Warning: This review contains massive spoilers!
Another warning in case you missed the first one.
And another!
Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?
My journey to Avengers: Endgame was an interesting one.
I was hyped for the movie, the characters, the ending, the memes, and the potential heartbreaks. Last time I was this excited was when I was opening the first page of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.
Soon after I had booked my ticket, I won an invitation to Endgame’s premiere at VOX Cinemas on April 23rd. Since some of the scenes were leaked a week before the movie’s release, I bid a temporary farewell to my social media accounts to save myself from spoilers.
It turned out that only my non-MCU friend was available to accompany me to the premiere. So, what do we say to the God of I-don’t-know-anything-about-MCU? Not today.
I spent three days and the morning of the premiere, along with another friend, explaining the characters to her — Green for Gamora and Blue for Nebula — and then made her watch a 30 minute video which explained all of the MCU movies. And then summarized Infinity War for her. And then explained what was to be expected from Endgame.
It was the ultimate test: how much did I value these characters? Luckily, I passed with flying colors because said friend is now a big fan of the MCU.
So, now let’s go back to the night of the premiere.
It was an amazing experience; I found 4 rings and a bracelet that I turned into an infinity gauntlet. But they were nothing compared to the costumes some of the other fans were wearing.
We saw the movie, we cried, we laughed, and we got giveaways. I loved the credits they made for the OG Avengers. You could also hear Tony striking metal to make his suit from Iron Man 1 towards the end. The Russo brothers explained that it was a nod to his character.
Sigh, I need some cheeseburgers.
I was relieved that I was now safe from spoilers and could enjoy my life. Well, as much as I could now that Tony and Natasha were dead.
Obviously, I was wrong.
I had to wait and wait and wait for my friends and family to watch the movie. I kept thinking about the ‘I love you 3,000’ line. It was horrible — sure I could roam around the internet like nothing could ever hurt me. But I had to wait for everyone to watch the movie before I could talk about Tony, or ‘Hail Hydra’, or Black Widow dying, or Thor joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, or Cap lifting the hammer, or the portals opening right after Sam says ‘on your left’.
There were so many things going on in the movie — I loved how Ant-Man was finally given the spotlight he deserved. The brothers also did a great job with Thor’s character. Who wouldn’t like to see him as we did in the previous movies, but it’s important to remember that he suffered through a lot. It would have been illogical to see him back as ‘smoldering fire’ within a few days. Also, Thor strolling into the Avengers compound wearing sunglasses was absolutely hilarious. Another satisfying moment was seeing Wanda fighting Thanos singlehandedly.
I have, so far, seen the movie twice. Because Endgame is the kind of movie you need to watch more than once. At the first screening, you will be delighted to notice all the wonderful Easter eggs and the team-up sequences. And then at the second screening, you will find more details that you missed the first time (I found Howard the Duck finally).
What Marvel does best is embrace the fact that their characters are based on comic books. I can’t wait to see how they will deal with the impact of the snap in Spider-Man: Far From Home and the next phase.
Until then, I have to say: I loved the movie 3,000.
Habiba Tahir 