‘Avengers: Endgame' and the Dangers of Expectations

It’s rather debatable if any of these MCU movies will age well. Yes, they are landmark moments of cinema, solely for the way Marvel Head Kevin Feige managed to set-up all 20 of these movies in a single well-connected and continuum-like universe. Props to Mr. Feige for changing the game, for proving himself to being a genius of multi-layered storytelling and concept, especially after Warner Bros. and the DCEU tried to copy his exact same plan and failed, MISERABLY might I add. However, this first official clip of “Avengers: Endgame” does nothing to whet my appetite. Mind you, I didn’t think “Avengers: Infinity War” was all that good, it rather just felt like a mere setup for this upcoming final chapter. No film critic has or will see “Endgame” until April 23rd at 2PM E.S.T. which is when the nation’s film critics will all gather at their local screening rooms and watch the film at the same time and tweet their thoughts right after it ends, most probably at 5PM EST. I will be there, but I do not expect a film rich in political intrigue like “The Winter Soldier,” or the endless funhouse of “Iron Man,” or even the meta brilliance of James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” series .Nope, with “Endgame” I’m expecting a safe, by-the-books and self-serious movie that will be trying to cram everything it can afford to jam into its 182 minute running time. However, I’m ready to be surprised, we need some twists, some unpredictable turns, because that’s the only way I’m going to be converted to this movie. I want a 3 hour statement similar to the final few minutes of “Infinity War,” more specifically when that incredibly well-realized “snap” came to us courtesy of Thanos. That was amazing.