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.
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Cam Smith brought three dozen Shipley's glazed donuts to his Houston Astros teammates Thursday morning before his major league debut.
Then he really delivered, with an opposite-field single on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues to help Houston to a 3-1 win over the New York Mets.
“They all liked it, so that’s a good thing," Smith said of the donuts, a sentiment that could also apply to his second-inning hit that set up the first run of the game.
The 22-year-old prospect reached the majors after playing just 32 minor league games. Batting seventh and starting in right field, he became the second-youngest Astros position player to make his MLB debut as a starter on opening day and the youngest since Rusty Staub was 19 in 1963.
With one out in the second, Smith grounded a single to right field on a sinker from Clay Holmes to get his first big league hit in his initial plate appearance. Jeremy Peña dashed from first to third on the play and later scored on a groundout.
“I was just looking for a pitch and I wanted to ambush it and I got lucky with that base hit,” Smith said.
The poise he showed in his debut impressed his coaches and teammates.
“He's amazing," Jose Altuve said. “He went the other way on a tough pitch and he set the tone to score the first run. I know he's going to help this team a lot. He's going to be out there getting better and better. He's just so talented.”
Most believed that Smith, the 14th overall pick in last year’s amateur draft, would need more time in the minors when he was acquired in December from the Chicago Cubs along with Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski as part of the Kyle Tucker trade.
Instead, Smith hit .342 with a triple, four homers, 11 RBIs and a 1.130 OPS this spring to earn a spot on the major league roster.
The Astros announced he’d make the big league roster earlier this week, with manager Joe Espada inviting Smith's mother into the clubhouse to deliver the news. Video of the moment shared by the Astros captured the touching exchange.
After the trade, Smith moved from third base, where Paredes is starting, to right field, where he replaced Tucker.
Still wearing his dirt-stained uniform long after the last pitch Thursday, the kid who was playing college ball at Florida State at this time last year said he hadn’t had time to reflect on his whirlwind journey to the big leagues.
“I have not,” Smith said. “I was just out there with my family on the field appreciating this day and ... good thing we got done early so I can go home and get my feet under myself and think about it.”
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