AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Release Date: Malaysia, 24 Apr 2019

Genre: Action / Adventure

Running Length: 3:01

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Don Cheadle

Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo 

Screenplay: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely 

WARNING: Eventhough this is a spoiler-free review, I would still recommend you to turn away if you've not watched Avengers: Endgame and especially the last movie Avengers: Infinity War as I'll be making references to the events that happened in Infinity War. If you want a full-on 100% spoiler-free experience, avoid any sort of reviews, commentaries and even crowded places. 

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Still here? Ok, you've been warned. 

AVENGERS: END GAME picks up almost immediately after the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War. With whoever is left, the Avenger assemble once more in an attempt to undo Thanos' actions. 

"Whatever it takes"

The story structure to this film is clearly broken into 3 parts. 

1. The first one showcases whatever's left of our superheroes; all of them tries to move on with their lives but just can't.    
2. The second part focuses on our superheroes trying to undo what Thanos did.
3. The showdown. This part deals with the consequences of trying to undo what Thanos did.   

I like the first two parts because it feels like a drama. Our heroes are the most "human" here instead of the usual explosions and fights. I've not seen anything like this in any of the MCU movies. It's moving and affecting thanks to the performances of our ensemble cast, especially from the original Avengers.  

The usual signature random funny scenes are present here thanks to The Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Don Cheadle's War Machine but overall, the atmosphere of this movie is bleak.

I also like the approach that the filmmakers took for the middle section of the movie. Let's just say it feels like a "Best Of" episode but with a fresh take on it.  

"Why so serious?"

Did the filmmakers take any risk in this outing in comparison to the last one? Yes, they did. 

Although not as "shock-to-the-system" impactful as Infinity War, but this movie still carries an emotional punch to the gut. In fact, I was "punched" a few times. 

Overall, comparing the two latest Avengers movies, Infinity War has a stronger narrative and is more focused. The stakes felt really high. Endgame does a good job in mixing the quieter dramatic elements with big special effects sequences but there are some pacing issues here and there, and a few things to nitpick. Also, I had a lot of questions after the film but thankfully (don't click if you've not seen the movie!) I got most of the answers from this link. 

In conclusion, Avengers: Endgame is a super satisfying ending for me that has the right balance of closure and setup for future installments for some characters. 

RATING: 9/10 

(this "9" is a shade lower than the "9" I gave for Infinity War)

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (Malaysia, 25 Apr 2018)

Genre: Action / Adventure
Running Length: 2:29
Cast:  Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Bradley Cooper, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista
Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Screenplay:Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

Passage taken from the Scriptures regarding the Rapture:

"Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."  Matthew 24:40-42

Indeed AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR was a spiritual experience for me! It felt like watching Armageddon unfold in-front of me, where the conflicts and battles are of Godly proportions. And the lives of the human race and other beings in the universe are at stake as our heroes are running out of time to save them.

What's this movie about?

Earth's mightiest heroes and other heroes from the galaxy have to team-up to prevent Thanos (Josh Brolin) from acquiring five infinity stones; which, if united, will give him so much power he could wreck the entire universe with the snap of his fingers.

What I like about this movie?

• The wait (10 years in the making) was worth it! This overall film is just one big satisfying climax. 
• Thanos. A protagonist is only as good as the antagonist. To me, this is actually Thanos' movie. He is not your traditional big bad villain who's out for power and dominion as his higher calling for his madness is definitely debatable. He's like this tragic Shakespearean figure. He's way more complex than what we've seen in the trailers. Brolin's performance here is very memorable. 
• The danger is real. I was complaining that Captain America: Civil War had no consequences whatsoever. Despite the massive trashing and bashing, no one really died. But in this movie, there are major deaths right from the start (kinda reminds me of the animated motion picture Transformers opening scene) and it sets the tone for the entire movie. Whenever Thanos appears, you know sh t is going to happen.
• The continuity is excellent. All the superheroes from Thor to the Guardians of the Galaxy carried the same style they had embodied in their standalone movies. These characters just picked up smoothly where they left off. The Russo brothers deserve high praises to be able to juggle all the different characters in this mammoth of a movie while still maintaining their unique personalities. 
• The pairing choices. It's a brilliant decision by the filmmakers to put different characters in a few core groups and sending them off in their own mini missions before getting them all back together. The choice of which hero to pair with whom made a lot of difference. For example, the banter of the egos between Iron Man (Downey Jr) and Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) was fun to watch. 
• The battle scenes. In most Hollywood movies, one can't really see the fight scenes with all the shaky and stylistic camera work. But in this movie, you can clearly see what's going on.
• Balance. There seems to be a good balance of almost everything; a solemn mood with fun bantering, loud mindless battle scenes with quieter dramatic moments. 
• The surprising ending. There was no evil "ha ha ha" gloating. Just like that, it was all over. 

What I didn't like?

• There isn't much actually except perhaps knowing that this is a comic book movie after all. I just hope the filmmakers don't undo much of the satisfying and ballsy ending of this film in the as-of-yet unnamed "Infinity War" sequel (2019).
• Okay maybe one more. I'm sure some audience who doesn't know much about the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movies could still follow what's going on but I think they will be bored out of their mind as half of the time, they would be wondering who's who. But this film was made for the fans or at least for movie goers like me who have been following the MCU movies. 

Despite being filmed simultaneously with the sequel, Avengers: Infinity War doesn’t feel like half a movie like Hunger Games or Harry Potter. Eventhough not much is resolved, it still feels like a complete movie. One thing’s for sure, I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel!

RATING: 9/10 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)

Genre: Action / Adventure
Running Length: 2:26
Cast: Chris Evans, Daniel Bruhl, Martin Freeman, William Hurt, Tom Holland, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Chadwick Boseman, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Emily VanCamp         

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

There are two major themes in  CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR that are conceptually interesting on paper but wasn't fleshed out effectively in execution.

Firstly, the concept of a government body stepping in to regulate the honest actions of superheroes in causing civilian casualties during their epic battles with supervillains. (Interestingly, this similar premise was explored in the recent brood-ish Batman v. Superman). Among all the superhero movies, the X-Men stories have done a much better job at exploring this theme.

So, I personally found this reason a little weak for team Captain to clash with team Iron Man ("Lionheart" CapAm is against the accords while "pro-capitalist/anti-war" Iron Man is for it). As a result, the climatic royal rumble between the two camps felt restrained. Despite a lot of flying action, pummelling and blowing things up, it played out more like a spectacle than an all-out war. You can kinda expect no superheroes will die during this battle.

That said, somewhere towards the end of the movie, an intimate fist fight between Captain, Iron Man and The Winter Soldier is more dramatic and powerful. Because it's personal, there is a possibility that someone will die. It felt more real.

As for the second misstep, the theme of "a house divided against itself" is the most interesting but the journey to get to that point seems overly convoluted.

Although it's jam packed with characters, the movie doesn't feel bloated. It's probably because we are familiar with the back story of 90% of these characters which were introduced throughout the years across different movies in the Marvel Productions Universe (MPU). Not counting the re-introduction of a younger Spider-Man (brilliantly played by Tom Holland), the only new character is Black Panther.

Overall, Civil War is entertaining but it’s not as gripping and tight as Captain America: Winter Soldier. Oh, one gripe. As adorable as Marisa Tomei is, but as the new Aunt May...really?

Rating: 7/10

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDEIR (2014)

Genre: Action/Adventure
Running Length: 2:17
Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER is one solid piece of entertainment. It easily surpasses the original in every department. I never really grew up with Marvel superhero comics but the comic book elements are all here; side-kicks, no important characters actually die because they will come back again, intertwining stories and characters within the Marvel universe etc. However, it doesn't feel childish at all because CA:TWS has a certain realism to the narrative (and it's a strong standalone movie as it doesn't feel obligated to lead to the next Avengers extravaganza). Two thirds of the movie is reminiscent of a Cold War-era espionage thriller; a suspicious government, double agents, spy games, corrupt bureaucrats and Robert Redford. This film also works because it takes the time to develop its characters and their relationships. As a result, I’m now more invested in the Captain’s world. Despite his extraordinary powers, he is a sympathetic character, stuck in the past while struggling to adapt to the present. He is indeed the moral compass of the Avengers. Chris Evans is no Robert Downey Jr but he is definitely more than a choir boy,  giving Cap's character depth and humanity. The final one third of the movie is the expected special effects-laden (yawn) big battle scene but what made it different is Cap's side-kick Falcon's thrilling aerial acrobatics. And The Winter Soldier is one striking killing machine. Another thing noteworthy is that the filmmakers isn't afraid to shake up the status quo as one wonders how the proceedings in this film will affect SHIELD the TV series.
(End credits watchers take note. There are two scenes; one occurs mid-way and another after the end credits have completed)

Rating: 7/10