- [Narrator] This episode of Nerdist News is sponsored by
Mortal Kombat 11.
It's the spoiler-free Avengers Endgame review roundup!
We're in the endgame now, Avengers Endgame that is.
This week we get to see the culmination of 11 years of
storytelling and 22 films with the latest entry in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After last year's Avengers Infinity War ended with a small
shocker.
- I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go, Stark please.
- Fans are desperate for any word on how Avengers Endgame
shakes out.
Well reviews are now starting to pour in and the question
has to be asked, was it worth the wait?
- Yeah.
- Yes? - No.
- So get ready, we're rounding up the good, the bad and the
ugly, but don't worry about spoilers, we've vetted these
reviews and reactions to make sure we hashtag don't spoil
the endgame.
So with that, what's the general consensus?
Well good news Marvel fans, for the most part everybody
seems to have enjoyed it.
- I like this one.
- Yes, you can finally stop holding your breath.
(exhales)
As Nerdist's own Kyle Anderson outlined in his review,
"Avengers Endgame is more than just the second part of a
"cliffhanger, it's a celebration of
"the entire 21 movie saga."
In fact, it's this theme of being the end of an era that
pops up again and again throughout most of the reviews,
which is what most fans seem to be hoping for, with
Slash Films' Chris Evangelista calling it an,
"epic culmination of every Marvel Cinematic Universe entry
"that's come before."
Along with Charles Barfield over at the Playlist
recommending having seen all 21 of the previous films or
"you're going to miss just about every emotional beat,
"every in-joke and every callback, of which there are many."
So how does Endgame deal with all of our remaining heroes
very complicated emotions after the devastating events of
Infinity War?
Well back to Kyle's review for Nerdist, he praises the way
the characters are handled in the film saying, "What the
"commercials don't show is how much time is devoted to these
"characters as individuals, as each other's adopted family.
"At this point, we love them. We're worried for them and
"that's something I didn't think was possible
"even a year ago."
Susana Polo at Polygon says, "Endgame reminded
"me that I still care
"about Captain America and Iron Man, by taking the time to
"show me why I should."
Of course, it's no secret that this is Marvel's biggest and
longest project yet, clocking in at a cool three hours and
two minutes.
So you may be wondering if the movie feels that long.
IGN's Laura Prudom had this to say, "considering how dense
"it is, and truly Endgame packs a lot into that supersized
"runtime, on first watch the pacing feels tighter than
"Infinity War's, and it doesn't outstay its welcome the way
"Lord of the Rings Return of the King did."
And IO9's Germain Lussier says, "It's a three hour
"adrenaline shot to the heart featuring mysteries solved,
"consequences suffered, shock, awe and delight."
However, not everyone was in love with the length, with
Polygon's Susana Polo mentioning the drag of the first
20 minutes, which directly follows up the events of
Infinity War.
"There is still no getting around the fact that three hours
"is too long to spend in a theater, and as with most
"superhero movies, the final confrontation is a bit of a
"mess of punching and yelling."
In terms of the massive scope of Endgame, many reactions
were quick to praise the Russo brothers for pulling off a
cohesive conclusion.
Film and TV critic Kevin McCarthy tweeted about the
impressive scale of the movie saying, "The scope of
"Avengers Endgame is impossible to put into words.
"What Fiege and MCU achieved over the last 10 years has lead
"to this gloriously masterful moment in cinema and it's
"truly mind blowing how beautifully paced
"this storytelling is.
"Perfectly balanced. As all things should be."
Meanwhile, the Atlantic's David Sims calls Endgame
a proper goodbye and complimented
the Russo brothers depth skill.
"For viewers, much of the joy will come from watching the
"movie pull it all off, effortlessly tying most of the
"series' narrative threads into a satisfying knot."
However, there were those who did not find that the movie
successfully handled just how epic it was trying to be.
According to Collider's Perri Nemiroff, "Avengers Endgame is
"a lot. Too much at times but wow the payoff is huge.
"Left me proud to have invested over a decade in a franchise
"that delivers an inspiring exploration of what it means
"to be family and a hero."
Speaking of heroes, it wouldn't be a Marvel movie without
its easter eggs.
MCU and hardcore comics fans alike will be pleased that
there is that signature sprinkling of
Marvel goodies across Endgame.
We won't spoil any here, but keep your eyes peeled.
Of course, easter eggs are great, but do you need to have a
deep knowledge of 22 films in order to
get all of the references? Probably.
Laura Prudom over at IGN says, "Overall, this is a movie
"that rewards your knowledge of the MCU in its entirety."
So you might wanna dust off those old copies of
Thor: The Dark World and Iron Man 3.
So for the most part, that was all the good.
But was there anything bad?
Like most films, there were some dissenters and criticisms
amongst all the good.
The Atlantic's David Sims points out that some of the action
is a little stale.
"The action has the usual bland competence of Marvel movies,
"something even outstanding entries such as Black Panther
"struggled to dodge."
Slash Film's Chris Evangelista had some issues with
Endgame's scripting and dialogue, specifically noting that
some of the humor fell flat.
"There's plenty of room for a sense of humor in a movie
"of this nature, but there's something tiresome about
"characters constantly tossing off wisecracks, no matter
"what terrible, depressing situation they're in.
"It brings a cold detached irony to the proceedings,
"as if these characters are shrugging and saying, yeah sure,
"this stuff is crazy, but who cares?"
Now that reviews and reactions are out in the wild of the
internet, remember to avoid spoilers.
As Laura in her IGN review warns us, "The less you know
"going into Avengers Endgame, the more you're likely
"to enjoy it."
We're almost at the finish line, you got this, be smart,
be safe and remember, like Doctor Strange said, "We're in
"the Endgame now."
What do you folks think?
Are you buying into the Avengers Endgame hype?
How many times are you planning on seeing it?
And do you hope that Avengers Endgame's runtime means that
Star Wars Episode Nine will also be three hours?
- Yeah.
- Yes? - No.
Let's discuss.
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(Techno music)