Director: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jnr, Steve Rogers, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Brie Larson, Josh Brolin. Multiple cameos.
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Runtime: 181 mins. Reviewed in Apr 2019

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Rating notes: Violence

This American superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team, “The Avengers”. It is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and is the direct sequel to “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) where the universe was left in ruins. The film tells the story of the surviving members of the Avengers and their allies working to restore  the damage and destruction left by the Mad Titon, Thanos (Josh Brolin), the super-villain of “Infinity War”. Thanos got hold of all the Infinity Stones and wiped out half of all living beings, including some of the Avengers in “Infinity War”. This film has the Avengers team trying to capture the Infinity Stones to reshape the past, and secure a much better future for the world.

This is the movie where the remaining Avengers and their allies make one final stand to restore order to the universe. Several actors whose characters were killed in the events of “Infinity War” return to reprise their roles in “Endgame”. The Avengers that remained from “Infinity War”, worked out a way to bring their fellow-Avengers, who were left to die, back again to have a final showdown with Thanos. The secret of their strategy is to play fast and loose with time-travel.

The epilogue to “Captain Marvel” (2018) that starred Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel anticipated the events of “Endgame”, and in this film Captain Marvel joins the remaining heroes, and proves a worthy addition to the team with an incredible array of super-powers. Her character  is especially important for The Avengers’ final battle.

In this film, the old team are back in force, the core team being Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. Here, that team is augmented. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr) leads the team, aided by Captain America (Steve Rogers), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Ronin (Jeremy Renner), and others.

The film is intended to “wrap things up” at the end of an incredible successful series, and is marketed as the Avengers’ final stand. Thanos is dealt with eventually, but lots of villainy unwinds before the movie’s end. Only spoiler-alerts can reveal the secret behind that statement, but its meaning is clarified dramatically and very effectively in the second half.

This particular episode of The Avengers is cinematically spectacular. Scenes of the Avengers’ revenge on the damage done by Thanos show high-tech technology at its cinematic best, and drama and action combine in a thrilling way, especially during the second half where the film’s plot comes to its conclusion. The slow-burn of the film in its first half comes to a dazzling finale in the second half where nearly every Marvel hero you could imagine comes out to duel with Thanos,  and his renegade army, in spectacular fashion. However, it is inevitable that in this movie some of the Avengers meet a definite end, and won’t ever be alive to return.

What earmarks the success of the Avenger series, and especially this film, is that the narrative strength and character-depth go hand-in-hand in a harmonious and integrated way with the film’s special effects. The special effects are outstanding, but emotional moments involving the characters and the strength of the narrative behind them provide the film’s most memorable moments. The Avengers have graced the cinema for almost a decade, and what happens to them has had a cumulative impact which this film trades on in the way it develops its momentum by involving most of The Avengers in escalating super-hero action and adventure.

This is a long film at 181 mins, but its 3-hours viewing time is worth the wait. It is a spectacular conclusion to the Avenger series. There is a hint, though, at the end of this movie, that some of those in the Avengers team may have more to do in times to come, but viewers know that others will definitely not be returning. This is unquestionably the “team’s” cinema farewell.

Peter W. Sheehan is Associate of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting