Avengers: Endgame

Beyond arguably the most star studded cast in a successful film franchise, Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of a decades long legacy and realization for the Marvel franchise and it doesn't disappoint.  It delivers and then some, in hefty but fitting doses for the fans and critiques alike.  In the aftermath that is Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame is exciting, witty, surprising, unexpected, nostalgic, and delivers tons of obligatory action.  At 3 hours long, the Russo brothers pack it with story oriented trips down memory lane and the like, that return the franchise to it's roots started in 2008's Iron Man and send it off with a conclusion and continuation rarely seen in this type of genre.  Free range is given to explore and celebrate the original Avenger characters and this is just as great as the action that we've come to expect.  Those character bonds, their angst, tragedies, and triumphs are dived into wholeheartedly.  Much of what ties all the characters, including the seemingly ordinary ones, of these 21 films together in story and ultimately as an integral solution to their current dilemma is a treat that is sprinkled in generous doses throughout here.  Avengers: Endgame certainly has it's flaws, mostly in terms of uneven tone and pacing for the length. A mandatory second viewing may flesh them out further. But whatever minor criticisms I may have on that front, are just that in the overall scheme of things.  Endgame is what we've been waiting for and it's a celebration of all of these successful films (let's not forget TV, too)  tied together and if you've enjoyed anyone of those films, then Endgame will resonate with you on some level.  Marvel has made so many ascending strides in the superhero genre and they flaunt it here, sometimes unabashedly.  So while there is a somberness and celebration here, there is also a continuation in more films in the works and on the way.