Photo: Film Frame / Marvel Studios

By Kaela Curtis (’20)

So it’s happened, the end of an era (and of so many contracts). The three-hour cinematic finale to one of the greatest superhero series ever known, Avengers: Endgame dropped on April 25. The decade-long saga (dubbed the “Infinity Saga” by Marvel’s team) spanned 22 films and made stars out of its title actors, advancing the careers of the likes of Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannsson, Robert Downey Jr., and more.

And what’s not to like about this final installment? Marvel movie? Check. Favorite characters? Check. Brilliant one-liners? Check. Avengers assembling? Duh! It has a strong, resounding score fit for an epic of its publicity, triumphant entrances awash in carefully rendered CGI and light, and somber exits of characters near and dear. The final battle scene is one of the most gorgeous in superhero history.

Most of all, I enjoyed the throwbacks and references to previous movies. For all of us who have watched all 22 films, it was extremely satisfying to bring so many iconic moments full circle from inception to conclusion.

Now I have to be honest, I’m a Marvel girl at heart. I would be hard-pressed to find a Marvel movie that I didn’t like, even the rather bad ones. Superhero movies are their own genre, and many movies are good for a superhero movie but not good in general.

Endgame, like a handful of other Marvel movies, falls into that category. It was less of a cinematic movie and more of an event. We can debate about the quality of the acting, the script or even the storyline. The true triumph of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in scheduling, casting and time. Endgame was good not because of excellent writing or plot but because most people who were watching it have been enraptured with the MCU since the beginning 11 years ago and have watched with joy as these actors have morphed quite literally into their characters.

But to be honest, it’s hard to go wrong with a movie full of references to Marvel’s cinematic past, as a result it was destined to be a box office marvel no matter what.

Throughout the 3 hour long endeavor (and yes, it really is 3 hours long) I cheered, I laughed, I bounced with excitement. I was scared, relieved, and saddened. But most of all, I was satisfied.

So what did I think of Endgame? I didn’t just love it, I loved it 3000.