11 years. 21 films. But as Tony Stark says "Part of the journey is the end." 

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And thats what makes Avengers: Endgame such a hard film to review. Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2008 with Iron Man I've met the love of my life and got married, moved from a tiny town to a city, started and finished a degree, brought a house, and been made redundant to name only a small amount of life stuff that has happened as these films have rolled out into our world. Throughout the twists and turns of life, I've journeyed with these Marvel characters, stories, and franchises. So for me and so many others, Avengers: Endgame is a truck load of nostalgia all rolled into one film. 

 

These films are a cinematic tapestry which has become such a huge part of our lives. They've impacted popular culture like nothing else in recent memory. And they've made being into superheroes not geek chic but mainstream cool. 

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Which makes reviewing it all the harder, but I will try, without any spoilers of course. 

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Avengers: Endgame begins pretty much where Infinity War left off. Thanos has won, half of life on our planet has been wiped out, the Avengers are scattered; we have lost. But as the Avengers regroup they realise that there just might be a way to defeat Thanos once and for all. 

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Even though Robert Downey Jr. is brilliant as Tony Stark, I've always thought that there was range to him as an actor that Tony Stark hadn't quite demanded. But boy does he deliver here. There is a place that he goes to in his acting range that we have never seen Downey Jr. ever do with Stark and its utterly mind blowing. 

 

Steve 'Captain America' Rogers gets more than his moment with some terrific, fist pumping, standing ovation moments. Captain America is probably my favourite Marvel hero (if I had to chose) and I'm so, so happy what they did with him as a character. Its perfection.  

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Now Thor. You will either love what they do with him or be a bit annoyed but after you've seen it think on this: they had to do what they did with him in the larger sense of the story - to add one side of the same emotional coin. And the results are pretty outstanding I reckon. 

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The tone of the film from the very beginning is not a superhero sanitised one. The effects of Thano's finger snap feels very, very real; The Dark Knight Returns kinda real. Every other character gets their moment to shine, all the story lines are wrapped up, the action set pieces are superb, and it doesn't feel like its just over three hours long at all.

 

I don't know how many times I found myself spontaneously clapping, laughing, and my face was plastered with a goofy child like grin for the duration. Its just that good of a ride. But I also may have cried more than once too. You have been warned - its a real tear jerker.

 

It's everything I could have hoped for and so, so much more and I can't shake the feeling that I've not only witnessed cinematic history but that I'll probably never see anything like it again. The Russo brothers and the whole Marvel team have not only done themselves proud, but have given fans the Endgame they deserve.

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Avengers: Endgame is a cinematic masterpiece that more than rewards its fans.