesting story arc in the entire MCU in my opinion. He started off a narcissistic billionaire who really didn't care about anything or anyone other than himself. But through the course of the series, Tony Stark grew more selfless and got to the point where he was willing to do anything to protect his loved ones from harm. Even though I strongly disagreed with him in Civil War, his stance came from a place of wanting to do what he thought was best for the world. His death in Endgame was the perfect ending to his arc. After fighting with Thanos over the Infinity Stones, Thanos thinks he has the stones and snaps his fingers to wipe out the entire universe. He says "You cannot defeat me. I... Am... Inevitable." He snaps his fingers, and nothing happens this time. Because he doesn't have the stones. Tony does.
And as he snaps his fingers, he repeats his iconic line, "I Am... Iron Man.", and snaps his fingers and obliterates Thanos and his army. But the power of the stones was too much for Tony. It drained his life. He lay dying in the arms of Pepper Potts, his wife. His true love since Iron Man (2008).
His funeral involved every single character we've seen in the movies so far. Not just all the heroes, but also some regular characters from years ago. including the kid form Iron Man 3! (I'm not crying! You're crying!). Happy, Tony Stark's driver and bodyguard, comforts Tony's daughter and offers to go get her cheeseburgers. What her father loved.
And finally Steve Rogers. Now, Steve Rogers doesn't technically die. He just travels back in time to return the Stones where they were. But rather than return to the present, he decides to stay in the past, marry Peggy Carter, and live a long, happy life with her.
Sam Wilson finds the Captain in his true form, as an old man sitting on a bench with his shield by his side. He passes it on to Sam Wilson, making him the new Captain America.
The final shot in the movie is of Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter dancing to "It's Been A Long, Long Time". Just like he promised her at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger before he crashed the carrier into the ocean and was frozen for seventy years.
This could not have been a more perfect ending to what is arguably the definitive blockbuster saga of my generation. It reminded me of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Return of the Jedi, Return of the King, and Toy Story 3 as a perfect, satisfying sendoff to characters we love dearly. Everything is just tied up in such a perfect bow!
As I mentioned, this will not be the final Marvel movie. Not even close. There will be a Guardians of the Galaxy 3 directed by James Gunn (as God intended), a Black Panther 2, a Captain Marvel 2, and countless new solo films with new heroes, as well as countless new streaming shows in the pipeline for Disney+, the new streaming service from Disney. And the exciting thing is that with Black Panther and Captain Marvel, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is entering an exciting new era of diversity and inclusion filled with heroes from different backgrounds and identities. Millions more fans will have heroes they can identify with and connect with in the same way I connected with Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.
Even though the Marvel Cinematic Universe will go on, for me and my generation it will always be about the movies from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). It will always be about these particular characters and this particular story.
In many ways, Phases I - III of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are to my generation what the Original Star Wars trilogy was to our parents. Though there will always be more Star Wars movies, for our parents it will always be about Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia.
To think, this all started from a movie in 2008 that nobody expected to like, let alone make a sequel to. Nobody could have guessed ten years ago that the world we become invested in a movie franchise that included a man in a high-tech suit, a god of thunder, a 70 year old super soldier, a green giant, a talking tree and a raccoon with a gun, a wizard, a girl who punches spaceships, and a man who can shrink to the size of an ant. Yet here we are.
To Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Keven Feige, Jon Favreau, Joss Whedon, James Gunn, the Russo Brothers, Ryan Coogler, Scott Derickson, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, and everyone who worked on these movies both in front of the camera and behind, I speak for all fans when I say, Thank You.
Thank You for welcoming us to a grand universe with characters who have become like family to us. Thank you for captivating our imaginations. And thank you for inspiring us all to be heroes.
I love you 3,000! <3
Excelsior
