Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Avengers: Endgame’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

If there’s one thing that just so happened to dominate my social media feeds this weekend when it comes to Avengers: Endgame, it was the shared memory we all took part in, when it comes to how we were introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that honestly should come as no surprise. For eleven years ago, on a weekend in May, we all stepped through the doors of our local theater to see a comic book film that quite frankly, transformed our lives in ways we never imagined. Because Iron Man was a film unlike any other, we’d ever seen, since it was a superhero movie, that was actually good!
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I mean, come on, the acting was top notch, the special effects took our breath away, and for the first time ever, it seemed as though someone actually cared about giving comic book characters the respect they deserve on the silver screen and well…what made this movie so transformative is that it signaled the beginning of a long and magnificent journey. For the MCU delivered one incredible motion picture after another following this blockbuster, each one bigger than the last and each one improving in quality and design, and they outright sucked us in as they provided us with adventures that ignited our imaginations and captivated our hearts and now, twenty-two magnificent films later, we’ve come to the end of this powerful journey and really, the big question that hovers over Endgame, is whether or not it is a worthy conclusion to ‘The Infinity Saga’, and the short answer is, you’re damn right it is.

In fact, I’m ready to declare it as the finest superhero movie I’ve ever seen, for quite a few reasons and the first one on my mind is the sheer fact that this is hands down the biggest superhero movie I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. I mean this sucker is epic through and through, with action scenes that left my jaw on the floor and while that was impressive in its own right, what I truly appreciated about the action and adventure present in this film, is how it made me feel like a kid again. For there are sequences here, that are ripped straight out of my childhood, and likely the childhoods of others, since I know I’m not the only one who would make seemingly impossible moments happen with their superhero toys in the basement or the yard and those moments come to life in this motion picture and that truly sends your heart soaring and the wonder of this film doesn’t end there. 

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Because this is also a finale that has a lot of heart, and emotion and I really appreciated the fact that it knew how to balance everything perfectly. For the jokes work exactly when they need to, and they’re a welcome respite from the breathtaking action and they also help to break up the more emotionally powerful moments present in this story and it is important to mention that Endgame is going to tug on your heartstrings and bring tears to your eyes and quite frankly, the less we say about that the better, because you need to experience that first hand. But what matters more about this emotional roller coaster ride, is that it also manages to move you by paying tribute to the saga itself by way of some delightful Easter eggs, the kind that remind you of every wonderful moment you’ve enjoyed over the past decade and those lovely little surprises bring a smile to your face and they serve as the gateway to the film’s best asset, it’s heroes.
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For this, is their finest hour, this, is when the Avengers finally become heroes. And I know what you’re thinking, ‘John, they’ve ALWAYS been heroes!’ and that is justified, but only half true. Because over the course of this long and winding journey, we’ve seen all of their flaws on display, and we’ve seen them battle one another and themselves as a direct result of their fears and insecurities. But here, they put all that aside because there is so much at stake, and it is simply breathtaking to see every last one of them, put the mission and innocent lives above anything else, and watching them transform before our very eyes into the heroes we know in print is simply a thing of true beauty and seeing them come together and battle evil as one, is an outright rush, one that invests you the story completely, since you want nothing more than to see them save the day.

All of these elements make this movie, outright perfect, and the story moves with such beautiful urgency that you never once notice its three-hour run time. But what matters most, is that in many ways, it’s obvious that this story is a thank you to all of the fans who stood by these films, and watched every single minute of this grand and sweeping saga with glee, and our reward for our loyalty, is everything we could have asked for and more from a superhero movie. Because this is the big one, the one that will be talked about and shared for generations due to the fact that it accomplished wonders and honestly, I have no idea how Marvel will ever top this one, and I genuinely hope, they don’t try. For this movie, and the ones that came before it are truly special, and trying to replicate their magic would be downright silly. But, before we move into a bold new future for the MCU, it’s best you see this grand finale of the Infinity Saga in theaters as soon as possible and as often as possible, in order to once again enjoy the magic and the wonder of childhood dreams, come to life…   

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