(There are spoilers in the review, so proceed at your own will. Or, you can come back to this review after watching the film.)
Avengers Endgame, the last in the recent Marvel’s superhero series has been shrouded in secrecy what with the producers guarding the secret with all their resources. The leak of the film online by TamilRockers a few days before the film’s release in India only underscored the reality that this was not paranoia but necessary caution. Even at the media show on Thursday evening, everybody had to submit their phones to the security before stepping in to watch the film.
There are spoilers ahead, so read frth
On the pertinent question whether the film is worth the wait, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo give us a befitting conclusion to the 22 preceding stories. And it's good enough to make you want and wait for the second season of Superheroes. The film opens where Avengers: Infinity left off with Tony Stark in space with Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) daughter Nebula (Karen Gillian) for company and sets the stage for what is to follow.
After their bitter defeat in Avengers: Infinity which turned several of them into dust, the gang unites once again to undo the irreparable damage wreaked by Thanos.
Having gone through the repeated cycle of villains and evil forces that seek to destroy the third rock from the sun, this edition has the writers Christopher Markus and Stephen Mc Feely go back in time to vanquish the mighty Thanos—the bestial conqueror who thinks that no price is too high for fulfilling his ambitions. Turning back the clock sounds like a breezy resolution of but as Tony Stark aka Iron Man says in the film- ' if you mess with time, it messes back with you.' There is a bit of cheeky exchange around all time travel movies—Back to Future and then some more, effectively making the point that time travel is no child play! Even superheroes need to step back with care.
As is the nature of the Marvel Universe the time-bound adventure does turn into a bit of a mess before things finally cleared up. This once too, things fall into place but not without some collateral damage. The money shot in the film certainly is the one when the army of evil, convinced of its victory suddenly comes face –to- face with a Superhero army to beat all others. Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Spiderman (Tom Holland), Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and more, pop up and march menacingly to lend the Avengers a helping hand. Much to the delight of the auds, it's a comic book strip come alive in 3 D and IMAX format.
One thing is certain though --when it comes to tentpole spectacle films like Avengers: Endgame, formula is a handy device. But the trick is to keep revising and rebooting it from time to time. It's not very different from our very own Bollywood masala films that need tweaking, infusion of new blood, new characters, emotional hooks and of course, clever contextual comedy. Avengers: Endgame has it all besides the bells and whistles provided by slick VFX gaming others and of course, a band of actors who have over the years developed a huge global constituency—Michael Douglas, Robert Redford, Michelle Pfieffer, Natalie Portman being just a few additions to the starry superhero crew.
But it’s the emotional undertones that work best. Where the earlier editions settled for casual irreverent camaraderie, this one is about relationships and has an emotional heft.
Robert Downey Jr gets to play the deliciously goofy Tony Stark with a few more layers in this edition. Stark has a wife pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow) and a daughter who loves him 3000! Thor ( Chris Hemsworth) struggles with the loss of his dear ones and even becomes something of an alcoholic, Captain America (Chris Evans) reconsiders his surefooted righteousness, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) goes back to defending a friendship fiercely with Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and so on. In Avengers: Endgame, almost every character except Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), ironically, has an emotional trigger brought on by the loss of loved ones. And everyone's hurting. Unlike most superhero films wherein the convenience of a mask and superpowers makes it akin to gladiators fighting –all brawn and muscle, Avengers: Endgame is all heart.
The victory, at the end of this 3 hour 1 minute superhero marathon is bitter-sweet; one that will leave fans wistful and probably aching for more.
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