Avengers Endgame Review (spoiler free)

I was back in the US over the Easter weekend because it's midterm week and I didn't have any classes (an advantage of my university using computer based testing). I got back yesterday (Wednesday night Korea time) and this morning I went out to see Endgame. Since it's a new release, I'll keep this review spoiler free (and short).

And as usual, since Google search results of parents wondering if there are curse words in the film tend to lead them to me, yes. There is more cursing than in previous MCU films. No F-bombs, but plenty more. Even Cap gets in on the "language" (subtle callback to Avengers: Age of Ultron I think).

So, we've got another big movie, and long. It's 3 hours. Luckily for me, I controlled my water intake in the morning and used the restroom right before the movie started. I didn't take a drink in. And I didn't have any bladder-related distress during the run-time. But others have, so be warned. I don't think this counts as a spoiler -- it may to some, so apologies if it does -- but there are no after-credit scenes in this one. I was the only person in the theater watching through the whole credit sequence (something I liked to do even before the MCU made it popular) and there's no tie-in to the upcoming Spider-Man Far From Home or any other movies.

And that's the big take-away from the film. It really wraps up the saga that's been going on since the first Thor movie started to work in hints of what was to come. The script is well done. I didn't notice any plot holes. It's complex, with multiple story lines and a huge cast. It takes what came before and makes it all feel like a complete narrative.

Visuals and sound? Great as usual. Lots of callbacks to previous films, and elements and threads woven into this story line. The GotG ship plays a big part in the film, which means it has some great Star Lord music. The orchestral score is good, too.

The tone of the film is bitter-sweet. Appropriate for a film that closes out an era of film-making 11 years long. It's got some really funny parts, some sad parts, some exciting parts. If you've come to care about these characters over the course of the films (or from years of reading comics before them), it will be a roller coaster ride of emotion. I was, to be honest, a bit stunned by the emotion as I left the theater and grabbed a burger for lunch.

There was a lot of fan theorizing. My son and I did a lot ourselves. Some of it was close, but nothing I'd read or viewed, or thought of myself, prepared me for this movie. And I'm glad.

Bravo, Marvel. Even if everything you do from here jumps the shark, you've created a wonderful multi-film narrative that will be a joy to re-watch in the future.