Yeah man! Sunday afternoon at the movies FTW!
I really, really love what they did with Endgame. They managed to bring together or give closure to every major plot, character and movie over the last 11 years, and all in three hours. Chris Evans, in a recent interview, said that he was happy to be contracted to a series where you are pretty much guaranteed to be in a good film every time.
Some online articles liken the MCU movies to be like a TV series but on a much larger scale; I've made similar comparisons over the years. Endgame is like the final episode of a grand series that gives such incredible closure, but also leaves hints open for further stories. I just love how they have built an incredibly rich world over the last eleven years and managed to make consistently good films throughout.
Non-spoiler commentary:
- there is a scene where a main character has a dialogue with a non-main, and I didn't expect the non-main to be as emotionally vulnerable with what in the movie is a complete stranger. But I'm not overly worried about that. It was a superb scene and way to tie things off.
- the return of a villain was unexpected and totally squealworthy, and sets the scene for further stories.
- was not expecting a villain to be as they were at the beginning of the film, nor did I expect the sudden development. Yikes.
- so many characters get screen time it's not funny, I can't even begin to think how much money was required to pay the cast.
- I really should have watched Ant-Man and Wasp, and Captain Marvel before this movie. Probably should have watched Guardians 2 as well.
- The ultimate experience would be to binge watch all the MCU movies in order before you see Endgame. It would be an absolute masterwork that will probably never come again in our lifetime. I'm serious, seeing the development of characters and plot over time, and then capping it off with Endgame, would be spectacular.
- conversely, I can't fathom how anyone could go into Endgame without having seen pivotal movies like Iron Man, Captain America, Civil War or Infinity War. I know of people who did, and although they enjoyed it, they would have appreciated it far, far more had they seen the earlier movies.
- the is the end but also the beginning. Am really looking forward to how this moves forward.
I kind of envy the children who were old enough to begin with Iron Man in 2008 but still young enough to retain a sense of wonder, with Iron Man imprinting them emotionally as movies like Star Wars did for much earlier generations. Imagine them growing over the last 11 years, watching each movie and moving from pre-teens into their late teens and twenties.
I cannot think of another movie franchise which has run so long with recurring characters and actors, with the possible exception of Star Trek.
Thank you to Stan Lee and everyone at Marvel Studios for making all of this possible.
