The end is here. The Marvel Cinematic Universe wraps up its long-running “Infinity Saga” with the messy, convoluted, and thematically satisfying Avengers: Endgame. The 22nd film in a franchise spanning over a decade, Marvel architects Joe and Anthony Russo compose a resonant coda to a story that began with 2008’s Iron Man, but also create a new breed of spectacle that defies criticism and filmmaking logic. Minor spoilers ahead...

The home stretch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Three is finally here, and the Russo brothers deliver an epic, brutal, and oftentimes scattered showdown with the Mad Titan Thanos. Buckling, even if never caving, under the weight of the preceding 18(!) films, Avengers: Infinity War can't quite live up to the high-water mark year the MCU has had, but it damn well tries and it's a minor miracle that the film works as well as it does. Mild spoilers ahead...