Avengers: Endgame Blu-ray Review

By: Lynn Barker

It is three weeks after Thanos (voice of James Brolin) used the Infinity Stones to disintegrate half of all life when we enter Avengers: Endgame. The remaining Avengers gradually reunite but never at full thrust until Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) returns from the Quantum Realm, discovers what horrors have befallen our planet and advices the group that time travel is possible in the Realm. The Avengers decide to try to go back in time and retrieve the stones before Thanos ever gets them thus bringing the lost population back. Can it be done?

Avengers: Endgame | “To the End”

The re-assembled Avengers core groupCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Aftermath

Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) enjoys life with his family when, poof, they all disappear! Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) are stuck in a ship in deep space. They are rescued by Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel and are returned to Earth with Tony near death. 

Expecting to die, Tony records a messageCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper), a slobby and drunk Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) all unite to find Thanos to take back the Infinity Stones but he says he has already destroyed them to prevent any further use. Beyond angry, Thor decapitates him.

Thanos is sure his plan will always workCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Five Years Later

Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) trapped in the Quantum Realm knows nothing of the disaster on Earth. When he escapes, he finds Natasha and Steve at the Avengers' HQ. and tells them that the Quantum Realm will facilitate time travel. What if the remaining Avengers could go back in time and retrieve the Infinity Stones before Thanos gets them?

Ant-Man returns from the Quantum ZoneCourtesy of Marvel Studios

They propose the idea to Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) who has married girlfriend Pepper and has a young daughter named Morgan. He doesn’t want to get involved. On thinking of young Peter Parker/Spider Man who disintegrated, he changes his mind and creates a device to stabilize time travel through the Quantum Realm. 

Tony/Iron Man agrees to go back in timeCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Three Teams

Natasha brings in Clint/Hawkeye who has become a killer vigilante after the disintegration of his entire family.

Hawkeye rejoins the AvengersCourtesy of Marvel Studios

In order to bring back all of the stones, the remainder of the Avengers split off into groups. Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, and Tony Stark go back to New York City in 2012. Banner visits Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum and convinces the Sorceress, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) to give him the Time Stone if he promises to return the stones eventually.

The new version of Banner/HulkCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Cap fights undercover Hydra agents and his own 2012 self to get back the Mind Stone, but Stark's attempt to steal another stone fails and Loki escapes with it. Rogers and Stark go to the U.S. Army's Camp Lehigh where they steal an earlier version of the stone from a young Hank Pym (Michael Douglas).

At first Tony doesn't want to go get the stonesCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Other Planets

Rocket and Thor travel to Asgard in 2013 to get the Reality Stone from Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Thor gets his former hammer, Mjolnir back. Clint and Natasha travel to Vormir in 2014 and learn that the stone they seek can only be retrieved by sacrificing what they love. One will sacrifice for the other’s safety.

Either Hawkeye or Black Widow will sacrifice everythingCourtesy of Marvel Studios

On Morag in 2014, Nebula and Rhodes steal the Power Stone before Peter Quill can. Rhodey returns to the present with it but Nebula’s implants connect with her past self-revealing the Avenger’s entire plan to Thanos through her. Thanos sends the loyal past version of Nebula to replace our current version as a spy in the Avengers’ camp.

Nebula from the pastCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Final Battle

With all the Infinity Stones collected, Bruce Banner uses them to restore everyone that Thanos disintegrated but the 2014 spy version of Nebula uses the time machine to transport Thanos and his ship to the present day and he attacks the Avengers' headquarters. Are all of the Avengers now destroyed? Can anyone succeed at winning a final battle against Thanos? Will more Avengers return to join their colleagues?

Avengers charge in the final battleCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Special Extra Features

On this Blu-ray/Digital set, the first disc contains an Intro by Directors Anthony and Joe Russo. They discuss concluding the entire Marvel Universe film saga. There are a few behind-the-scenes shots etc.  Nice intro

• The Audio Commentary by the two directors and screenwriters Chris Markus and Stephen McFeely offers discussion on the whole franchise, juggling all the many characters, tech stuff, actor performances and the Endgame story. Informative but watch the movie without it first.

Directors the Russo brothersCourtesy of Marvel Studios

Disc Two, the Bonus disc offers six featurettes:

• Remembering Stan Lee is a nice tribute piece to the late creator of many of the Marvel characters. He is on screen discussing all his many cameo appearances in all of the Marvel films. We see many of them with Stan on set. He offers fave moments and on set hugs. Very nice.
• Setting the Tone: Casting Robert Downey Jr. goes back to 2007 when Marvel Studios was formed and the first Iron Man movie was made. Filmmakers discuss why Robert was perfect for the Tony Stark role, fellow actors and Robert comment on his work in the franchise and the character etc. Good piece.
• A Man Out of Time: Creating Captain America concentrates on “the first Avenger” Steve Rogers. Chris Evans talks of being at first reluctant to take the role, then loving Cap. We see his performances in the films and the evolution of the Captain America costume from comic book through the movies. Fellow actors discuss how Chris reflects Cap’s honest charm etc. Very nice tribute to both Chris and the essential character.

Steve/Captain America mourns Iron ManCourtesy of Marvel Studios

• Black Widow: Whatever it Takes –Scarlett Johansson talks about the character arc of “Widow” from skeptical, cynical loner to Avenger “family” stalwart who makes the ultimate sacrifice. Fellow actors comment on her performance in the franchise etc. Nice as well but not as complete as the other two “tributes”.

Scarlett with her Black Widow posterCourtesy of Marvel Studios

• The Russo Brothers: Journey to Endgame offers the directors on their journey from “Winter Soldier” through this film and the actors on working with them.. some nice, brief on set stuff as well. .
• The Women of the MCU is a short but sweet look at all the female heroes through the films, their fight scene in Black Panther and their group “charge” during the final battle here. The actresses talk about their sisterhood. Nice.

Some of the Marvel SisterhoodCourtesy of Marvel Studios

• Bro Thor concentrates more on “Fat Thor” as seen in this film rather than the actor and character’s arc throughout the series. The “fat suit” Chris wore is funny but he also emphasizes not just the laughter but the anguish Thor is going through at this point. Nice but not as complete as the extras on Iron Man and Cap.

Thor joins the fightCourtesy of Marvel Studios

• Deleted Scenes – there are six. Some are very short and funny but “Avengers Take a Knee” is interesting. Right after Tony/Iron Man dies, the Avengers and others present all slowly go to their knees in tribute. I assume it was cut because it was just “too much” but nice to see.
• Gag Reel- never long enough for me. We get dancing, falling, prop failures etc. Love it.

Wrapping Up

Although we are told that the sound is much better on the 4K HD set, we could hear the dialogue at least much better on this Blu-ray set than we could in the theater. The movie looks amazing.  The extras concentrate on the actors and filmmakers and there is nothing about the special effects, stunts, props and amazing production design. This is good or bad depending upon which you prefer hearing about.

Rocket searches for ThorCourtesy of Marvel Studios

This final installment in the Avengers’ adventures is epic, heart-rending, very funny and all-encompassing. All personal loose ends are tied up with varying results. There are amazing battles and our heroes take more beatings than you have seen but they fight with more heart than ever before. They will lose some of their ranks and retain others but their resolve has never been stronger and you will feel it.

Paul, Scarlett and Chris with the Russo Bros. and producerCourtesy of Marvel Studios

The film is a visual effects feast but never without the character development that drives the action.

Hawkeye and Iron-Man take a standCourtesy of Marvel Studios

I can’t imagine not collecting or gifting this final wrap-up of the popular Avengers films. It is a definite keeper. We go four stars.

Avengers: Endgame Blu-ray Rating: 

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Avengers: Endgame is in stores August 13^th

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