Well, one spoiler: It's awesome
Spoiler-free review of Avengers: Endgame...5 quick thoughts
Apr 23, 2019, 8:21 pm
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Marvel is wrapping up its current universe with one of the most anticipated movies of all time: Avengers Endgame. The following is a spoiler-free review. That obviously limits us, but this is a film that deserves to be enjoyed in person as it goes. The movie opens on Thursday and if you can still get tickets, you should. Five quick thoughts:
1) Prepared to be wowed
This is a movie that will tug on all your emotions. The interactions between the characters are terrific. We have followed many of them for over a decade, and we see acting at its best. From storyline to dialogue, it's everything we were hoping for and more. And of course the visuals are over the top. It is a great movie experience. While it is three hours long, it felt much shorter.
2) Perfect Pacing
Despite feeling much shorter than three hours, the storylines aren't rushed and it does not really drag, either. It covers all the bases, deals with all the characters, and brings us closure. You won't feel cheated at all.
3) A Leftovers feel
The part of the movie that deals with the aftermath of "The Snap" will remind you of HBO's Leftovers. And it's powerful. As usual, the characters deal with loss through serious emotions, and still work in the one-liners. It is classic Marvel.
4) A perfect ending
The story wraps up perfectly. The last 40 minutes or so of the movie are simply incredible. It brings us closure, and is perfectly done. You will cheer. You will tear up. But you will leave with an amazing experience.
5) The bottom line
If you have not already bought tickets, you need to. You will not be disappointed. The ending is one of the best you will see, and there is nothing I would change about this movie. The Avengers have taken us on a wild ride, and this is the wildest of all. If you liked Infinity War, you will love Endgame. It is even better than we could have hoped for. These characters have become part of our entertainment lives, and this movie showed them at their best. Put simply, they could not have done any better ending this iteration. In many ways this is an homage to the original Avengers movies, with the humor of Ant Man added in. But it is much more than that. There are so many touching moments, shows of bravery and at times despair, that you will leave feeling wholly satisfied. So turn off your phone for three hours, sit back and enjoy a perfect movie for fans of the Avengers.
The Endgame is here. And it was well worth the wait.
Jacob deGrom went eight innings to win his fourth consecutive start for the Texas Rangers, who got Jake Burger's solo home run off Hunter Brown in a 1-0 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night in an anticipated pitchers' duel that certainly lived up to expectations.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner deGrom (4-1) is having quite a comeback after missing most of the last two seasons following Tommy John surgery. The 36-year-old right-hander struck out seven, two of those to end innings with two runners on base, while walking one and giving up five hits.
Brown (6-2), who is 10 years younger that deGrom, struck out nine without a walk while scattering three hits in his first career complete game. The righty was tied for the major league lead in wins and retired the first 12 batters he faced before Adolis García lined a double to left to start the fifth.
Shawn Armstrong worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his second save.
Burger went deep leading off the sixth, a 394-foot drive into the Texas bullpen in right-center for his fourth homer of the season.
Key moment
Rangers right fielder García made a sliding catch of a sinking liner by Mauricio Dubón for the final out of the seventh when Houston had a runner at second base. García had several nice plays, including a sliding catch near the line after running a long way to open the fourth.
Key stat
Bruce Bochy got his 2,195th career win to break a tie with Sparky Anderson for the sixth-most by an MLB manager. Bochy, who turned 70 last month, is in his 28th season as a manager, his third in Texas.
Up next
Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 1.78 ERA) goes into Friday night having allowed only two earned runs over 25 innings in his last four starts (3-0). Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (0-1, 15.75) makes only his third start for Houston since the 2022 World Series.