Goodbye Avengerland

Yes, unusual as it is, I shall break the habit and actually post during the month rather than right at the very end :). And the reason for such upheaval? Well, Marvel, in short! For the last several years I've more or less stopped watching films very often. Oh, there's the occasional re-watch at home of something on regular TV (nope, I've yet to succumb to Netflix et al :D). But not a whole lot of new stuff at the cinema.

Except that is, the MCU films. Yes, the majority are more a case of: hmm, maybe this one will be fun! Which then leads to: weeell, it wasn't bad :). Of course, there have been exceptions, the first Guardians of the Galaxy for example. And more recently Thor: Ragnarok. But when Infinity War ended with the wholesale decimation of superheroes, yet, left more or less all the Avengers from the first one alive and well (sort of), I must admit to a greater than usual level of anticipation for Endgame :).

And boy, does it deliver!! I don't think I've been as immersed into a film in some time. But then again, I have watched the entire lead up over the years (bar Captain Marvel). Putting aside that this is an amazingly clever marketing strategy by Marvel and all that, it is definitely an awesome bit of storytelling!

The day before we went to watch Endgame, more or less on a whim, we decided to re-watch the first Avengers. I think that really underscored how this film ties up so many disparate threads, but at it's heart (for me anyway) remains a case of finding closure on the first Avengers :).

There's something to be said about endings. Beginnings bring such promise, but as in life so also in stories (whatever the form of the telling) in the course of its meandering through existence, things get complicated, entangled. And getting those complications and entanglements sorted out ends up taking up a whole lot of time and space.

As an aside, that for me is a pretty good summary of the plot of Endgame. :D

With stories, the teller has something of a choice in the end. Do all the threads get neatly sorted out, a happily ever after? Or is there some room for less than perfect? Redemption, or maybe only attempts at - perhaps not wholly achieved? The trick is I suppose to tug at the heart strings enough, but no further. Allow said hearts to then move on, so to speak :).

And I guess that's what I found the most satisfying with Avengers: Endgame. After a decade of following these characters and stories, I can finally move on. For me the story is finally done :). And much as I'll miss it, that's worth celebrating.