At the end of "Endgame" not only the names of the characters of the six original Avengers are shown, by Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) - but also the signatures of the performers. It is a literal sign-off from the most successful movie series of all time, an official deregistration from the roles that have made the stars even bigger stars.

Their characters will also say goodbye, some in new adventures, some in old lives, one is actually buried. How and why it comes to this, reviews should not just spoil. Fortunately, in the case of "Endgame", this is not a question of good will or ability, but simply not possible: In the three (!) Hours of running time, so much happens that no criticism could capture every turn and resolution.

Spoiler free! So it's about the Avengers before "Endgame"

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So just that: yes, it is, as previously suspected by many fans, with travel through time worked to undo the consequences of Thanos' finger snap, with which he has wiped out half of all living beings to undo. The Avengers will encounter future self and past ego, meeting parents who do not know their children, and partners who have been mourning for a long time.

Time and again, it creates the opportunity to meet characters from previous films and relive old key scenes. How much one touches that depends largely on personal connections to a character - this reviewer, for example, was very pleased with a casually said "Could 'go on all day" and a well-placed "Heil Hydra" from Captain America ,

Since you can hardly be attached to all the characters alike, the "Endgame" will last for long stretches - or did you care what will become of Pepper Potts? Was the previous film "Infinity War" still primarily exposure, is "Endgame" resolution and farewell to the band.

Fighting for an Avengers movie is astonishingly low, which on the one hand is a pleasant change - the "Infinity War" had sometimes felt like a combative eternity. On the other hand, it's not just the weaknesses of the current script that come to fruition - but also those of the other films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which lead to this preliminary finale.

"Avengers: Endgame"
USA 2019
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Book: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeey
Performers: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Brie Larson, Paul Rudd, Josh Brolin
Production: Marvel Studios
Rental: Disney
FSK: from 12 years
Length: 181 minutes
Start: April 24, 2019

For one, Thanos is not a particularly interesting boss. He is strong because he has always been strong, and he gets even stronger thanks to the six infinity stones that dominate all dimensions of the universe. After all, his idea to use this power to wipe out half of all living beings and thus to secure the other half enough resources for lasting survival, is in times of warnings of a climate catastrophe not without philosophical sharpness.

However, the Avengers do not allow themselves to think and discuss things. Brain mass is used in them especially when it comes to the construction of time travel machines. The rest does not have to do reflection, but unconditional love for the (elective) family as a motive and muscle power as a means.

The search for the infinity stones, which in the precursor film is done forwards and now backwards to a certain extent, therefore also turns out to be conceivably scary. No puzzle has to be solved to get to a hiding place. A blabbered or tortured planet name suffices, already there takes place a short, brutal fight for the respective stone. The sophistication of JK Rowling's "Harry Potter" series of scavenger hunts for the power of her villain Voldemort is two galaxies away.

All the more beautiful and cathartic when it finally comes to the epic carnage between Thanos' troops and the Avengers Alliance. This battle has tempo and drama, works out the qualities of each fighter and bundles them with maximum effect.

In the video: The trailer for "Avengers: Endgame"

Video

Marvel Studios

Thus, "Endgame" ultimately reflects the strengths and weaknesses of all 21 films from the MCU that preceded it. Not every joke ignites, not every invention is convincing. In fact, not every episode needed it. But if the avengers work together, it still gets pretty pretty awesome. Avengers, assemble indeed.