Ted Lorenz

Nicholson's best performance, of many.

Nothing like the epic Marvel Infinity Saga has ever been attempted in film history, and while it was nearly impossible to pull off a satisfying conclusion which hits nearly every note, Endgame manages that daunting task. The at times wrenching emotional impact, the at times laugh-out-loud-funny humor, the at times dizzying action all contribute to the success of this spectacular and ultimately cathartic denouement. Yes there are plot holes and yes it is as ever difficult to track the many Infinity MacGuffins, their history, powers and location in space and time, and yes in the end it doesn't matter. Minor Complaint #1 - after the huge build-up Captain Marvel's role could have been more featured, her astonishing powers put to more prominent use, but this is ultimately the Avengers story, the balance of hers yet to be told. Minor Complaint #2 - A lot of screen time is spent explaining plot details and the often baffling intricacy of their plans, leaving less room, with the notable exceptions of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, for the usual solid character development which is at the heart of each of these films. As an all-too grown man raised on a steady diet of intelligently written, brilliantly drawn comic books about articulate, very human, heroes with extraordinary powers engaged in fantastic tales, it's one of the great satisfactions of my adulthood to see these characters brought to vivid life through the astonishing power of film technology, which has made anything possible. I look forward to what's next - Marvel is in good hands.

Professional critics can't appreciate the great acting, solid story, entertaining soundtrack and flawless filmmaking, but there it is.

Faithful to the book, well acted, cast and production solid.

A few cool effects can't save the cast (some great, many mediocre) in a meandering, relentlessly boring story. Rosairo Dawson is a fine actor but not in this role - she and others seem to have been directed by George Lucas himself, resulting in wooden performances and plastic characters. The guy playing Ezra speaks in embarrassing SoCal Surferese. Worst of all, most of the bad guys are far more interesting than any of the good guys. The millions they must've wasted on this series makes me shake my head. 2 Stars is a bit generous.

Maybe the worst "action movie" I've ever forced myself to sit through. Arnold has no range in what passes for alleged acting ability and doesn't approach the adequate performances he managed, under James Cameron's masterful direction, in "True Lies" and "The Terminator." None of the others attempting to portray the plastic characters in the laughable, ridiculous, hideously stupid, thoroughly absurd script approach any measure of talent, excepting possibly a young Alyssa Milano in a small role as Arnold's apparently motherless daughter. But to be fair, the idiotic script doesn't give them much to work with. Excusing this preposterous drivel as somehow representive as a part of the 1980s film industry isn't a viable argument in its favor.