Eleven years, 22 movies, one possible outcome: Avengers: Endgame is finally here and I for one am not gonna spoil it for you.
But I will say this - Endgame is quite simply everything you need it to be, and everything I wanted it to be.
The end of Avengers: Infinity War was as much heart-breaker as cliffhanger, with the click of his gargantuan, golden gloved fingers, Thanos wiped out half of all living things. That means half of the Avengers - Black Panther, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, Falcon and more.
Those left behind have to live with that loss and so much more. Avengers: Endgame is their story.
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As a fan-base we simply have too must invested now not to care deeply how this all ends. With much fan love, of course, comes much responsibility, and the Russo Brothers are perhaps the biggest fans of them all.
The pair first stepped up for Captain America: Winter Soldier and they have been stepping up ever since. And when it comes to crafting the final chapter in the world's most successful superhero franchise, you just need superhero directors to deliver it. They are, and they do.
Amidst the spectacle there are too many Herculean hero moments, too many tantalizing twists and turns and far too many king-hits to the heart to list. Of course, why would I even try? Endgame is a dish best served hot, without cutlery and 100 percent free of any added spoilers.
Plot-wise, I got nothing for you; there's nothing you need to know before buying the first of many tickets. You already know Nick Fury put Captain Marvel on speed-dial and after a swathe of trailers you already know everything else you need to know. The rest? Well, that's ready and waiting for you on the nearest, BIGGEST screen you can find.
Sprinkled generously over the drama, the action and the heartache is the perfectly pitched comic relief we've come to know and love from the usual sources (I'm talking about you Scott Lang) but also from some at times seriously weird quarters as Marvel bravely messes with the programme.
The entire three hour runtime, more than anything, is full to its bulging seams with so much fan loyalty and so much love.
Heroes come in many forms, cinematic heroes even more so. Making the ultimate sacrifice when it's personal, when there is simply everything to lose and you are the only one for the job? I'd argue nobody has done this better than Marvel has.
See Endgame now, then see it again.
Five stars.
Newshub.
