WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM A8 5.1.19 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE scene MARVEL WRAPS UP HISTORIC SERIES ‘Avengers’ sets global box office record with $1.3B in debut weekend BY NIJZEL DOTSON wallowing in self-pity since failing to stop Thanos. ADVOCATE STAFF [email protected] Eventually he is convinced by Bruce Banner who has managed to merge with the Hulk in order to get the “best of both worlds.” vengers: Endgame” is the thrilling conclusion to a chapter Act two and beyond is where “Avengers Endgame” truly flexes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that has been its muscles and takes the story from a pessimistic pity story of their nothing short of historic. popular heroes and turns it into an exciting trip down memory ‘A It perfectly encapsulates everything the MCU has lane. The heroes separate into groups to go back in time to points been over the past 11 years in a way that makes the viewing expe- that they remember encountering infinity stones in an attempt to rience more than worth it for longtime Marvel fans while also intercept them and recreate Thanos’ snap in reverse. showing newcomers what they’ve been missing out on. The second act is unquestionably the most uplifting and Marvel Studios’ latest product is a three-hour roller coaster humorous of Endgame’s three acts, but that doesn’t mean that there that wants you to feel joy, humor, desperation and heartbreak all aren’t moments of high intensity. Longtime Friends Hawkeye and at once. Black Widow pair up to get the soul stone only to realize the dan- The movie is so well-executed that it makes fans take a step ger that they’re in after it’s too late. back and realize the incredible feat Marvel has accomplished by “Avengers: Endgame” gives the audience a different Thanos creating a cohesive string of movies spanning over a decade that than the one in “Infinity War” which proves to be a very beneficial complement each other and have been the cornerstone of some- decision. In the last Avengers film, Thanos has a logic and world- thing truly special. view that makes his actions seem more justified. “Avengers: Endgame” is a strong reminder of just how much This time around, Thanos is without the infinity stones for the the characters in the MCU have grown — their feelings become duration of the final battle and his goal shifts from wiping out half the audience’s feelings. of all life to make sure nobody is without resources, to destroying “Endgame” is the ultimate payoff. the entire universe and recreating it in his image. The film’s first act focuses on the aftermath of the ending of “Avengers Endgame” is an example of the franchise doing what “Avengers: Infinity War” where the primary antagonist, Thanos it has done before, using something as grim as death as an oppor- (Josh Brolin), achieves his goal by collecting the six infinity stones tunity to make one of its characters seem as noble as ever. despite the Avengers noble efforts to stop him. While the future of the MCU may be unclear, there’s no doubt IRON MAN: Tony Stark Thanos ultimately uses the stones to wipe out half of all life in that they have a solid foundation to work off of. is a billionaire and existence with a simple snap of his gauntlet-clad fingers in order to “Avengers: Endgame” takes this innovative inventor “restore balance to the universe.” foundation and uses it to show who builds an armored This leg of the film highlights how the Avengers evolved from everything that a superhero film red suit to fight more than a band of earth’s mightiest heroes and have become a and universe can be. terrorists. family. For some members of the team, it’s the only family they’ve ever really known. It’s clear that the focus of the film is the original six Avengers: Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Although other important characters such as Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), survive the snap, it’s the original six viewers live through post-snap and whose character develop- ment seems the most apparent by the end of the film. Nearly one month after the events of “Infinity War” take place, the sur- viving heroes make another attempt to undo the seismic damage that Thanos brought to the universe. They set course for “The Garden,” a planet Thanos has chosen for his place of residence after bringing his definition of “balance” upon all life. He’s hung up his battle armor, the job is done. He’s undoubtedly the hero of his own story. As Thanos is preparing a meal with homegrown food, it’s clearly visible he’s been damaged from the power exerted to execute the effects of the snap. The Gauntlet he used to wield the infinity stones appears broken as well. Suddenly, Captain Marvel crashes in and attacks him. He puts up little fight as the rest of the team restrains him and asks where the stones are. Thanos tells them that he destroyed them after THOR: Son of Odin, he got rid of half the universe because “they served is in line for the no purpose beyond temptation.” throne of Asgard, but When one of the Avengers tries to call his is banished to Earth as bluff, Nebula tells them that her father isn’t punishment for viol- lying. Thanos uses this I told you so moment ating a treaty with and says, “I am inevitable.” the Frost Giants. A frustrated Thor decapitates him with his ax, Stormbreaker, swiftly after. However, his death is too little, too late. After the heroes come to this realization, the tone of the movie immediately shifts from a focused optimism CAPTAIN AMERICA: to a depressing sense of loneliness and hopelessness. In 1941, a short Steve The audience is given a black screen, a time jump of five years Rodgers is rejected but the film still does a great job of portraying the emptiness of from joining military this new world. but undergoes an The film really wants viewers to feel the loss of not only the experiment that makes heroes, but the people around them. The skies are gloomy, the him a supersoldier. streets are empty and the survivors are suffering. A surprising beacon of light is offered when the audience learns that since they last saw him, Tony Stark had a daughter with his fiancee Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and MOVIE lives peacefully in seclusion. REVIEW The introduction of Ironman’s daughter, “Endgame” Morgan Stark (Alexandra Rabe), is just one ★★★★★ example of the heartwarming moments that Starring: Robert Marvel has been able to provide. Downey Jr., It also gives Stark an opportunity to be more Chris Evans, Brie than just Iron Man. Larson Stark is a character who views things on a Directed by: larger scale than just about everyone else in the Anthony Russo, Joe Russo MCU. The film brilliantly puts Stark’s love for his family to the test to show just how much he has changed. As Captain America and Natasha urge one another to move on from the devastation of the snap, they are shocked to see Scott Lang/Ant Man (Paul Rudd) is at the front door of the Avengers HULK: Dr. Bruce headquarters. Lang tells them that while he was thought to be wiped from Banner can channel existence, he was actually in the “Quantum realm,” a dimensional his anger by plane of existence that doesn’t follow the same rules of time and morphing into a beast space. as a result of an He suggests they use the Quantum technology to travel back in experiment gone time to stop Thanos from collecting the stones and using them to wrong. bring everyone back. The three of them make an attempt to get Tony to help them Black Widow: do this. Natasha Romanoff Once Stark is on board, they assemble the team they need to is an international retrieve the stones. This includes Hawkeye who’s changed drasti- assassin who comes cally since he lost his family because of what Thanos did. to fight with the He goes from the most grounded avenger, to a dangerous Avengers. anti-hero who can’t seem to find peace. It takes his other family, The Avengers and an opportunity to save his actual family to bring him back to who he’s been since his role in the first Avengers film. Thor has also lost his way, becoming an out of shape alcoholic DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE.