Here it is: the big one.
Going in, I really didn’t know what was going to happen or even what I
wanted to happen, and while on one hand I was so ready for it, on the other I
was in total “I can’t even” mode. But I
came out on the other side. I won’t get
into any plot spoliers for this review (save all that for future Marvelous
Wednesdays,) but I will get into my impressions/reactions and how I thought the
plot served the major characters.
As far as
a plot summary goes, I won’t say anything that isn’t revealed in the
trailer. The surviving heroes – chiefly,
the original six Avengers, plus a few additional characters and bonus cameos –
deal with the aftermath of the Snap and prepare to do “whatever it takes” to
reverse its effects, hoping to bring back everyone they lost and defeat Thanos
for good.
This is a
film that’s the culmination of over a decade of groundwork, and you very much
feel that baked into the core of the movie.
It’s “a love letter to the fans” in the truest sense of the phrase, with
numerous allusions, callbacks, and surprise inclusions from the last 10+ years
of the franchise. There were multiple
moments that, from a fan perspective, were just so damn satisfying. I
definitely cheered, I whispered, “Yessssss!”,
I welled up, and I may or may not have done some excited hand-flapping.
With the
franchise’s big team-up films, I’ve been impressed with how the Russos and
their crew have managed to juggle the ever-increasing cast. To me, they’ve displayed an ability to
balance the needs of the story (meaning some characters by necessity will have
much more screentime than others) with the desires of the fans to see
meaningful moments for their favorites (not that we’re ever 100% satisfied,
since there’s never enough screentime to go around, but even though we only see
some characters briefly, we pretty much always see them used to good
effect.) With the big focuse here on the
original six and a few significant add-ons, there’s not nearly as much juggling required, at least
compared to Infinity War, but it’s
still a major balancing act, and on the whole I think they do a great job with
it. It feels like a true ensemble piece
for the major characters, with all of the old guard getting their own emotional
through-lines and important contributions to make. For the most part, the other significant
characters get less focus than the core six, but most of them are
similarly-integral to the story and have their own journeys to go on.
In a way,
the movie reminds me of one of the more successful series finales for a TV show
(even though, going forward, the MCU will live on in a different way.) It attempts to take our heroes to higher
stakes than they’ve ever faced before while honoring the past and bringing
beloved characters to resolutions based on everywhere they’ve been before. The original “heart” of the series takes
pride of place, but characters who’ve joined the story along the way are incorporated
well into the proceedings. It’s a
goodbye but not an ending, and more than anything, it’s a thank you to the fans
who’ve loved it for so many years.
Warnings
Strong
comic-book violence, drinking, language, and strong thematic elements.
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