By Michael P Coleman
Miraculously, I managed to see the entertaining, somewhat bloated new Avengers: Endgame last night, five whole days after its record-shattering debut, before encountering any plot spoilers.
I hope you have the same experience, especially if you’re a die-hard Marvel fan and have endured 22 movies, beginning with 2008’s Iron Man, to get you to this place in time.
One of those faithful fans saw the new film right after its premiere, and sent me the following note:
“Avengers: Endgame. Every other comic book movie that follows will lack in some way.”
Very uncharacteristically, I couldn’t summon the words to reply to that. Now that I’ve seen the new movie, here goes:
“Avengers: Endgame. If you really believe that, you have ingested a healthy dose of the Marvel / Disney Kool-Aid.”
The new three hour epic is a good half hour or so too long, hampered by a sagging second act that needed a tighter edit. That said, with one exception, I was satisfied with the way in which several story arcs concluded, and actually surprised by three of them. However, a couple of those resolutions, and one in particular involving your friendly neighborhood web-slinger, kinda jumped the shark.
Another complaint about Avengers: Endgame is the obvious effort to yank on the heart strings. I’m as big of a wimp as anyone when watching a movie — I can’t get through The Lion King around Father’s Day without tearing up — but as soon as I realize I’m being emotionally manipulated, I’m outta there.
(I need to apply that mettle to my personal life.)
See Avengers: Endgame on as big a screen as you can, because there’s a LOT going on up on that screen. The flick’s a great diversion from the travails of the daily grind.
And hat’s off to Marvel / Disney — I’m enjoying more and more of that Kool-Aid with each succulent, cinematic sip.
Avengers: Endgame is showing at almost every theatre known to man.
Michael's Mind's Eye 