So I just watched Endgame yesterday and I feel like writing down my impressions. Overall I enjoyed it a lot but I'm disgruntled about some choices. Forgive me if I beat dead horses along the way.
The first act is awesome. It's slow but none of the scenes felt like they were unnecessary. If anything I would have loved it if they explored the fallout of the snap even further. I really felt for Tony and Natasha. His bond with his daughter was conveyed in a very concise yet compelling way. Fat Thor was funny and it makes sense for him to become depressed after failing to kill Thanos; I guess the story needed a source of comic relief. With such a large audience you have to drop some comedy here and there to keep them engaged, especially those who didn't follow the entirety of the MCU and aren't as invested in the characters. However, we got no explanation for why Hawkeye was absent during IW. Did I miss something? His reintroduction as Ronin was cool as hell but for the rest of the film, he feels like the exact same character that we know. It's like they built up the mystery around him but defused it afterward. Why did he even get a tattoo? About Captain Marvel, I'm gonna be blunt and say she is a boring character and her smug, know-it-all, attitude is unbecoming of a heroine. It could have made sense if it's part of a character arc that leads her to become a more well-rounded person, but there's no point to be made wit her personality: she's like that and that's it. She has no emotional range. I'm glad she didn't take much screentime. Natasha, Gamora, and Nebula are much, much more interesting in comparison.
The second act is fine. It moves the plot where it needs to be. I didn't care for whether the time travel shenanigans make sense or not--pretty sure they don't. The short extra scenes showing the aftermath of Avengers 1 were nice. The callback to the elevator scene in Winter Soldier was well-thought, I was expecting Cap to say "Does anyone want to get out?". The "Hail Hydra" is a cool nod to the comics as well. Cap stumbling upon Cap and Tony meeting his father is a bit too convenient to prevent the mission from going too smoothly, but I get that writing 101 requires you to put obstacles for your characters. Going back further in time to make up for a blunder was a great idea. That exchange between Tony and Steve "Do you trust me?" "I do" is one of my favorite moments in the film. His goodbye scene with his father got me as well. Also, I should give a shout out to Rhodey/Cheadle for being really funny. Nebula grew on me as well. Natasha's demise makes sense for her character and the whole dialogue with Hawkeye is well written. But what the fuck is Red Skull doing on that planet? He got there through a portal, okay, but why roleplay death?
Then comes the third act. The Tony/Cap/Thor tag team vs Thanos was damn good to watch, except that Iron Man is a bit underutilized. But still one of the best fights in the MCU for sure. The reveal of Cap holding Mjolnir was perfectly shot, and the choreography between shield and hammer is on-point. Seeing the shield break under Thanos' brutal attacks is poignant considering how many fights it survived before. Definitely a highlight of the film and second only to the Avengers Assemble moment, which gave me huge and lasting goosebumps. It's EXACTLY what I thought the finale should be like: an all-out war with the entire cast taking part. An incredible payoff to a decade of movies. That said, characters like Hulk and Bucky are severely underutilized. On the other hand, Rescue and Giant-Man punching a Leviathan and stomping grunts in the face are very satisfying. The all-female shot is cringy but thankfully it lasts only for a moment.
Now, Iron Man's death and funeral are definitely poignant. Cap finally reuniting with the love of his life is a clever way to bring closure to his character. I get that. I also understand that maybe the actors want to move on to other projects.
But will the MCU sustain its popularity with these two iconic characters gone for good? I doubt it. Standalone films will do just fine, but if they plan for a future Avengers movie, will the audience be as invested? Personally, I won't be.
And Thor joining Quill's crew to go on adventures is disappointing; how cowardly of him to leave his people when they need him just because he doesn't feel like bearing that responsibility. I understand that Valkyrie is the only person left who can lead them, but what leadership abilities did she display before? She's mostly a warrior. Thor delivering a bit of wordplay to justify his decision is not convincing for me. Is that the right conclusion for a hero and heir to a throne? What if he comes back and finds his people slaughtered down to the last person by some new cosmic threat? Wouldn't he feel guilty and get depressed again? I'm frustrated by this choice. It also undermines the point of Fat Thor. I thought it was the "belly of the whale" moment in the hero's journey that is meant to precede the growth towards the character's better self. I don't think that fleeing your responsibilities is the best payoff for Thor's character nor it is a good role model for audiences.
And as for Sam taking the shield, can he become an inspiring figure like Steve when the situation requires it? Is he going to give up his fighting style and learn how to handle the shield? I don't think they needed to take that idea from the comics and bring it to the film. Speaking of which, why bring up that joke about America's ass not once but twice? Is this how they want the American audience to think of their nation--as a joke?
Overall Endgame was solid. Infinity War is still the better film of the two for me as it does everything right. I have to commend Endgame for not spoiling its best moments in the trailers and TV spots, while still building up mad hype.
