‘Avengers: Endgame’ review: ‘An exhilarating ride unlike any cinematic event that’s come before’ (spoiler-free)
One year on from the events of 'Infinity War', the remaining Avengers embark on a last-ditch attempt to bring their friends back from their dusty fates and stop Thanos for good...
By Will Stroude
Words: Joe Passmore
Infinity War was largely seen as Marvel’s best, and one of the greatest, superhero epics of all time. And with the added pressure of ending on such a huge cliff-hanger, Endgame has a lot to live up to – especially given this is slated to break pretty much every box office record going.
So is the Avengers’ final outing worth over three hours of our time?
Endgame is a very different film to its predecessor: Where the latter was pretty much action from start to finish, Endgame focuses much more on character development; particularly the original six Avengers.
Some of this tonal shift from Infinity War to Endgame feels slightly jarring during the first act, with some of the initial humour feeling a little off. But once it warms up, Endgame is everything fans would want from the climax of this epic, decade-long journey. The way the sprawling pieces of this 22-film puzzle come together is intricate, intelligent and unlike any cinematic event that has come before.
While Endgame is undoubtedly fan service, it’s fan service done right. Every character gets their moment to shine; you’ll laugh at the genuinely funny quips, cry at the more poignant moments and have to resist the urge to stand up and cheer at at least 10 points throughout the film.
This epic adventure also boasts some of the best performances we’ve seen in a Marvel film, too – with Britain’s own Karen Gillan (Nebula) as a standout, closely followed by Robert Downey Jr in his finest hour as Iron Man. Paul Rudd, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner are all highlights too.
Despite so many characters and strands of narrative, the Russo brothers tie everything together effortlessly and create something that is coherent, exhilarating and acts as a beautifully-woven tapestry of the 21 films that came before, as well as being the explosive final act we all deserve.
Avengers: Endgame hits cinemas this Friday 26 April.
Rating: 4.5/5