So, I cried. Not like cried like a baby or the ugly cried, but I think I cried on and off for the last 45 minutes.
Backing up a bit... this movie did not go in any of the directions that I thought it might. Beyond the "everybody who still has a contract with Marvel will be back at the end" expectation from the previous movie.
This was the perfect way to wrap up both the Infinity Gauntlet arc, and the last 22 movies. By tying it into iconic moments from the other movies, it allowed the audience to remember the joy and give it a whole new feel. And it gave all of the original Avengers something to do.
I also appreciate that in some ways this movie is a total troll. Especially when it comes to Thor... it wasn't the Thor we wanted (well, probably most of us, but I'm sure Chris Hemsworth had the best time ever), but it was definitely the Thor we knew and loved from Ragnarok. Likewise, the Hulk reveal wasn't what I was expecting at all.
And of course the finale had to feature both a 5 year time jump AND time travel. I read that Kevin Feige cited the final Star Trek: The Next Generation episode All Good Things as an inspiration for this movie and that absolutely makes complete sense.
It was also amazing that they got to tie in just about every single guest star possible, right down to the kid from Iron Man 3 appearing as a teenager (that one person in a black suit you just couldn't identify in THAT scene). But the point at which I both cried and wanted to punch the air and probably said "YES!" very quietly to myself is during the final fight when the portals start to open and ALL the returned heroes show up (and of course they let the stars of their highest grossing movie walk through first). But Tom Holland was the point I started to really cry.
On top of which the point at which all the badass Marvel ladies step up to give Captain Marvel a hand (not that I'm sure she really needed the help to be honest) was fucking awesome. Give me more of that... fuck it, give me a movie where they all team up and kick some ass, I don't even care what the plot is.
This is why the writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and the directors, Anthony and Joe Russo really get how to write/direct action that's not just Thing A hitting Thing B, they put character moments all through this damn thing... they just know how to make a great superhero movies. From Captain America and Thor's hammer to the kickass women to the fact that they knew that waiting an extra beat before Tom Holland stepped through the portal would have people leaning forward in expectation. And the seemingly endless number of references, both explicit and subtle to the other 22 movies in the series.
They also gave me the thing I didn't know I'd been wanting since 2011, Steve finally making good on his promise to Peggy. Honestly that was the only part of the movie that was "spoiled" for me before going in... otherwise I went in knowing nothing. And I wasn't even annoyed about that one spoil... because of course if they discover how time travel works, he would want to go back and just be a regular guy... or at least as regular as he could be. And who knows, maybe they made little superpowered babies.
I don't even care to be honest. That scene was just perfect.
And yes, it's very easy to forget that the finale is actually taking place on Earth, because the bad guys blow everything up so that it's generic rubble and could be anywhere (or more accurately, is one part practical rubble and 9 parts CGI). And it is a shame that both Captain Marvel and Okoye aren't in the movie more, given the fact that they both appear prominently on the poster, and a number of things from the first movie (like the meaning behind Thanos' visions of the little girl) kind of get glossed over, but they also don't feel super important to be honest.
Plus now we're never going to find out what actually happened in Budapest.
It's not necessarily the best Marvel movie from a critical standpoint, but it did make me love it and love it hard. And it is the end of an era.
yani's rating: 5 timelines out of 5
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