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Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Avengers: Endgame

also known as “Avengers 4,” “Avengers: Infinity War - Part II,” Avengers: Hoi Ket,” “Avengers: Koniec gry,” “Avengers: Oyunun Sonu,” “Bosszúállók: Végjáték,” “Keršytojai: Pabaiga,” See more »
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language.

Reviewed by: Blake Wilson
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults Young-Adults Teens
Genre: Superhero Sci-Fi Action Adventure 3D IMAX Sequel
Length: 3 hr. 1 min.
Year of Release: 2019
USA Release: April 26, 2019 (wide—4,600+ theaters)
DVD: August 13, 2019
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Relevant Issues
Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Importance of family and fatherhood—and of being a truly good and righteous parent

Importance of strong friendships

Caring for others

Self-sacrifice to save others

For a follower of Christ, what is LOVE—a feeling, an emotion, or an action? Answer

Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Science fiction’s depiction of the fantasy of TIME TRAVEL and how often it is used in movies—although the idea of changing the past is impossible and logically contradictory


Mass disasters and tragedies—and their after-effects

Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Copyright, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Featuring Robert Downey Jr.Tony Stark / Iron Man
Chris EvansSteve Rogers / Captain America
Brie LarsonCarol Danvers / Captain Marvel
Scarlett JohanssonNatasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Karen GillanNebula
Paul RuddScott Lang / Ant-Man
Dave BautistaDrax
Tessa ThompsonValkyrie
Chris HemsworthThor
Evangeline LillyHope van Dyne / The Wasp
Josh BrolinThanos
Tom HollandPeter Parker / Spider-Man
Jon FavreauHappy Hogan
Bradley CooperRocket (voice)
Pom KlementieffMantis
Elizabeth OlsenWanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
Jeremy RennerClint Barton / Hawkeye
Sebastian StanBucky Barnes / Winter Soldier
Michelle PfeifferJanet Van Dyne
Mark RuffaloBruce Banner / Hulk
Tilda SwintonThe Ancient One
Winston DukeM'Baku
Danai Gurira … Okoye
Gwyneth PaltrowPepper Potts
Chadwick BosemanT'Challa / Black Panther
Don CheadleJames Rhodes / War Machine
See all »
Director Anthony Russo
Joe Russo
Producer Marvel Studios
Victoria Alonso
See all »
Distributor

Note: While I do my best to avoid potential spoilers for “Endgame,” some major spoilers for the previous film “Infinity War” are in this review.

Honestly, when was the last time a bad guy actually GOT AWAY with his or her evil plan?

That’s exactly what happened in last year’s “Infinity War.” Despite all of our heroes’ best efforts, Thanos still got all six Infinity Stones. And, with a snap of his fingers, half of all existence vanished into dust. This included a lot of The Avengers, such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, most of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and others.

This leaves those that remain in a post-rapture-like Earth to try and continue on with their lives. But, can anyone actually move on? Can Tony Stark and Nebula find their way back to Earth? Can The Avengers find a way to take down Thanos? And, is there any chance for those that were victims of the snap to even come back? You can bet that these heroes will do whatever it takes to avenge Earth and its fallen.

Entertainment Quality

With a 3-hour runtime, the first thing you might be worried about is pacing (just look at the “Hobbit” movies, for example). However, Joe and Anthony Russo truly made this a (mostly) well-paced movie. Occasionally, a plot point will go on a little long, but it’s still entertaining. The focus is mostly on the original six Avengers, and unlike last time, they are all given plenty to do. In the meantime, the more secondary or newer characters don’t have as much to do—mostly for understandable reasons, given the circumstances.

The actors give some of their finest performances here. Robert Downey Jr. has come a long way since “Iron Man,” as he believably has shown his character’s humbling of himself, as well as his maturity over the years. He has at least two of the film’s best scenes. Meanwhile, Chris Evans once again brings Cap’s old-fashioned heroism front-and-center. Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) are all given somewhat outrageous character arcs, while Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) gives her best performance to date in the MCU. The hero with the biggest upgrade in screentime is Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who’s given some of the best one-liners in the movie.

The overall scope of “Endgame” is toned down quite a bit from “Infinity War,” but there’s still an impressive action scene late in the game that will definitely stand out as a favorite moment for fans. There’s several well-placed pop culture references, and plenty of callbacks to previous Marvel films that will prove very entertaining to fans. Hans Zimmer’s music score once again nicely accompanies each act of the film.

“Endgame” has its share of ridiculous moments, and a few plot holes do emerge by the time the dust settles. There are some very solid cameos as well, including a few favorites from previous movies.

Positive Messages

Aside from the heroism and sacrifice on display once again, “Endgame” carries a few other strong messages here, too. Most prominent is the importance of family and fatherhood. We see multiple examples of fathers in the story (both good and bad), and throughout the film we are reminded of how influential they are on their children. This theme is even seen in Thanos, and how his shaky influence played a part in causing his adopted family to become very dysfunctional.

We are also reminded how family isn’t just based on blood, it’s based on who cares about you. For example, Black Widow notes, “I used to have nothing. And then I got this… this family.” She reveals that ever since Hawkeye spared her life, her fellow Avengers have cared for her and inspired her to live a better life. That’s the kind of love that the Apostle Paul encourages us to show:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” -1 Corinthians 13:4-7

There’s a nice moment where Thor is given encouragement. When he admits his faults and mistakes, he’s told, “You’re just like everyone else. Your measure of success is based on being who you truly are.” Another moment reveals the importance of spending our time wisely. Someone admits, “No amount of money ever bought a second of time.” It’s a reminder that the relationships that we develop and cherish with others are worth far more than any physical possession ever could.

Negative Content

Violence: As usual, there’s a handful of scenes that depict heroes battling against Thanos and his forces. Explosions, hand-to-hand combat and gunplay all play a part here. Various characters are slashed and killed (mostly bloodlessly). One character is accosted and murdered in an alley mercilessly (we see a little bit of blood on his neck). There’s an intense scene where a spaceship opens fire on a building, decimating it to the ground and nearly killing everyone inside. Nebula has some of her robotic flesh burned off her hand briefly, while trying to retrieve something important. A head is chopped off. An IV is yanked out. One character falls to their death. The sometimes violent video game “Fortnite” makes an appearance in one scene.

Adult Content: In a few separate moments, characters comment on Captain America’s rear end, calling it, “That’s America’s a**!” There are form-fitting outfits, and females with low-cut outfits, and shirtless men.

Towards the beginning of the film, Captain America’s support group features a man who is implied to be Gay. He briefly discusses taking “baby steps” to start seeing another guy.

Drugs/Alcohol: Thor is shown to have become an alcoholic. He discusses various beverages he’d like to intake, and carries around beer bottles fairly often. As a result, he acts fairly inebriated in a handful of scenes. His habits aren’t exactly praised, however.

Language: This is more problematic than usual for the genre. The most common interjection here is the s-word, which is heard a dozen times altogether (4 of which come from a young child). Someone is crudely called a “d**khead”. We also hear h*** (7 times), a** (4), “oh my g**” (8), “g**d***” (2), “p*** off” (2), “d***it!” (3), “son of a b**ch” (1), and one misuse of Jesus’ name.

Other: There’s a joke about someone “peeing their pants”. Some characters lie and deceive. A few characters create magical shields, portals, and conjure other mysterious spells. Someone apparently says they can see into the future.

Conclusion

No current film franchise has seen the type of momentum that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has. Since the original “Iron Man,” popularity and curiosity for these films has continued to grow and grow over the past 11 years. What has it been about these movies that has kept audiences coming back for more and telling their friends? Yes, there’s great characters and action. But, what has kept audiences interested is that each film has played a small part in a large, overarching storyline. Yes, each character had a story, but there was usually something there that made each film feel like a puzzle piece to something bigger. Usually this was present through a post-credits scene or a hidden Easter-egg or two.

With “Endgame,” that puzzle is now complete, as it brings a sense of finality to what has been 11 years and 22 movies of storytelling. Now, Marvel is certainly not done with making films. However, the MCU does seem to be saying goodbye to at least a few characters here. This makes “Endgame” (like “Infinity War”) sometimes difficult watch. But, I didn’t find it relied too heavily on shock factors, like its predecessor did.

Those that have been with the MCU for years (like me) will find “Endgame” very satisfying. Maybe it’s a bit too complex, crowded, and nonsensical in places to rank among the best superhero movies of all-time. But, it’s still got enough depth, heart, genuine surprises, great action, and memorable moments to make it one of the MCU’s most enjoyable and interesting films. Joe and Anthony Russo, who have directed some of the best Marvel films, continue to impress in spearheading this franchise.

What nearly soils “Endgame,” however, are content issues. The violence isn’t quite as intense or visceral as “Infinity War” or even “Captain America: Civil War,” but it still contains a few scenes worthy of the PG-13 rating. There’s a few moments of inappropriate humor, and drunkenness/alcohol are both treated in a humorous light (if not exactly glorified). Occasionally we hear about magic and sorcery (courtesy of the world of Doctor Strange), but it’s not a consistent theme.

The biggest issue, for me, however, is in how much language was put into this script. Not to mention a good chunk of it comes from a 4 or 5-year old girl (as a punchline to a joke), and a harsh one is aimed at a few other young kids. Honestly, does no responsible adult care about what children hear or say anymore?

Then again, these movies aren’t meant for very young kids. Beyond those problems, “Endgame” honestly does feel like a family movie at times (perhaps even more so than other entries in this franchise)—with some really touching messages to boot. Yet, it is really hard for me to recommend it, because of these problems. In the end, I would say parents of kids under the age of 6th grade (especially those who haven’t watched previous Marvel movies) should definitely take serious caution here.

However, for teens, adults, and MCU fans that can put aside the content issues, I can say “Endgame” does live up to its hype.

  • Violence: Heavy to Very Heavy
  • Profane language: Heavy
  • Vulgar/Crude language: Moderately Heavy
  • Nudity: Minor
  • Sex: Mild
  • Occult: Minor

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—Honestly? This might be one of the best movies I’ve seen in theaters this year, let alone the last few years. I’m more than ready to go out and see it again. Marvel truly outdid themselves with this movie. It’s such an emotional experience, but in the best way possible.

A message of hope was threaded throughout the movie. Hope and the courage to believe in new beginnings. Being brave to let go of the past and embrace the future. Becoming the person you were meant to be. I wish more movies had messages like this. I’d go out to see them more. Despite it being a staple and solid finish to 10+ years of storytelling, it was a breath of fresh air compared to other movies with more negative themes/messages.

We, too, can choose to cling to hope. We, too, can believe with Jesus all things are possible.

I think content was very typical for a PG-13 action-packed superhero movie. Use judgment when bringing in smaller children. I think the content in the movie was no different than “Infinity War” or anything else in the previous films.

With that being said, I highly recommend “Endgame.” It was amazing.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” —Isaiah 40:31

“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.” —Isaiah 43:18-19


My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Sarah, age 28 (USA)
Positive—“Endgame” is a fitting end to not just the MCU’s Phase III but to the Avengers franchise as a whole. Marvel really outdid themselves with a film that culminated from eleven years and over 20 movies with several characters with different pathways, story arcs, etc. It is not just another superhero movie, but one with a great deal of emotional depth, storytelling, and character development—a rarity for movies of a similar genre. There are no one-dimensional characters; everyone is multi-faceted.

The Russo Brothers (directors) and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige know how to close out a film series, complete with epic twists, turns, and surprises.

I was disappointed, sad, angry, happy, and nearly on the edge of my seat throughout the entire three hour run time. It is seldom that movies make me feel an entire range of emotions, and “Endgame” did just that. This was an emotional rollercoaster that I would gladly ride again for the sake of seeing it in IMAX 3D.

As far as Biblical values are concerned, there are some dark elements in the movie, as well as strong language and violence (stylized comic book violence). However, one of the main themes of the film is to not stand and let evil triumph; we as Christians should stand for all that is good and Godly.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Shannon, age 37 (USA)
Positive—Endgame is an epic finale to the Avengers franchise, and in my opinion is one of the best superhero movies ever made. The script is wonderful, and score is wonderful, almost every scene is shot well. There’s a lot of really emotional scenes as well.

From a Christian standpoint, I don’t find much offensive about this film. Yes, it has the usual language and violence, but compared to a lot of other films I have seen, the language didn’t stick out all that much, and the violence is typical for a superhero movie.

Some of the other comments on here puzzle me, and I personally feel they are overanalyzing the film. While it is indeed true that Thanos” mission has some parallels to God, I have a completely different perspective on it, and some of the points made by other people don’t really apply here at all.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Curt, age 22 (USA)
Positive—I’m not an Avengers fan, because “when you see one you see them all,” but I went to see this because it’s one of the only movies in theaters without sexual content, F-bombs or Gore and Bloodiness, but I really enjoyed this one!

Heads up! You. Will. Cry. It was well made, entertaining, had some funny parts, but good story line although not everything added up in the end because there was too much they threw in.

There is language though, about a dozen swearwords and God’s name in vain, other than that I can’t think of anything else that is offensive.

It was entertaining, and I actually want to see it again, but will wait for the DVD. because it’s cheaper to Redbox.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Paulina, age 25 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—Movie was good, but unnecessarily lengthy. My MAIN objection is how jaded Captain America had become. The writers didn’t let him retain his wholesomeness, which is a shame. Was it really necessary for him to spout curse words? Was it necessary for jokes to be made about his rear end? Seems the writers ramped up the profanity for some reason, while forgetting the number of children that would no doubt be in the audience. I cannot give it my full endorsement.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Reba, age 60+ (USA)
Neutral-to-Negative——I’m going to start by saying that the entertainment factor for this movie was one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. That said, I struggle with recommending it, because, despite certain positive themes, there were some disturbing negative themes and instances, as well.

I’ll start with the positive, and then move on to the negative.

Some examples:

1. Don’t give up in the face of evil. 5 years after Thanos” victory, many of The Avengers are still looking for a way to undo what he did, despite the fact that it looks hopeless. This demonstrates a willingness to keep struggling in the face of evil even when things seem bleak. The Bible tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance (James 1), and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5).

2. Challenge your friends to do what’s right. There are several instances in this movie where members of The Avengers do not let others remain in their slump. ***SPOILER*** Hulk, aka Bruce Banner, helps pull Thor out of his depression and alcoholism. Captain America and the others also visit Tony when they think they’ve found a chance to win. ***END SPOILER*** As Christians we are to “spur one another on to love and good works.”See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Joel, age 35 (USA)
Neutral-to-Negative—First off, mostly a decent movie. Secondly, too long. The movie could have been cut to two hours easily. The Russo brothers wanted to throw in everything and every character from previous Avengers movies. It was a difficult task to say the least.

The bad: Brie Larson cannot act! She is wooden and isn’t believable as Captain Marvel. Robert Downey’s flair for the dramatic is very well done. Chris Evans continues to bring integrity to the Captain America role he has played for so long.

The language was awful. Not a movie you want to take your children to!

The other part of the movie that stretches reality for this series is why haven’t The Avengers figured out how to not only fight, but defeat Thanos? “Infinity War” is the prequel to this movie, and you would think with all the brain trust of The Avengers they would be able to take Thanos out quickly without to much trouble?

This movie relies on previous scenes reshot from “Infinity Way” such as when “Nebula” is hanging in the room so Thanos can “scan” her brain for information. Again The Avengers are fighting Thanos with scenes that really were taken right out of the “Infinity War” and redone. If you are going to do a sequel like this, at least change up things a bit.

Again, the language is not good throughout the movie, and the fact that “Disney/Marvel” keeps trying to “feminize” the theme of the Avengers movies and related characters speaks volumes.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Wayne, age 64 (USA)
Neutral—…I was prepared for the worst seeing this movie, as I personally thought nothing could beat “Infinity War,” however this did; it was a lot better actually. I had so much fun watching it. The humor was good; the action was good. I do suggest getting extra snacks, as the movie is long. I, however, did not appreciate the use of the gd word; it brought nothing to the movie at all…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Chris (USA)
Neutral—I think that what confuses many of us about this movie is Thanos” rhetoric, where he repeatedly refers to his challengers, the Avengers, as “rebels” in some way or another. This classification doesn't, to me, seem to be what they are. It seems to be a stretch to call them rebels, since they were never exactly under his rule. Nevertheless, Thanos” painting of the good guys as, in his mind, fundamentally rebellious, does set the tone of the entire movie to convey the general idea that rebels are praiseworthy.

If we consider Christ to be a “rebel,” in a sense, against the religiousity of the Jewish leaders in his time, then the Avengers could be seen in a similar vein. But, in the same respect, he was never under their rule. Just like many words which have had their meaning seriously altered over time, the term “rebels” is no exception. We have to admit, and show our children, that Satan is the true rebel, as he rebelled against a loving God, and that his type, the archtypical kind of rebellion, is nothing to be revered, honored, respected or even trusted… because he really doesn’t care about us, especially hating humans, as they are made in God’s image.

So, to rebel or not to rebel? That is the question. Whether tis nobler to endure a person who thinks they are your superior… or to cast off that bond of servitude. The stakes in “Avengers Endgame” complicate this idea, so that to rebel is clearly the only option. You have to watch this movie and then weigh, in your own life, whether certain types of rebellion are pleasing to Christ, or whether you are only seeking to establish your own rule in the way that Satan was.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Luke, age 36 (USA)
Negative
Negative—Agreed it has exciting CGI and a surreal rollercoaster ride and I would have given it 5 stars, However, I was horrified about the foul language, so it loses those 5 stars! Taking God’s name in vain (and even Jesus’ name), and the 5-7 year old repeatedly uses the Sh** word. Personally, I would never recommend this movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Brian Hanley, age 56 (USA)
Negative—If Satan were to explain why the Rapture happened, this will be his story. I think there are a lot of parallels between this movie and the end time Bible prophesies…
  1. The rapture.
  2. Thanos sacrificing his daughter to obtain the soul stone (not sure if that is correct name of the stone).
  3. Thanos coming back in the final battle (like Armagedon).
  4. Thanos saying that he will vanish everything and start fresh.
  5. Other creatures (aliens) fighting side-by-side with men against Thanos and his armies.
My Ratings: Moral rating: no opinion / Moviemaking quality: 5
Iateabug, age 51 (USA)
Comments from young people
Positive—Perfect film, one of my favourites, but I counted over 30 S-words.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Gabriel, age 13 (Canada)
Comments from non-viewers
Negative—I haven’t watched this movie yet, the last secular movie I watched in the theaters (not home) was “Wonder Woman,” after which I expressed my desire to not watch movies at the theatre and directly contribute to Hollywood who makes immoral movies that do not glorify God. I even made a review about it in on this website.

Last year, I had a chance to watch “Avengers: Infinity War” in a family setting at home, and I was pleased I did not watch it at the theatres. I looked at the ratings on this site, and was appalled at people giving it “positive” reviews, when there’s not only blasphemy in it, but also a direct mockery of Christ and Christian values.See all »
Neil, age 25 (Canada)
Positive—This is a reply to Neil in the “Avenger’s Endgame” comments. While you are right to point out the moral flaws in a movie and follow your convictions, it’s ungodly of you to decide that because some Christians saw a movie you would rather not see, that it must mean they are giving up on treasures in Heaven or that they have proven themselves unsaved. You are not God and should not judge others (Matthew 7:1-2) and last I heard, the Bible does not condemn others for watching a movie. We are to pray and hope for brothers and sisters in Christ, and I see very little (if any) grace in your comment.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Peter, age 29
Negative—This is a reply to Peter in reply to Neil.

Matthew 7:1-2 should be read in context by continuing through to verse 5. We are told to judge righteously, not hypocritically. Neil seeing and enjoying the movie and then judging others who have seen it is hypocritical. Neil reading reviews of the movie’s language content and anti-Christian themes and encouraging other Christians to “…Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16) and walk in newness of life to honor and glorify Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior is righteous judgment.

He is calling attention to how many Christians today can hear vulgar language and blasphemy against a Holy God and give it a pass in the name of fleshly entertainment. I’m very grateful for reviewers who truthfully expose films for their filth and Antichrist themes so I can avoid grieving the Holy Spirit inside of me for the sake of entertainment.

As far as grace, read all of Romans 6 to see how we are to walk in newness of life and not use grace as a covering for sinful lusts. We are to walk in holiness in all manner of conversation (lifestyle). That absolutely includes purposefully subjecting ourselves to blasphemy against God, vulgar language and ungodly themes for our fleshly desires to be entertained.

A great rule of thumb for any true Christian is this: would you invite Jesus Christ, our Holy God wherein is no darkness, to partake in whatever activity we are going to do? If we would pause at bringing Jesus with us, we should likely avoid that activity altogether.

We are to live in this world but not be of this world.

Thank you to the reviewers who still believe we are to walk holy who let others know the true moral content and themes in these movies.

I was wanting to see this film but kept holding off due to what might be in it. Reading reviews on this site lets me know to avoid it.
David, age 42

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

Secular Movie Critics
…“Avengers: Endgame” isn’t a great movie, but there are flashes of greatness in it, and quite a few of them belong to Evans. His Captain America rewards us with a revelation and escapes with a secret. The best thing in “Avengers: Endgame” is everything he doesn’t say. …
Stephanie Zacharek, Time
…What’s best about Markus and McFeely’s script is that they understand the characters. …[4½/5]
Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
…Sloppy plot holes distract from an otherwise cathartic epic… Lots and lots and lots of plot holes… as a movie it falls short of greatness…
Matthew Rozsa, Salon
…It’s overdone and bombastic. A fitting end, in other words, to a franchise cycle of insatiable commercial ambition… and thundering creative swagger. …[4/5]
Kevin Maher, The Times [UK]
…emphasises emotion as much as action, this is an intensely satisfying piece of blockbuster filmmaking…
Helen O'Hara, Empire [UK]
…unconquerable brilliance takes Marvel to new heights… an irresistible blend of action and comedy, guaranteeing a sugar rush of delirious enjoyment …[5]
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian (UK)
…The one thing you do need to know about Avengers: Endgame is that it runs for a little over three hours, and that you can easily duck out during the middle hour, do some shopping, and slip back into your seat for the climax. You won’t have missed a thing…
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker
…While constantly eventful and a feast for the eyes, it’s also notably more somber than its predecessors. But just when it might seem about to become too grim, Robert Downey Jr. rides to the rescue with an inspired serio-comic performance that reminds you how good he can be. …
Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
…The power of friendship supercharges the heroic finale… more humor, zest and feeling—the real, heartfelt stuff—than you’d dare to expect from what is, after all, an immense industrial undertaking. …
Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal
…competently produced weightlessness… Every serious narrative beat in the film is ultimately undercut by pro-forma storytelling, or by faux-improvised humor. …
Keith Uhlich, Slant Magazine [1½/4]
…The inside jokes and fan-service digressions are blatant and relentless, but also pretty effective. The conflicting narrative priorities that often bedevil an epic series finale — how to tell a story that builds with inexorable momentum while also staging the mother of all cast reunions? — are cleverly and resourcefully reconciled. …
Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times