My thoughts on Avengers: Endgame
I don't have any particularly new or gripping insights into the movie, but if you're curious, here's what I thought.
I've seen the movie twice now, and I probably want to see it in the theaters at least one more time.
First, let me get the most important statement out of the way: both Steve and Bucky were incandescently beautiful in this movie. I was deeply aesthetically satisfied, which goes a long way toward reconciling me to any actual plot stuff I wasn't enamored with.
As far as movie-watching experiences go, my reaction is overall very positive. I had an absolute blast watching this movie, and the Thursday opening night audience was laughing, clapping, and screaming throughout. Our Saturday afternoon audience was very subdued, which was a bit of a bummer.
I felt a little weird about the whole fat-Thor thing, but not enough to keep me from laughing. I know people have been trigger warning for it, which is fair. Beyond the great comedy moments, Chris Hemsworth acted his ass off, and I love Thor more than I ever did. Plus chubby Thor can totally still get it. Hummina.
Natasha's death felt gratuitous. The first time I watched the movie, I was so taken aback I didn't even feel sad about it. At the second viewing, though, I cried. She's just so good. I hope, hope, hope they will do some magic to bring her back. I understand that people love Hawkeye, but I feel like he got way too much time in this movie. Frankly, I've never been a fan of the whole Clint with kids storyline, and I feel like there was a value judgment made where the person with kids deserved to live more, which I find icky.
Tony's death was well done and very affecting. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.
The Steve ending was kinda eh. I appreciate that they didn't kill him off, but old, wrinkly Cap is not what I'm here for, so it was kind of deflating. I'm glad he got some happiness, but at what cost? It seems like a selfish and thoughtless thing for him to have done. I don't hate it, and it doesn't destroy the character for me, but it's not ideal. However, I've already started seeing fix-it fic popping up, so I feel like the fandom will be just fine with it. As
norwich36 mentioned in her post, if Steve does not immediately run off to find Bucky and live in threesome bliss with him and Peggy, then there is no justice in the world.
This movie gives us so much to work with!! Fandom will take the great things in it, and leave the stuff we don't have a use for. There is so much fodder for alternate storylines. The Cap on Cap scene alone had better spawn reams of fic. In fact, the whole 2012 New York section of the movie was aces, giving us a new perspective on the denouement of the first Avengers movie, and so many hilarious callbacks.
Other stuff I loved:
Group therapy leader Cap
Head of Shield Natasha and her awesome hair
Rhodey's everything
Thor hearts Captain Marvel
"I went for the head"
Tony giving Steve back his shield
Carol as deus ex machina
Korg and Miek on the couch with the pizza box
Thor's fingerless gloves
Nebula's character arc
Thor getting closure with his mom
Loki running off with the Tesseract
Bruce's half-hearted "Hulk smash" in 2012
Scott and Rocket lightening the mood
All the ladies of MCU getting it done
"On your left"
Thor's beard braid
King Valkyrie
STEVE WITH THOR'S HAMMER
AVENGERS...ASSEMBLE
SAM WITH THE SHIELD
Bucky in black with the sad eyes
..and other things I'm probably forgetting. As I've said elsewhere: this movie is A LOT.
I've seen the movie twice now, and I probably want to see it in the theaters at least one more time.
First, let me get the most important statement out of the way: both Steve and Bucky were incandescently beautiful in this movie. I was deeply aesthetically satisfied, which goes a long way toward reconciling me to any actual plot stuff I wasn't enamored with.
As far as movie-watching experiences go, my reaction is overall very positive. I had an absolute blast watching this movie, and the Thursday opening night audience was laughing, clapping, and screaming throughout. Our Saturday afternoon audience was very subdued, which was a bit of a bummer.
I felt a little weird about the whole fat-Thor thing, but not enough to keep me from laughing. I know people have been trigger warning for it, which is fair. Beyond the great comedy moments, Chris Hemsworth acted his ass off, and I love Thor more than I ever did. Plus chubby Thor can totally still get it. Hummina.
Natasha's death felt gratuitous. The first time I watched the movie, I was so taken aback I didn't even feel sad about it. At the second viewing, though, I cried. She's just so good. I hope, hope, hope they will do some magic to bring her back. I understand that people love Hawkeye, but I feel like he got way too much time in this movie. Frankly, I've never been a fan of the whole Clint with kids storyline, and I feel like there was a value judgment made where the person with kids deserved to live more, which I find icky.
Tony's death was well done and very affecting. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.
The Steve ending was kinda eh. I appreciate that they didn't kill him off, but old, wrinkly Cap is not what I'm here for, so it was kind of deflating. I'm glad he got some happiness, but at what cost? It seems like a selfish and thoughtless thing for him to have done. I don't hate it, and it doesn't destroy the character for me, but it's not ideal. However, I've already started seeing fix-it fic popping up, so I feel like the fandom will be just fine with it. As
norwich36 mentioned in her post, if Steve does not immediately run off to find Bucky and live in threesome bliss with him and Peggy, then there is no justice in the world.
This movie gives us so much to work with!! Fandom will take the great things in it, and leave the stuff we don't have a use for. There is so much fodder for alternate storylines. The Cap on Cap scene alone had better spawn reams of fic. In fact, the whole 2012 New York section of the movie was aces, giving us a new perspective on the denouement of the first Avengers movie, and so many hilarious callbacks.
Other stuff I loved:
Group therapy leader Cap
Head of Shield Natasha and her awesome hair
Rhodey's everything
Thor hearts Captain Marvel
"I went for the head"
Tony giving Steve back his shield
Carol as deus ex machina
Korg and Miek on the couch with the pizza box
Thor's fingerless gloves
Nebula's character arc
Thor getting closure with his mom
Loki running off with the Tesseract
Bruce's half-hearted "Hulk smash" in 2012
Scott and Rocket lightening the mood
All the ladies of MCU getting it done
"On your left"
Thor's beard braid
King Valkyrie
STEVE WITH THOR'S HAMMER
AVENGERS...ASSEMBLE
SAM WITH THE SHIELD
Bucky in black with the sad eyes
..and other things I'm probably forgetting. As I've said elsewhere: this movie is A LOT.