It's been two years since this movie was released. It has also been two years since I've actually gotten into movies. This isn't exactly a review. I'm not going to convince anyone to watch this movie or to change their opinion on it. I think everyone who reads this has either already seen this movie, or has decided firmly not to watch it. Rather, I will try to explain why this movie matters so much to me.

First, let me get the usual criticisms out of the way. Yes, this movie was made primarily to make $$$. There is no high art involved in this film. The quips may be too much for some, the CGI for others. Some may find it ‘factory-made’. I understand all these criticisms, and I’m not going to make a case why anyone who doesn’t like it should.

Now, let me unashamedly gush about this film. Kevin Feige is my most favourite person working in Hollywood right now. Of course, no one could have expected something of this scale, back in 2008 when Iron Man got released. But, Feige’s planning, his way of looking to the future, while at the same time referencing the past, is most evident in this movie. Every movie before this was leading to this, and this movie respects all of them which came before it. This movie can be properly appreciated only if you have seen all the MCU movies before it. So, I started marathoning all the 21 movies before it in one week. And that, precisely, is when I started loving movies. Yes, this movie is pure fan service for three whole hours, but as a fan, that’s all that I could have asked for.

Let me talk about the directors and the writing. I frankly think Russo brothers are not great directors outside of MCU. (I haven’t seen Cherry, but the reviews are not at all encouraging). But, this isn’t a director-driven film. In fact, I think Endgame is so much more of a team effort of the directors, writers, and of course, Kevin Feige (and other studio executives), than any other film. The balancing act is wonderful, giving every character their moment to shine, while still focussing on the OG six avengers.

Now, the characters. I accept that none of the actors would even come close to winning Oscars. But, they do a wonderful job of the definitive version of these characters, in such a way that I can’t ever imagine anyone replacing them. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is probably my favourite, though Chris Evans is not far behind. The others do a fairly good enough job, but let me admit that Oscar-worthy acting is not high on my priority list while watching these kind of films. Now, the arcs of these characters. It’s just amazing to imagine that their stories, which have literally been a decade in the making, have finally reached a conclusion. Some may not agree with all the decisions, but I felt that most of the endings were perfectly fit for these characters, especially Iron Man and Captain America.

This movie has a perfect three-act structure. The first hour shows us the devastation left behind and the heroes who can’t move on. I could understand the enormity of their defeat. The middle part of the movie is the time heist, which is frankly just fan service, but after having spent 21 movies with these characters, fan service is exactly what I want. And the final battle: I actually don’t think I can put down the excitement in words. THIS is what they have been building towards for more than a decade. Just imagine, dozens of characters and arcs, introduced over a decade of films, culminating in something so epic, that I don’t think it can ever be replicated. I don’t think anyone could have thought of something so grand in scale, even going in with the highest expectations.

Endgame does an amazing job at concluding the stories of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. A lot has already been written about these endings, whether they were fitting or not, but I think they couldn’t have gone out on a higher note. At the same time, Endgame does look to the future. It sets up possibly another decade worth of stories, and the Marvel brand of storytelling doesn’t seem to be cooling down anytime soon. We’ve already seen two entries, which do a very good job at continuing the stories, while at the same time, being innovative enough to keep me invested.

I do have a few complaints about the movie. The LGBT representation is terrible. Black Widow did get the short end of the stick. The quips could have been toned down a little. But ultimately, Endgame (and the MCU in general) are what actually showed me that I could love cinema, and without this movie, I don’t think I would have shown much interest in watching films.

Not bad, I guess, for something that is ‘not cinema’.

P.S. Considering that ‘spoiler culture’ as I know it peaked at the time of this movie’s release, I have an interesting story. I actually didn’t watch this movie on the opening weekend, as I wanted to watch/rewatch the entire MCU before it. I don’t know whether it was out of curiosity or boredom, but I read the entire plot synopsis on Wiki. I went into the movie knowing exactly what would happen. But still, this became my favourite movie of all time. I can only imagine what it would have been like if I went in blind.