'Avengers: Endgame'signifies the end of an era and is sure to bring a tear to your eye.

Story

After the events of Avengers Infinity War, the Avengers (or what is left of them) come together to try and cope with the tremendous loss and avenge the fallen

The story picks up right after the events of Infinity War left off, it doesn't miss a beat and due to that fact I recommend watching Infinity War before you watch this. (if you haven't already)

Acting

In my Infinity War review (that you can read here) I said the acting was very emotional and weighted and this movie manages to ramp it up even more. Most of the cast start the movie in a broken place and because of that, you feel even more connected to them. As characters, they have to work to pull themselves up from the dark place they're in.

The original Avengers are the main cast of this movie and we all know the cast have great chemistry based on the three previous Avengers movies. They feel like a family which makes their light-hearted moments even more enjoyable, especially in light of their personal trauma.

Some actors in this movie give their best performances in this movie (as far as the MCU goes) everyone brings their A-game and because of that, the movie as a whole is elevated. The characters are the emotional backbone if the film and you feel their pain because it is the same pain you feel as a viewer.

Writing/Direction

The movie was directed by Joe and Anthony Russo who directed the previous movie and as mentioned in my Infinity War review, they know how to handle a large scale and a lot of characters and while the cast is reduced when compared with Infinity War, the scale is just as big. This is a story driven movie but you never feel like the main characters take a back seat to the story. Much like its predecessor, you are connected to all the characters and care about all the journey that they go on throughout the film.

A massive point of contention with many people is the runtime. The film has a runtime of 3 hours and 2 minutes but it doesn't feel that long while you watch it. There is so much going on in this movie and you are so engrossed in the movie that it doesn't feel like a 3-hour movie. The pacing is extremely solid at no point does the movie feel like it is slowing down. Every moment is intriguing as you know it's adding something to the final battle and story as a whole.

This movie has the same tone as Infintiy War, where it is a serious movie with comedic moments but it doesn't compromise the integrity of the movie as a whole. The funny moments make you laugh, the emotional moments hit you in your feels and make you slow down and take in what is in front of you.

There is real character growth in this movie, I'm not going to get into that because those would be spoilers but seeing these characters grow over the course of the movie makes the experience more rewarding. Having character driven moments makes the movie more enjoyable and creates a more fulfilling experience.

I also have to talk about the shot composition, especially in the third act. One in particular is absolutely breathtaking and if you've seen the film, you know exactly what I mean. I would get that shot printed out as a poster because it really looks that good.

CGI/Set Design

CGI plays a very large role in this movie like most Marvel and the CGI just keeps getting better and better. Movies like this one only have to rely heavily on CGI and too much of it causes me to lose focus on what is going on, and that did happen to me on one occasion, and it took me out for only a few seconds. Not enough to fully check out but enough to lose my focus.

Infinity War has very deliberate colour grading to differentiate each location, but this movie doesn't have that. The overall colour of the film matches the tone serving as a visual cue leading into the film you're watching.

Score/Soundtrack

Much the previous movie, Alan Silvestri return to score the movie. A lot of the same pieces are used which adds an auditory continuity. It borrows pieces from all over the MCU like the previous one like the Avengers theme and Captain America's theme.

Alan Silvestri's use of strings gives the score more weight and makes you connect with the movie more. The emotional moments hit home harder not only because of what you see but what you hear. His placement of score is also perfect. No song ever feels out of place, it's all perfectly timed and goes with each scene, which is a testament to Alan Silvestri's talent.  I would give an arm and a leg to have been in the room when the score was recorded.

I honestly don't think I will ever get tired oh hearing the Avengers theme, it reminds me that I have been a part of this franchise for so long.

Overall Thoughts

Having seen Endgame, I don't see it as a stand-alone movie. It is very much a direct continuation to Infinity War. I look at those movies like Kill Bill Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, where they are widely considered to be one movie. You cannot watch Endgame as a standalone movie unless you are familiar with the events on previous Marvel movies.

I absolutely loved Endgame (I can't go into details without spoiling it and I wouldn't want to do that)  As someone who has been heavily invested in the MCU since 2008, this was the perfect conclusion to the Infinity Saga, you get so much fan service without compromising the story as a whole. I laughed cried and cheered. Watching this movie feels like a bonding experience, I turned to the guy sitting next to me and asked if he was okay. I have ever watched a movie in such an emotionally charged environment and it made the whole experience better.

I could not have asked for a better way to end this story that has been a part of my life for the last 11 years (that's half my life). I was everything I wanted and more and I will definitely see it again and again.