AVENGERS: ENDGAME
US, 2019, 181 minutes, Colour.
Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Karen Gillen, Zoe Saldana, Evangeline Lilly, Tessa Thompson, Rene Rosso, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastien Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Letitia Wright, John Slattery, Tilda Swinton, Jon Favreau, Hayley Atwell, Natalie Portman, Marisa Tomei, Takia Waititi, Angela Bassett, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, William Hurt, Cobe Smulders, Sean Gunn, Robert Redford, Linda Cardellini, Frank Grillo, Hiroyuki Sanada, James D’Arcy?, Vin diesel, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Samuel L.Jackson, Stan Lee.
Directed by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo.
This time you can’t have too much of a good thing. In the past Avengers films, there was perhaps too much, in so far as they were a succession of superheroes lining up in a queue to do their particular battle scene and then move on. This time they are really integrated into the action – all of them!
While some of them disintegrated into ash, given the hostility of Thanatos in Avengers: Infinity War, there may have been a certain pessimism with the demise of superheroes we really warm to. This time, fortunately, thanks to quantum physics, everyone can be eventually present. Einstein never dreamt of these consequences of his theories! And the climax is an extraordinary, highly populated Armageddon battle.
Initially Tony Stark is lost in space – but, just as well the film of Captain Marvel was such a box office success, it is she who flies through space and rescues him! She also has some good, powerful scenes confronting Thanos.
It is Scott Lang, Antman, his life energy accidentally flicked on again who proposes to the remaining avenges, especially Tony Stark with his science and industry background, quantum physics. The group work on a way of going back into the past, to the moments when the Tesseract stones could be located, have one chance of going back and recovering the stones, place them in the glove, and resurrect the world and characters that Thanos had destroyed.
So, already, we are seeing Iron Man, Antman, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, War Machine, Black Widow, all combining for the desperate mission. And, as they all go back to particular times, both on earth and in distant planets, there are all kinds of encounters with the past, a reminder of how many characters there were in each of the superhero movies, and some flashbacks to the heroics of those earlier films.
And, of course, Josh Brolin’s Thanos is still dominating. And there are the new problems with his daughter, Nebula, and her loyalties or disloyalties.
So, enjoyable indulgence in memories of all the characters, excitement in their different teams as they go on their quests, all kinds of characters turning up from the past, even Loki and, a visit back to Asgard and Thor meeting his mother. (But no Anthony Hopkins is a!). And A rocket getting more screen time, piloting his spaceship, rivalry with Thor, Bradley Cooper obviously enjoying his voice roll.
So, all stops out (and beyond) for this final battle, everybody turning up, especially Black Panther and all his warriors. A spectacular battle to end all battles – at least for the present and the capacities for special effects.
But, there are several post scripts which are also enjoyable, a funeral which must have cost the production company a small fortune again with practically everybody eyes standing there in mourning. And then some continuations of plot, suggestions for future adventures, many of the characters settling down, memories of a couple who gave their lives and sacrifice to save others, and a special farewell to Captain America, his age having caught up with him.
There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour in action, in dialogue and, certainly, a special mention to Chris Hemsworth who has shown how good he is at comedy, for instance in Ghostbusters, where his down-and-out Thor, gone to seed, often drunk – and with an enormous beer belly – often steals the scenes he is in. And there is a cameo of Korg (director Taika Waititi, New Ziland accent and all).
Three hours (passing quite quickly in fact) of Marvel entertainment.
1. The title? The aftermath of the Infinity Wars? An endgame?
2. The situation, Thanos and his victory? The disappearance of the superheroes? The surviving Avengers? Reverting to their ordinary lives, Bruce Banner as more normal, less aggressive? Thor and his going to seed, drinking, beer-belly? The need for action? The need to gather the stones, collect them for the glove? Defy Thanos? Do battle with him? An ultimate victory? The musical score?
3. Scenes on Earth, America, homes, streets, the laboratories? The Stark Centre? New York City? The flashbacks to Washington DC in the 1970s? Outerspace, the range of planets?
4. The initial focus on the survivors, the screenplay making sure that everyone from the past films were present, images, memories, visits, the mission for the stones and encountering such different characters from past films? Explaining the return from the present and the need to reverse Thanos’s history? The Armageddon kind of battle? The funeral and everybody gathered to mourn? The post scripts, different characters, their future and destinies?
5. Tony Stark, lost in space, Captain Marvel and the rescue? His speech into the helmet? Captain Marvel saving him? Returning him to earth? His life, the laboratories, the encounter with Scott Lang?
6. Scott Lang, Antman, the flick and his revival, puzzled about the world? The visits, his meeting the Avengers, proposing quantum physics? The explanation of his plan?
7. The survivors, Tony Stark, Captain America, Hulk, War Machine, Hawkeye, Black Widow? Tony Stark’s hesitance, his experimentation, growing interest, consent?
8. Captain America in Tokyo, the martial arts battle, the Japanese villain, Hawkeye? His being persuaded to come back?
9. Bruce Banner, reduced to ordinary size, less aggressive and angry? The scenes of domesticity with Hawkeye, the family’s disappearance? His volunteering to do the test, returning home, recuperating the glove? The success of the test?
10. Thor, gone to seed, drinking, beer-belly, lounging around, the heroics disappeared, offhand comic remarks, with Korg and his New Zealand accent?
11. Thanos, ruling and outerspace, power? His daughters, Nebula, her appearance, loyalties to the Avengers, the clashes with her sister? Thanos and his power, separating the two experiences of Nebula, her loyalty, betrayal, confrontations with her sister, telling her what was to happen in the future? One saving the other? Their reconciliation?
12. Rocket, with the ship, his wisecracks, the vehicle, for the mission, participating? Meeting Quill? Meeting Tree again?
13. The return to different pasts, the clips of the superheroes in action? Bruce Banner and his encounter with the Seer, the world of Dr Strange? Thot and seeing Loki, going back to his home, memories of Jane, the final talk with his mother, her impending death?
14. Tony Stark, with Captain America, returning to the 1970s, the laboratories, the encounter with his father, the personality of his father, talking about his son? The glimpse of the scientist who will work with Antman?
15. Captain America and the rescue of the case, the presence of Loki, the deception? The politics of the time, the secretary?
16. In space, Thor in the confrontation with Thanos, killing him?
17. Hawkeye and Black Widow, the bond between them, memories, on the planet, the mysterious figure, the cliff, each willing to self-sacrifice, Black Widow, Hawkeye holding her,
her falling to her death?
18. The restoration of the stones, in the glove? The confrontation with Thanos, each of the Avengers with the possibility of his destruction?
19. The emergence of Quill, the memories of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nebula and her sister? His spacecraft, and a clash with Thor as to who was in charge? Rocket, reuniting with Tree?
20. The return of Peter Parker, his loyalty to Tony Stark?
21. The buildup to the battle, Black Panther and his entourage arriving, Dr Strange, the various troops? Going into battle? The special effects?
22. Tony Stark, his death? The grief? Everybody assembling for the funeral?
23. Captain America, the restoration of the past, his age, his two friends and his passing on the mission?
24. Hawkeye reunited with his family
25. Thor, his conceding the power of the throne to Valkyrie?
26. Restoration of the world, not without soul-sacrifice, and the prospects of further superheroics?
