Comic Book Movies

Was ‘Avengers: Endgame’ The MCU Conclusion We Wanted Or The One We Needed…

Published

3 years ago

September 6, 2020

‘Avengers: Endgame,’ has moments where I had to pinch and remind myself that this is a film about comic book superhero characters. There were times, however, when I was punching the air in sheer delight, moved to the edge of the sofa through wracked nerves and sobbed uncontrollably when it all got a bit too much, and all this in a film that I have seen 3 or 4 times now.

I mentioned in my recent review of Infinity War that I was a relatively late convert to the MCU. I always thought they were entertaining enough but ultimately a little silly and just full of smug cos-playing wisecrackers. Infinity War changed all of that, after watching it with Marvel devotees in a packed cinema, I suddenly understood that these films mean a hell of a lot to people and I was being drawn into it all, so much so that I started buying the blu-rays and rewatching them all and I finally understood the devotion.

Watching Endgame for the first time at a packed screening with my son, (who never had any doubt about the MCU) it was once again a piece of event cinema, things that truly are rare. It was a special day.

Yes, the film is long, but not really that you would notice. I remember thinking that the first meeting with Hulk was at the start of the movie, but it’s actually 35 mins in, the film keeps up a cracking pace. Besides, there are a lot of loose ends to tie up here. I will try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but as if this is the last hurrah for many of the characters, the original 6 Avengers (Iron Man, Cap, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk and Hawkeye) are put front and centre in this one, it is their film. The exception is Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man who was absent from Infinity War but here offers the majority of the comic relief.

The beauty of this film is that by and large, it is a conclusion, unlike some franchises that have ambiguous endings that allow for further development, here the story for the majority is satisfyingly ended. The loose ends are neatly tied, and the potential for other characters is firmly in place.

I’m not bothered too much about the science, it’s not why I watch these films. I am here for the spectacle and there is absolutely bucket loads here. From a storming revisit to 2012 New York, too a heartbreaking trip to Vormir. There is so much going on but it is brilliantly put together and is excellent storytelling that is immensely engaging.

The MCU films, especially those of the last 5 years or so have demonstrated social awareness, whether that be ‘Black Panther,’ or ‘Captain Marvel’ breaking down barriers for diverse casting and superheroes, with Endgame being no different. The depiction of mental health issues that Thor goes through, is played partly for laughs granted, but are also an interesting change of direction for the most other-worldly Marvel character. Hemsworth himself seems to enjoy the challenge of showing a completely different side to the God of Thunder.

There is also the brief girl-power moment of the final battle that has received some criticism of it clumsy handling, but better to have a brief moment like that than not at all, and once again shows that the female characters of the MCU are equal to all their male counterparts.

Now onto the final battle. If I’m honest it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the Battle of Wakanda from Infinity War but it is still enthralling and contains one of the greatest punch the air moments of quite frankly, any film.

The Portals scene warrants a new paragraph, it is simply majestic and for me, it is right up there with “I’m Spartacus”, George punching Biff and Lando flying the Falcon out of the 2nd Death Star, whilst engulfed in flames at the end of Return of the Jedi. Perfectly accompanied by Alan Silvestri’s rousing score, it is a moment that feels the MCU was building too. Even more touching that Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther is first out, especially when you consider that he led the charge alongside Cap in the Battle of Wakanda.

At this point the Cinema was literally bouncing, don’t think I’ve experienced anything like that in a UK cinema before. It was simply stunning.

I won’t say any more about the battle, most people have seen it now and know the outcomes but I will leave it there. The final 30 minutes of the film is like one long epilogue, but it’s beautifully done and like I said at the start ties up many of the loose ends.

If I am nitpicking there are a couple of moments that didn’t land. I’m never a fan of jokes that in time will age a film. Of course, it is always great to see Korg but the Fortnite gag won’t mean much in 10 years, likewise Hulk doing the dab with his young fans, but these are minor quibbles.

This is Cinema at it’s most communal, at it’s most epic. It is packed full of perfectly choreographed action, a plot that isn’t too full of itself. There are moments of unexpected humour, emotional deaths of favourite characters (some you may have expected beforehand, one definitely not) and all in all it’s a film that makes you feel good. It does also make me feel quite emotional, as the end credit roll call (which is a bit like a theatrical curtain call) is one final reminder of the effort that has been put in over the years simply to thrill and entertain, but also a reminder that this will be the last time this phenomenal cast will all be together in one place.

What started as a Cinematic experiment concludes with flying colours. The MCU will continue after Endgame for that there is no doubt, if it can just reach half the level of thrills and excitement then there is lots to look forward to.

FILM RATING

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Dom Holder

My name is Dominic Holder and I like to promote the beauty and wonder of Cinema in my writing. I spend a lot of time promoting the power of Cinema as a tool of wellbeing to anyone and everyone. I love all kinds of films but in particular I am a devoted fan of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, John Williams, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel. My love of Cinema stems from a trip as a 4 year old to local cinema in Bolton to watch a Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back double bill, it was the first in a series of life changing moments, I knew from the moment the Imperial Star Destroyer engulfed the screen at the start of A New Hope I was hooked. Thankfully nearly 40 years later I still get excited and still find escapism and happiness within this wonderful medium.

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Action

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Official Trailer

Arthur must enlist the help of his half-brother Orm in order to protect Atlantis against Black Manta, who has unleashed a devastating weapon in his obsessive quest to avenge his father’s death.

Published

1 week ago

September 14, 2023

Staff

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom [credit: Warner Bros. / DC]

Genre:

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Release Date:

December 20, 2023

Director:

James Wan

Cast:

Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Plot Summary:

Arthur must enlist the help of his half-brother Orm in order to protect Atlantis against Black Manta, who has unleashed a devastating weapon in his obsessive quest to avenge his father’s death.

FILM RATING

Disney +

Marvel Studios’ Loki Season 2 | Official Trailer | Disney +

The second season of the American television series Loki, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name, sees Loki working with Mobius M. Mobius, Hunter B-15, and other members of the Time Variance Authority to navigate the multiverse in order to find Sylvie, Ravonna Renslayer, and Miss Minutes.

Published

2 months ago

July 31, 2023

Staff

Genre:

Action, Adventure

Release Date:

October 6, 2023

Director:

Disney +

Cast:

Tom Hiddleston, Jonathan Majors, Sophia Di Martino, Owen Wilson

Plot Summary:

FILM RATING

Comic Book Movies

Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion Review: Nick Returns With A Fury

Published

2 months ago

July 26, 2023

Jacques van Zyl

Nick Fury (Marvel)

The following piece was written during the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the television series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Overview Of Secret Invasion

Secret Invasion is set in the present-day Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Nick Fury learns of an invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury, joined by Everett Ross, Maria Hill, and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth, races against time to stop an invasion and save humanity.

Brief Summary (Contains Spoilers)

The series starts off with Talos pursuing Everett Ross for the murder of a CIA agent, who had information about a potential Skrull rebellion. Maria Hill arrives on scene and discovers that Everett is a shapeshifting Skrull and contacts Nick Fury to request assistance. Nick returns to learn that not only has Talos been exiled from the Skrull Council, but Gravik is taking the lead with the rebellion. Fury approaches an old acquaintance by the name of Sonya Falsworth to propose an alliance, but to no avail. In the meantime, Talos reunites with his daughter, G’iah who shares with him the location of a Skrull attack in Russia. The mission to stop the attack not only end in failure, but in the death of one of Fury’s team mates. Fury and Talos is forced to escape to fight another day.

Gravik gains the support of the Skrull Council to lead them in a new war. Fury is blamed for the attack in Russia and the death of one of the team members, and is discharged of his duties. Sonya learns from another rebel that Gravik has a new weapon, a machine that can help enhance their strength with the use of powered DNA. The rebel’s next target is the Royal Navy. Their attempt to launch a missile at another aircraft is however thwarted by collective efforts from Fury, Talos, Sonya and G’iah. G’iah attempts to run away but is confronted by Gravik who shoots her and leaves her for dead.

G’iah, however, survives and lives to fight another day. We quickly learn that there is a rebel Skull Imposter posing as one of the Avengers. The rebels turn their focus on the President of the United States, and posing as Russian soldiers almost succeeds in their attempt, however, they leave behind many casualties. The rebel Skrulls tries to convince the United States President to attack one of the Skrull compounds. Gravik is willing to call off the attack in exchange for something from Nick that could potentially tip the scales in the favor of the rebels.

The last episode ends with a short but grand face-off between Fury and Gravik with a special twist…but I will leave this for you as the viewer to experience on the screen.

The summary has been written in such a way as to not spoil too much for the viewer.

Final Views

I really enjoyed the suspense and surprises that the series brought with every episode. Even though the series was only 6 episodes long, it kept the suspense alive and it kept the golden thread going that is taking place within the broader MCU. As you may recall, Captain Marvel’s movie end where she flew off to find a new home for the Skrulls and this series continue many years later where some of the Skrulls feel the promise of a new home has been broken. Even the blip is referenced and it keeps the memory alive of a world still affected by Thanos’ snap.

The rating for this series is definitely a 4 out of 5. The story had a feel of a crime drama and spy thriller. The fight scenes were amazing and I personally felt the last episode could have been longer to give us an even longer fight. There are many questions that this television series have going through my head that I won’t list over here to limit spoiling the experience for you as the viewer. I can only hope that some of the questions will be answered in future Marvel Studios productions.

*Olivia Colman as Sonya Falsworth (Marvel)*

Olivia Colman’s portrayal of Sonya Falsworth was really amazing to watch and I really hope we get to see more of her in future productions. Emelia Clark and Kingsley Ben-Adir brought in a breath of fresh air as G’iah and Gravik respectively. As always, having Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury is epic to say the least, and I encourage keeping both eyes on his performance throughout the MCU.

I highly recommend watching Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), WandaVision (2021), Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) before watching Secret Invasion. These movies provide the detailed backstory to most of the returning characters. These movies and television series are based on the list of recommendations made in Marvel Studios’ Legends as well.

There is no post-credits scene, so no need to wait till the end. The whole series is now available on Disney Plus so make sure to watch. This series is rumored to tie-in with both The Marvels and Armor Wars, upcoming movies in the MCU.

FILM RATING