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Assorted and rambling thoughts on Endgame
We saw it yesterday afternoon. There were things I loved about it, and there were things that bugged the heck out of me, but overall I came away feeling satisfied and entertained.
This is one of those movies that it's impossible to say much substantial about it without significant spoilers. I'm not talking about "spoilers" like "the Snapture is undone" or "the team gets back together" or "some characters die" because of course -- we all knew those things were going to happen.
But the film did pull a number of real surprises on me, starting with the five-year time jump, and committing to the effects that unimaginable failure had on the team: Natasha and Steve carrying on with helping people as best they could; the galactic council including Rocket, Nebula, Carol, and Okoye; Bruce and the Hulk making their peace at last; Tony's healthy withdrawal from the world, in contrast with Thor's unhealthy withdrawal (although ugh to the endless fat jokes -- and of course the audience thought his beer gut was the most hilarious thing ever, even during scenes that I felt were meant to be poignant), Clint's descent into incandescent rage. It all worked, all felt like logical progressions for their characters. Also a logical progression: Tony and Pepper's quiet conversation on the couch, where he admits that he wants to undo it, even at the potential cost to his happy life, and Pepper for once not telling him to quit, instead encouraging him to move forward.
Another thing that surprised me was the tone. Maybe because the worst has already happened, or maybe because Scott Lang is a major character, the overall mood was much lighter than Infinity War. Even without the big downer ending, Infinity War had a much heavier and darker feeling to it, with few moments of levity. In Endgame, I found myself laughing throughout. It was just fun to watch, which was a nice change.
The plot... well, it's kind of a big complicated mess, as time travel pieces are wont to be. The most likely theory, for me, is that Bruce was right, and you can't change your own timeline -- instead, you create branches. Otherwise, if the Thanos of 2014 dies on Earth nine years into his future, most of the events in both Guardians movies couldn't have happened, and huge swaths of history are erased or changed. The only reason for Steve to take the stones back at the end is to keep some of the potentially darker branches from ever happening. From what I know, Bruce's theory fits with the Marvel multiverse concept, so I'm good to go with that for now.
In the big team movies, I typically care more about the characterization than the plot anyway, and for the most part, I am content with where they took everyone. Even Natasha's death... well, it made me unhappy for other reasons, notably the choice to kill of the most visible and longest-running female superhero (and regularly returning character, except for Pepper Potts), which is not a neutral decision no matter how we spin it. But at least they gave her agency in the choice, and she made that choice for a reason, and that reason fits within her character arc of moving to being a loner to a team player to a member of a family. So I'm not super mad. But I am sort of mad.
(I'm also less mad because we know she has to be back, somehow, since a Black Window solo movie is officially in the works, and Scarlett Johansson is confirmed for the role. T and I came across a theory last night that Natasha and Gamora are in a pocket dimension called the Soul Dimension, and that's how they both come back for their respective later films. It seems a likely enough explanation to me. As long as it's not a prequel.)
I'm also less mad because it fits so well within the movie's theme of reunion and closure. Thor and Frigga, Nebula and Gamora, Steve and Tony, Tony and Howard, and of course Steve and Peggy all have moments like that, and so it makes sense that Natasha and Clint would face that moment together, and that Natasha would finally pay Clint back for saving her, all those years ago. It affirms the strength of their friendship and their connection, which is a thing I had been missing in later team-up movies. I just wish they had found a way to do it that kept her alive and around for the final showdown.
Because otherwise, my god, that final showdown. It might be the greatest battle I have ever seen, in any movie, ever. Starting with the hopeless three-on-one with the three men facing Thanos and losing ground, and then we get maybe the two most epic moments of all time: Steve wielding Mjolnir (I literally cheered, and so did the rest of the audience, and so did Thor), followed by Sam coming in on Steve's monitor right before the sling ring portals open and all our renewed heroes come through. And I do mean ALL. Up to and including Pepper finally taking up arms in her own suit. It was amazing and uplifting and, as I mentioned above, just plain fun. I could watch it again and again, and probably will.
Even given how that battle ends, and in contrast to some of the other deaths we've had in this universe, I found Tony sacrificing himself to use the stones to be perfect. Narratively perfect. If we consider Iron Man to be the beginning of the MCU and Endgame to be the close of this narrative arc, it couldn't have happened any other way. And now we know why Strange apologized to Stark as he disintegrated after the Snap of Doom. And Peter was there, and Pepper was there, and if Tony had to die (and I understand why he did), this was the way to do it.
As for Steve... well. I suspect that the closure of Steve Rogers's arc is going to be the most controversial thing about this movie in fandom. First, I will confess that tears of relief sprang to my eyes when I saw that Steve had survived the final battle, because I was so braced for the inevitability of his death. (And then the tears stayed as we moved on to Tony's final scene, and all the various family reunions, and Tony's memorial.) So more than anything, I'm glad he didn't fall, that he didn't sacrifice himself as I was so afraid he might. Also, let's be real: I have a hard time feeling sad that Steve and Peggy, my OTP to end all OTPs, finally got themselves a much-deserved happy ending. Yes, there are ways in which it doesn't make narrative sense, and yes, there are arguments that it doesn't entirely work with his character. I won't tell anyone they're wrong for feeling that way. But to know that Steve and Peggy had a happy life in some universe warms my soul, and nothing will ever take that away. Plus, Steve gave Sam the shield, and that moment was so beautiful. (And it's the perfect set up for the Falcon & Winter Soldier series, and dammit, I'm going to have to subscribe to the Disney service, aren't I?)
So, that's my first reaction shot. I'm sure I'll see it again, and I expect then I'll have more to say about how this film fits in with the universe, and the experience of watching it so close on the heels of watching almost the entire series over again. But in the end, I walked out of a new Avengers movie with a warm smile on my face, and it's been a long time since that happened. Overall, I'll take it.
This is one of those movies that it's impossible to say much substantial about it without significant spoilers. I'm not talking about "spoilers" like "the Snapture is undone" or "the team gets back together" or "some characters die" because of course -- we all knew those things were going to happen.
But the film did pull a number of real surprises on me, starting with the five-year time jump, and committing to the effects that unimaginable failure had on the team: Natasha and Steve carrying on with helping people as best they could; the galactic council including Rocket, Nebula, Carol, and Okoye; Bruce and the Hulk making their peace at last; Tony's healthy withdrawal from the world, in contrast with Thor's unhealthy withdrawal (although ugh to the endless fat jokes -- and of course the audience thought his beer gut was the most hilarious thing ever, even during scenes that I felt were meant to be poignant), Clint's descent into incandescent rage. It all worked, all felt like logical progressions for their characters. Also a logical progression: Tony and Pepper's quiet conversation on the couch, where he admits that he wants to undo it, even at the potential cost to his happy life, and Pepper for once not telling him to quit, instead encouraging him to move forward.
Another thing that surprised me was the tone. Maybe because the worst has already happened, or maybe because Scott Lang is a major character, the overall mood was much lighter than Infinity War. Even without the big downer ending, Infinity War had a much heavier and darker feeling to it, with few moments of levity. In Endgame, I found myself laughing throughout. It was just fun to watch, which was a nice change.
The plot... well, it's kind of a big complicated mess, as time travel pieces are wont to be. The most likely theory, for me, is that Bruce was right, and you can't change your own timeline -- instead, you create branches. Otherwise, if the Thanos of 2014 dies on Earth nine years into his future, most of the events in both Guardians movies couldn't have happened, and huge swaths of history are erased or changed. The only reason for Steve to take the stones back at the end is to keep some of the potentially darker branches from ever happening. From what I know, Bruce's theory fits with the Marvel multiverse concept, so I'm good to go with that for now.
In the big team movies, I typically care more about the characterization than the plot anyway, and for the most part, I am content with where they took everyone. Even Natasha's death... well, it made me unhappy for other reasons, notably the choice to kill of the most visible and longest-running female superhero (and regularly returning character, except for Pepper Potts), which is not a neutral decision no matter how we spin it. But at least they gave her agency in the choice, and she made that choice for a reason, and that reason fits within her character arc of moving to being a loner to a team player to a member of a family. So I'm not super mad. But I am sort of mad.
(I'm also less mad because we know she has to be back, somehow, since a Black Window solo movie is officially in the works, and Scarlett Johansson is confirmed for the role. T and I came across a theory last night that Natasha and Gamora are in a pocket dimension called the Soul Dimension, and that's how they both come back for their respective later films. It seems a likely enough explanation to me. As long as it's not a prequel.)
I'm also less mad because it fits so well within the movie's theme of reunion and closure. Thor and Frigga, Nebula and Gamora, Steve and Tony, Tony and Howard, and of course Steve and Peggy all have moments like that, and so it makes sense that Natasha and Clint would face that moment together, and that Natasha would finally pay Clint back for saving her, all those years ago. It affirms the strength of their friendship and their connection, which is a thing I had been missing in later team-up movies. I just wish they had found a way to do it that kept her alive and around for the final showdown.
Because otherwise, my god, that final showdown. It might be the greatest battle I have ever seen, in any movie, ever. Starting with the hopeless three-on-one with the three men facing Thanos and losing ground, and then we get maybe the two most epic moments of all time: Steve wielding Mjolnir (I literally cheered, and so did the rest of the audience, and so did Thor), followed by Sam coming in on Steve's monitor right before the sling ring portals open and all our renewed heroes come through. And I do mean ALL. Up to and including Pepper finally taking up arms in her own suit. It was amazing and uplifting and, as I mentioned above, just plain fun. I could watch it again and again, and probably will.
Even given how that battle ends, and in contrast to some of the other deaths we've had in this universe, I found Tony sacrificing himself to use the stones to be perfect. Narratively perfect. If we consider Iron Man to be the beginning of the MCU and Endgame to be the close of this narrative arc, it couldn't have happened any other way. And now we know why Strange apologized to Stark as he disintegrated after the Snap of Doom. And Peter was there, and Pepper was there, and if Tony had to die (and I understand why he did), this was the way to do it.
As for Steve... well. I suspect that the closure of Steve Rogers's arc is going to be the most controversial thing about this movie in fandom. First, I will confess that tears of relief sprang to my eyes when I saw that Steve had survived the final battle, because I was so braced for the inevitability of his death. (And then the tears stayed as we moved on to Tony's final scene, and all the various family reunions, and Tony's memorial.) So more than anything, I'm glad he didn't fall, that he didn't sacrifice himself as I was so afraid he might. Also, let's be real: I have a hard time feeling sad that Steve and Peggy, my OTP to end all OTPs, finally got themselves a much-deserved happy ending. Yes, there are ways in which it doesn't make narrative sense, and yes, there are arguments that it doesn't entirely work with his character. I won't tell anyone they're wrong for feeling that way. But to know that Steve and Peggy had a happy life in some universe warms my soul, and nothing will ever take that away. Plus, Steve gave Sam the shield, and that moment was so beautiful. (And it's the perfect set up for the Falcon & Winter Soldier series, and dammit, I'm going to have to subscribe to the Disney service, aren't I?)
So, that's my first reaction shot. I'm sure I'll see it again, and I expect then I'll have more to say about how this film fits in with the universe, and the experience of watching it so close on the heels of watching almost the entire series over again. But in the end, I walked out of a new Avengers movie with a warm smile on my face, and it's been a long time since that happened. Overall, I'll take it.
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A few assorted responses:
* Good point about Thanos’s death in the future changing the timeline; I had noticed that they made timeline changes despite their big thing about no you can’t change the timeline, but hadn’t quite noticed that aspect.
* Re Natasha: I was perfectly willing to believe that she would sacrifice herself, and I figured going into that sequence that she’s enough tougher than Clint (even battle-hardened Ronin Clint) that she would win the who’s-going-to-sacrifice-themselves fight. But I wasn’t thrilled with (my interpretation of) her argument for why it was okay. She said something to the effect that ever since the snap, everything she had done was to get everyone back; and she was wearing that arrow pendant on her necklace; and much as I want to believe in a deep platonic friendship between Clint and Nat, I kinda feel like she was specifically centering *his* life. I’m having a hard time articulating exactly why that bugged me, but it did.
* Speaking of Natasha: I thought there was a pretty widely believed rumor to the effect that the solo Black Widow movie will be a prequel, from before she met the Avengers. :( I would definitely be happier with the Soul Dimension option, though, and Wanda’s line along the lines of “they both know” led me to think that might be where things are headed.
* Re Tony: Around halfway through Endgame, I realized that almost all of the emotional parts that I was responding to centered on Tony, and I was thinking how surprisingly much I’ve enjoyed him as a character over the years, and then the ending came along, and yeah. Nice work, Marvel people. (Also ties back to other times that Tony has almost sacrificed himself but not quite managed it, notably at the end of the first Avengers movie.) And it made me think that—along similar lines to what you say here—in a sense the entire MCU so far has been Tony’s character arc, from the beginning of Iron Man to the end of Endgame.
* Re Steve: Yeah, I pretty much agree with you.
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I really hope the Black Widow movie isn't a prequel; I've also heard this rumor, but besides the fact that it would mean no built-in reason to bring her back, it would be out of step with the feeling that Endgame has closed a chapter in the MCU. I really hope that all the future movies are forward in the timeline, not back. (Although I am very curious as to what happens in the upcoming seasons of Agents of SHIELD.)
I'm not sure whether to hope they explain the implications of all that time travel, or that they just leave it all a mystery. :) I have a feeling that any explanation they try to make will anger more people than it satisfies.
Good points re. Tony and Natasha. As I've thought more about all this, I've come to the tentative conclusion that, at least for me, Natasha's sacrifice is narratively satisfying but not emotionally satisfying; Steve's choice is emotionally satisfying but not narratively satisfying; and Tony's death was both narratively and emotionally satisfying. I need to sit more with this theory, but I think I like it.
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