I usually know when I come from a good movie when my first thought when I get home is I have to boot up my computer to write about it. This was the exact feeling as soon as the final credits rolled for “Avengers: Endgame,” which capped off the initial phase of the MCU after some 11 years.  I wouldn’t go so far as to call it perfect like some fans but boy, was it incredible! It was sentimental. It was fun. It was cool. It was well thought out. It invoked all of the feelings of love and loyalty that the franchise cultivated within the 22 movies it took to build the MCU and it made audiences feel like they were going on a final adventure with a well cherished friend.

Synopsis: In aftermath of the Thanos snap, half of the world has disappeared and now, the villain is nowhere to be found. Tony Stark and Nebula are somewhere in space, low on food and oxygen and on the verge of death. The rest of the Avengers are still reeling from their epic loss and are unsure of what to do. The world is in shambles and it seems that this has become the new reality. Fast forward to five years later, Scott Lang finally returns from the Quantum Realm. With his return comes a small window of hope that maybe, what’s left of the original Avengers can recover what was lost but only if they were willing to risk everything to put the world back to its proper place.

I will try to make this review as spoiler free as possible but let me just say that in order to appreciate this final chapter in the franchise, it is advisable to really watch all the movies leading up to it. Don’t worry, this movie isn’t going anywhere soon so you still have enough time to catch up if you want to. Trust me, it will be worth it.

Avengers: Endgame was an interesting movie mainly because we see the Avengers back to square one — literally. We witness each member of the team suffering from low morale and trauma and this did not bode well for the fragile alliance that they reforged in Avengers: Infinity War.  While the bickering between Tony and Steve was nothing new (they were always at odds with each other), it was depressing to see Thor wasting away and Natasha desperately clinging to her role as a peacemaker.  The Russo Brothers made sure that they established the different mental spaces that each member of the team was in and how difficult it would be to get the band back together, so to speak. In doing so, fans worry more and more whether the rest of the world’s heroes would make a comeback.

Let me just say that even though Scott Lang aka Ant-Man was not an original member of the Avengers, he really did shine in this movie. He was literally the little guy and everyone had their fun with him. At a time when everyone was dark and gloomy, Ant-Man, and would you believe, the Hulk — provided the wit and humor to cheer up the fans and give them hope that perhaps, there was a way out of their predicament.

The film did not religiously follow the comics but it was good in this way because at least, everyone had something to look forward to. Rest assured that the film did not deviate too far from the source, but rather creatively modified the events to make for better cinematic impact. By now, you should not doubt that Marvel has got your back.

Fans will have a great time with the film’s constant references to previous MCU movies. It really brought on the nostalgia and at the same time, challenged fans to remember the movies the scenes were referring to. It was like a fun review of the MCU journey and there’s no doubt that a lot of fans were geeking out about this, myself included. The Russo Brothers tapped into this phenomenon and connected it to their own narrative as they told their story of how the beginning will reach the end.

I loved that the movie went back to connections made in the course of the MCU. Thor was mostly paired up with Rocket, Ant-Man was constantly fawning over Captain America, Nat and Clint going on a mission together, and even the odd pairings seemed purposeful in the general scheme of things.

I had my hunches from foreshadowings galore but I was pleasantly surprised how this intelligent script misdirected me effectively and surprised me with the eventual twist. Once it happened though, everything started to make sense. The foreshadowing was not done in the space of one movie alone but in the span of several films. As I pondered this, it made me think of how brilliantly MCU developed its universe, not just because it delivered good standalone movies but in the way it created this network of relationships among the characters and made each one consistent to his or her core. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, even in their low points, never failed to channel the essence of their character and that is something many franchises can learn from.

I loved the epic battle scene and the reunions. It was everything I imagined and more. Forgive me though, that I’m not a big fan of hard selling the girl power in the movie. There were just times that the movie tried to stick it down the audience’s throats, especially during the battle scene and it really messed up with the balance when it was totally unnecessary. By now, everyone understands that females in this universe are just as badass as their male counterparts, sometimes even more so there’s just no sense in bringing more attention to that.

In particular, I’m not a big fan of how the franchise just puts Captain Marvel on a pedestal.  I get it. She’s strong, but she’s the new kid in this class. Fans have survived an alien invasion, a civil war, a galactic genocide and many more with the Avengers. I don’t think its right for her to just swoop down a month ahead of the finale and expect to be revered in the same way. This is just my opinion and I’m not forcing it on anyone so calm the heck down, okay?

Universe building is no small deal but Marvel succeeded in doing so by creating a community with the characters and the fans that everyone invested in. I have never seen a fandom as involved as the viewers were as they watched how the Russo Brothers ended the final movie of the Avengers franchise. Everyone was quiet and concentrating on every aspect of the film. They were crying at the same time, clapping at the same time, and just enjoying the ride as much as they can, knowing that its this bunch’s last rodeo before they pass on the torch to the new phase.

With that being said, the connection between the fans and the franchise was what gave Avengers Endgame such a beautiful ending. In an unprecedented move way back in 2008, Marvel  started the trend of creating a bridge between the comic books and the movies by treating each medium with the respect it deserved. The franchise and each of its directors also worked together to build on the strengths of each movie to add to that foundation until it just grew to become what it is today. By the end of Endgame, everyone had their moment and ended their journey in the perfect way. There’s really no better way to say goodbye. This is how you tell an epic story. This is how you end a magnificent saga. This is Marvel Cinematic Universe at its best.

Check out the trailer below: