Okay after two long weeks I finally was able to catch the late show in 2D IMAX again last night and I rate this film even higher now. Not the experience of course, I don't know that opening night with those thrills and that crowd can *ever* be replicated in a movie theater by any film again, but I do feel that the quality of AEG is a few notches higher after seeing it again.
I definitely rank it higher than IW, TWS, and the rest of the MCU.
What hit me was just how damn compelling and poignant all the non-battle scenes were. The first 2/3 of this film *definitely* holds up. I was pretty taken aback at just how many touching interactions there are. The team recovering at the beginning, Scott reuniting with his daughter, BW and Cap in the compound, BW and HE in Tokyo, HE explaining the nature of BW's death to the team by the lake, Thor and his mom and on and on.
I can't get over how good the CGI on Professor Hulk is.
What is possibly most mind-blowing is thinking back to IM 1 and IM 2 and then realizing that we're now in a place where I perfectly accept Rhodey and Nebula exploring a barren planet and arguing about whether Indiana Jones traps will spike them
as if it's just common conversation in a normal every day scene. Somehow they got here in a way that feels perfectly acceptable and legitimate.
I mean there's a long scene with Hulk, a raccoon, Thor, and two space aliens playing video games where I'm focused on the drama of what they're saying and not at all distracted by the absurdity of what I'm actually looking at! The entire journey of the MCU is just unreal.
JAWS I realize that you've got some things to work out and I won't take away from your scorched earth crusade against the Russos, AEG, MCU, cinema itself, and so on (
) but at the end of the day I find Banner/Professor Hulk extremely likable in this film. As a character he has a lot of great moments that I really like. Yes of course I get that they aren't the type of moments you feel that any self-respecting Hulk fan should ever want or have to see but they're there. When it comes to favorite childhood heroes being brought to life on screen my two big demands are that they fulfill at least one of these: 1. Make the character like they are in the comics and/or 2: Make them cool. I don't need anyone taking one of my lifelong favorites and making him a joke to world audiences.
And that was a big problem that I had with Cap in A1. Sure you can say that he did such and such important things but he didn't strike me as a particular awesome representation of the Cap from the comics and so the fall back was well was he at least cool and that I found to be an emphatic no as well. I'm like "great I'm not seeing Cap moments from the comics play out on screen AND he looks like a flipping dork to everyone else sitting around me, thanks Joss."
No AEG Hulk doesn't represent comic Hulk in any form but I freaking love the character. Everything, right down to sharing one of his tacos with Scott outside the complex and then strutting away while the music plays. Great stuff. But if the scorched earth trauma means that once again my praise falls on deaf ears so be it.
Hopefully you get what you want in an upcoming film or can just be content with A1.
Anyway I was surprised to find that when all is said and done the film didn't really hit me as being *that* Cap-centric this time around. It really felt like a team effort to me. Even with the awesome Mjolnir scenes it still amounted to Cap simply keeping Thanos busy in order to give Strange enough time to rally the troops. SW and obviously Tony were bigger MVP's once the main battle was underway. And man what a send-off to Tony. No way can I consider this Captain America: Endgame with his battlefield death, funeral, final hologram speech, etc.
Speaking of the funeral Alan Silvestri's score was absolutely off the charts epic during that scene. It really took me back to great scores from decades past. "The MCU has weak villains and forgettable music." No more. I almost felt like I appreciated the epilogues as much as the battles themselves. Really emotional curtain call.
It was sad seeing Steve encouraging the guys at the Support Group before his face fell ever so subtly and betrayed his own depression. Seeing Peggy smile with a tear in her eye while they danced made me not care about how unhappy some random alternate husband might be. SHE was clearly going to live happily ever after now and until now was one of the most tragic characters in the entire MCU. Pining for Steve her whole life and then ultimately dying sad and alone on the verge of dementia? Go job heading all that off Steve. I will say that she looked quite fantastic at age 50 or however old she was in 1970 though, lol.
Oh yeah, and Rocket. There's just something comforting whenever he's on screen in a film like this. He really lifts the somber tone but in a way that somehow feels natural and earned. Also seeing Steven and Tony go on their own little side quest together was incredibly satisfying after their massive rift post-CW.
The fact that this film technically didn't delegitimize any of IW Thanos' victory is incredibly ballsy and awesome. Permanent consequences really give gravitas to the entire affair. Just an epic and satisfying experience from beginning to end.
