Avengers: Endgame (2019)

My Review

Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Company pulled out all the stops in concluding the Avengers movie series, which began in 2012, with sequels in 2015 and 2018. Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo did their jobs with the precision of an orchestra conductor, bringing together at least two dozen superheroes and scores of other actors from the previous 21 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There is a marvelous screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, based on the characters developed by the late Stan Lee, who passed away in November, 2018, at the age of 95. Major stars returning include Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Benedict Wong, Bradley Cooper, Jon Favreau, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautista, Leticia Wright, William Hurt, Vin Diesel, Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Evangeline Lilly, Tessa Thompson, Tilda Swinton, Taika Waititi, Angela Bassett, Michael Douglas, and Robert Redford in his final film role, in a movie career that began in 1960.

“Avengers: Endgame” is one of the most expensive films ever made, with a production budget of $400 million and global advertising maybe another $200 million, for an estimated total budget of about $600 million. It has earned close to three billion dollars at the global box office, good news for Walt Disney shareholders, and was the highest grossing film of 2019 for producer Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios, and Walt Disney Studios. It was primarily filmed in Georgia, with some important scenes shot in England and Scotland. The film received one Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.