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Catharsis and "Nerdgasms": Rotten Tomatoes Users Weigh in on Endgame

Check out some of the most insightful user reviews for Endgame, from the overjoyed to the underwhelmed.

by | April 29, 2019 | Comments

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With a Tomatometer score of 96%, Avengers: Endgame is a hit with the critics. And with more than $350 million in the bank on just its first weekend, we know it’s a box office smash. But what do fans think about the movie now that they’ve gone out in droves to see it?

Well, they mostly love it: Avengers: Endgame has a current Audience Score of 92%, slightly above Infinity War‘s Audience Score of 91%. But while the praise is overwhelming, it’s not universal. And how could it be, with the weight of 21 films and 11 years of expectations on its shoulders?

We combed through the user reviews that RT fans have submitted since Endgame‘s release and picked out some of the most insightful takes, and those which speak to some of the major themes we’re seeing in user feedback, and put them in one place below. Check out these great user reviews and then let us know what you thought of the film, and these reviews, in the comments. (Note, some of the reviews have been slightly edited for length and grammar/spelling.)


Marvel Studios

(Photo by @ Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, @ Marvel Studios)

A Love Letter to the MCU, with “Nerdgasms” to Boot

[A] culmination of 22 films since 2008 led by the visionary mind of Kevin Feige and complex integration of the Russo Brothers as directors. This movie is not just incredible on its own but a step back to memory lanes of the movies done in the past – it is quite mind boggling how they’ve done it. But they have and this is the fitting end this chapter of MCU. It is still packed with a lot of surprises despite all the fan theories – and they are BIG ONES. It still gives you that roller coaster ride of emotions but at a deeper and more serious tone. For millions of fans who have followed MCU since 2008 and decided to stop watching Marvel movies (I can’t imagine why) this is really a great end for our superheroes journey. Any gaps from previous movies are filled. This one although bitter sweet is [a] fitting end.
– Michael, 5 Stars

Amazing love-letter from Marvel to the world. A breathtaking and emotional viewing of quick shots of action and humour, but impactful long-lasting satisfactory moments from its dramatic beats and character interactions. It’s an end that has been bathed in pure Marvel gold and magic.
– Tengku N., 5 stars

The first and second act are an absolute love letter to the MCU movies that came before this one. The third act is an emotional roller coaster ride of nerdgasms and cry time which I never thought I will see and feel from a superhero movie. The final scene hits home big time. If you are not very familiar with the MCU, the first two acts may feel a bit slow for you. But the payoff in the third act is just awesome.
– Patrick B., 4.5 stars


(Photo by @ Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, @ Marvel Studios)

BUT IS IT BETTER THAN INFINITY WAR?

I’m one of the people who came away from Infinity War restless and discontent. I really wasn’t sure how the Russos were going to resolve all the hanging threads, much less reverse the snap. I have to say they surpassed my wildest dreams. While I didn’t love every character arc, I can appreciate them all….. and my favorite? That one was so far beyond anything I could have hoped for.
– Kelly L., 5 stars

I gotta admit…..I’ll probably be the only one who feels this way……..but I’d be lying if I didn’t say……….I liked Infinity War better. On a personal level, Infinity War kept me more consistently engaged and invested (key word: consistently) than this one did. Granted, this one does have some truly glorious aspects, my two favorites being: 1) the most epic battle sequences in Endgame feel multitudes more tremendous than those in Infinity War for a number of reasons (the most memorable involving Captain America); and 2) Thanos returns here with a vengeance in a wonderfully written way. The plot, as implied by the trailer(s) and without revealing any details, chooses to cater more heavily to the past as opposed to the quickest possible way to solve the problem presented at the end of Infinity War, resulting in the hefty runtime and some filler moments but ultimately creating a movie that feels more complete overall in terms of the entire franchise…..like a fitting conclusion, a proper resolution, the end of an era. 
– John S., 4.5 stars


Marvel Studios

(Photo by @ Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, @ Marvel Studios)

It Left Some People Disappointed

My expectation and anticipation for this film were sky-high, buoyed by positive responses by critics and fans. However, having spent hours and hours on character and plot analysis with other MCU nerds, I had extremely high expectations, which were not met. I’m not disappointed because they didn’t make a movie that solely exists in my head, but the film wasn’t what it could have been. I wanted to be surprised, shocked, and moved – exclaiming “you sneaky bastards, I see what you did there,” and find fruition to the many clues, dangling threads and character arcs that were laid out in previous films, most notably Infinity War. Instead, the resolution “oh. ok. so that’s it. fine.” The film abandoned several important characters, neglecting what seemed to be important setup and development (Loki), inferred strategic importance to the meta-story (Strange, Captain Marvel) or have just devolved the characters into punchlines (Thor, Quill). Moments that were supposed to move emotionally were diffused by familiarity (seen that before!) or anti-climax (we pause this death for a joke). For a series that always emphasized team work, the concluding gesture undermined it. Lots of plot holes and more questions unanswered.
– Lynne D., 3.5 stars

This is going to feel weird. I have been a hardcore MCU fan since the start. I thought there were amazing moments in this movie. Definitely plenty to get hyped about with my MCU friends. Something about it as a whole was lackluster. Maybe it was because it felt like they flew through certain major plot elements despite it’s extremely long run-time. I appreciate that they gave conclusions to our major heroes, but I wasn’t crazy about how they seemed to rush and skip over certain things that I’d rather have seen fleshed out more. I don’t want to criticize it too heavily because it was an impossible task to fit all this into this conclusion movie and flesh everything out, I just personally felt a bit underwhelmed. I honestly went into this movie thinking it would easily become my favorite MCU movie to date, but it’s definitely not. Still think it’s very good, don’t get me wrong.
– Stephen I. 3.5 stars

The good: Fun action scenes that are more creative than many similar films. Genuinely great moments of comedy. All characters, though some have very short appearances, are treated well. The bad: The dialog is clunky and lacks any subtlety. The movie also has an unfortunate habit of throwing mildly funny one liners in that ruin moments of natural tension. Many, seemingly insurmountable, problems faced by the heroes are solved so quickly and easily that it gives an odd feeling of pace at some points of the movie.
– Billy P. 2.5 stars


Marvel Studios

(Photo by @ Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, @ Marvel Studios)

It’s a “Cathartic” Conclusion to the Infinity Saga

A cathartic, satisfying experience for all MCU fans that have been around from the start, Endgame is full of callbacks and emotional payoffs years in the making. The stakes are real. The character arcs justified, balanced, and well-executed. The emotions tangible, delivered fantastically by every actor, particularly the original six. The action is exciting, but doesn’t take center stage until it needs to. The humor and heart truly make this movie.
– Caitlin B., 5 stars

As a diehard comic book fanboy, this a dream fulfilled experience. I grew up loving these characters from the comics as a child. I love both DC and Marvel respectively. That being said the astonishing work done by Kevin Feige and the creative team at Marvel Studios is beyond amazing. They brought new life to these legendary characters for audiences to watch and enjoy. The MCU has been an exciting experience throughout the course of 22 films telling a narrative with unique creativity and wonderful memories by a cast that have transcended to super stars. This is a great tribute to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and the founding fathers of the Marvel Comics…
– Shamar L., 5 stars


Check out all of the user reviews for Avengers: Endgame so far


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