[Review] Avengers: Endgame: Every Journey Has Its End

Avengers: Endgame premiered last week, shattering box office records. It's expected to cross the two billion dollar mark in the next few days, becoming only the fifth film in history to achieve such a feat. Beyond its unprecedented box office success, the film has also received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with many fans wanting to see it a second time immediately after their first viewing. In this article, I'll share my thoughts on the film, and the content will contain major spoilers.

Avengers: Endgame is the 22nd film in this series, and it serves as a culmination of all 22 movies. As a line in the film states, every journey has its end. This movie is not just a sequel to Avengers: Infinity War, but the conclusion of several protagonists' storylines, bringing a fulfilling end to their journey in this cinematic universe. Marvel has spent 11 years and 22 films expanding this cinematic universe, with dozens of characters appearing in this movie. "Fortunately," Marvel cleverly halved the number of characters in the previous film, focusing this movie on the original Avengers protagonists, including those who depart in this installment: Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

Iron Man is the foundational hero and soul of this cinematic universe, and this film finally marks his departure. Compared to previous Avengers films, this movie seems to delve deeper into his personal story, especially after he established a family and had a wife and daughter, realizing he has far more to consider than ever before. Tony Stark is a man cursed by knowledge; he was supposed to die in the desert accident in the first Iron Man film, but he used his scientific expertise to create the Iron Man suit, extending his life time and again. Over these years, he had many opportunities to retire and live a happy life with his wife, but because he possessed knowledge, he felt he had a greater responsibility to contribute to human welfare, thus stepping forward repeatedly. In Avengers: Endgame, he once again has to choose between his family and human welfare, and his ultimate choice this time leads to the sacrifice of his own life. However, as his final line of dialogue states, he is Iron Man—this is the identity he chose, and it determined the path he had to walk. This line is also the very last line he spoke in the first Iron Man film, symbolizing the beginning of the heroic era, making it a perfect bookend.

I've heard someone describe it this way: if Iron Man is the brain of the Avengers, then Captain America is their heart. Over these years, Captain America has repeatedly sacrificed himself to save Earth, all for justice, friendship, and love. In this movie, he once again steps forward for the welfare of humanity. At the climax of the battle, his comrades are defeated by Thanos (Josh Brolin) one after another, but he refuses to give up. He falls but gets back up, determined to stand for humanity's existence no matter what. In the film, we see him single-handedly fighting Thanos's army. Just when we're anticipating how he'll win, the Avengers who turned to dust in the previous film finally return, the Avengers theme music swells in the background, and Captain America utters his classic comic book line: "Avengers, assemble!" Perhaps only he is truly qualified to lead the Avengers against their enemies! Captain America is a character cursed by time; he originally lived in the World War II era, only living in modern times by accident. Almost all his friends and loved ones from his era died, so it's no wonder that in this film, he finally gives up his rare opportunity to stay, choosing to go back to the past and live until old age, choosing to grow old with his beloved.

As for Black Widow, this cinematic universe has actually explored her personal story very little in the past; we will likely have to wait for her solo film next year to learn more. However, this movie largely allows us to understand her thoughts and feelings. Black Widow is a person cursed by identity. As a spy, she had no sense of self from a young age, forced to wear different masks and assume different identities to complete various missions. In this film, when she and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) must sacrifice one of their lives, Black Widow unhesitatingly decides to sacrifice her own, knowing that she has few attachments in the world and is replaceable; while Clint Barton has his family and loved ones. Of course, neither of them would easily let the other sacrifice themselves, and in their final moments, they try every method to restrain each other, preventing the other from jumping.

Avengers: Endgame is not just a film about endings; it's a grand retrospective of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's past 11 years. I've always admired Marvel's ability to create different styles and genres across various films, and this time, they managed to blend a heist movie with time travel elements, which is truly a testament to their creativity. The film cleverly utilizes the "Time Heist" element, allowing the Avengers to revisit key moments from past films, reliving the series' journey with the audience and bringing back some old characters for cameos. For a general audience, this film is already an entertaining and moving experience; but for die-hard fans of this cinematic universe, those who have watched all 21 previous films, perhaps even multiple times, this film feels like a love letter from Marvel, thanking them for their eleven years of support. The more familiar you are with the series, the more you will feel the gratitude conveyed by the film's production team. Moreover, the film contains many classic scenes from the comics, which are sure to thrill fans.

In particular, seeing Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) in the opening scene of Guardians of the Galaxy, listening to the classic music, deeply moved me, as it reminded me of my experience watching that film in the cinema many years ago, and of the friends I watched it with. We must thank Marvel for creating this 11-year cinematic journey, and even more, thank the companions who shared this journey with us. Do you remember the first MCU movie you saw? Do you remember who you watched it with? While watching this movie, I kept recalling past works in this cinematic universe, and also the circumstances under which I watched those films, and every companion I shared the viewing experience with. This cinematic universe has been ongoing for eleven years now, and I believe this time is enough for many relationships to be born and end. I wonder if the companions you watched your first MCU movie with are still by your side today? And will they be sitting next to you, watching this new installment together?

Every journey has its end. The ending of this film brings a fulfilling close to the journey of three Avengers, and it opens up infinite possibilities for Marvel's future. This film is the first in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without a post-credits scene, likely so the filmmakers wanted the audience to not immediately think about the direction of the next film, but rather to savor the film's ending and the entire 11-year cinematic experience.

Trailer:

Synopsis:

The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios' grand conclusion to twenty-two films, "Avengers: Endgame."

Photo and Source: Marvel