What: “Avengers: Endgame”
Who: Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. Starring Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Benedict Wong, Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Downey Jr.
Rated: PG-13.
Running time: 182 minutes.
When: Opens Friday April 26.
Where: Area theaters.
Grade: A.
“Avengers: Endgame” the monumental cinematic event of the summer if not the year, is undoubtedly a clear and shining success even as it runs to three hours and one minute. Every minute is worth it.
Hats off to the co-director brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo, our Cleveland guys, who knocked this one out of the park. This task, the weaving of no less than 20 Marvel movie franchises, with many more characters, into one huge super hero narrative is nothing less than jaw-dropping, amazing. No fan of the Marvel universe will be disappointed.
When last we met these characters, and there are so many, half of them and half the people on earth were slaughtered by the evil Thanos, voiced by Josh Brolin.
Now it is up to Iron Man, (Robert Downey Jr.) Thor (Chris Hemsworth) the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) Captain America (Chris Evans) Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). . . and many more to what else? Save the universe. This is the figurative cast of thousands.
The first hour of the movie is devoted to the theme of “getting the band back together.” The second hour is about their struggle to achieve that goal. And the third hour is the battle against Thanos for control of said universe.
It’s all good fun and fairly easy to understand if you’ve seen three or four of the film series’ involved. If not, you’re on your own. But your kids will dig it.
“Avengers: Endgame” is the super hero movie to end them all. Not that they will ever go aways after this one earns upwards of a billion dollars.
Maybe two.
WATCH: Michael Heaton talks about his review of Avengers: Endgame with Dave "Dino" DeNatale on WKYC's Facebook Live and YouTube.