I was at a friend’s birthday party in elementary school when I first saw Iron Man (2008). The movie had loveable characters, fun dialog, memorable moments, and a snappy ending that wrapped up everything- “I am Iron Man.” At that time the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just entering high gear. Yet my friends and I were too young to grasp the potential that radiated from the film, for Iron Man was the beginning of something huge that would be a huge part of our growing up.

Avengers: Endgame is what it all led up to…

I was expecting something on par with Avengers: Infinity War. I was expecting something good, but the runtime was concerning. Three hours felt long for a film  playing off of the events of the “snap,” the universe-level catastrophic event that closed Infinity War.

I came out of the theater astonished. What Endgame, its directors, its writers, its cast, accomplished should be impossible: three hours of pure excitement with nothing feeling forced or rushed. It is a perfect blend of gut-wrenching moments, quippy humor, jaw-dropping cinematography, and fist-pumping quotes. I did not feel for a single moment the film needed to speed up.

The movie is a love letter to all 22 Marvel movies that came before it, and stuck the landing for the entire saga. The entire theater was on an emotional rollercoaster. Together, the audience screamed in pure ecstasy as the moments teased five or ten movies ago came to light. In Endgame, every single previous film building up to it has at least one reference, from the allusions to well received films like Captain America: Civil War or Avengers, to the more obscure films like Thor: The Dark World. Character arcs are brought over from previous films and are built upon beautifully.

Clint, Natasha, Bruce, Thor, Steve, and Tony, the original six Avengers, are given the stagelight and shine throughout the movie. This is the end. The story that began with Tony Stark, the arrogant weapons dealer, ends with Tony, nine films and 11 years later, still growing into the man he vowed to become in his first film.

Steve Rogers, the man out of time who still owes his best girl a dance, gives us one of the most powerful moments in cinema history. Thor finds his worth and peace at last. The film fills you with pure childhood glee. It is what all other movie companies have tried to do over the past 11 years, and failed. It hits all nails on the head, and gives a poetic ending to the path Tony put us on 11 years ago.

“There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes, and maybe it’s too much for us, but it’s all on you. Because if we can’t protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we’ll avenge it.” – Tony Stark