Here it is. 11 years and 21 films building up to one final culmination. And having to follow up of the epic scale of Infinity War is no easy feat. But that is where the Russo’s, and everyone involved in creating Endgame have been so brilliant. Where Infinity War is so concerned with spectacle, Endgame isn’t. Endgame is a film far more concerned with smaller, more powerful moments. Of giving these characters all brilliant heartbreaking or heartwarming moments to shine.

We have had a year of constant theorising over what is to come, and how The Avengers will respond to Thanos’ snap. Well obviously some of theories are proven to be correct in the film (obviously I won’t divulge which), but I don’t think that anyone will truly expect what we got from Endgame. Even from early on the film takes unexpected turns, and what it does is ensures just how impactful both of these Avengers films will be on the wide Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.

There is obviously a lot of speculation that this will be the final hurrah for many of the original Avengers, and whether or not it is, many deliver some incredible performances. These are characters all truly devastated by what happened at the end of Infinity War and so the actors get to step outside their comfort zones for playing them, and bring something different. Robert Downey Jr is always a highlight in these films, but Jeremy Renner and Karen Gillan are big surprises delivering real heavyweight performances, and making Hawkeye and Nebula some of the standout aspects of the film.

And when we talk about Endgame as the culmination of a 22 film story, it really is more than anyone would have expected. It delivers an incredibly fitting resolution to everything these films have been building up to. And it does it running the full gamut of emotions. The film has all the humour that you would expect from a Marvel film, but there is so much more depth to it, and that is what you get from the decision to give these characters plenty of quieter moments. The film will break your heart, and it will fire you up with such incredible joy.

It is hard to believe that these are the heights the MCU has reached since Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk back in 2008. But in Endgame they have managed to top anything the MCU has seen before. This is a modern masterpiece of blockbuster cinema, and a perfect finale for this 11 year saga.

10/10