As counterpoint to my earlier post about Avengers: Endgame‘s issues, here are 10 things that really worked, in what was overall a great film.

(It’ll be interesting to see which of these two articles is the most ‘liked’, the other one’s currently steaming ahead on 36…)

– FULL SPOILERS AHEAD –

(1) The ambition and vision. While it has come together film by film it shouldn’t be overlooked that the creation of this shared universe has been unprecedented and extraordinary. The level of forward-planning, of mapping out detailed character arcs and overlapping narrative years in advance, has been nothing short of genius. Endgame is the culmination of it all.

(2) Robert Downey Jr. He makes it look easy but damn if he isn’t the most charismatic man in cinema as Tony Stark. He showcases effortless range once again, this time pushed to new heights and lows. His emaciated freakout on his return to Earth is an acting highlight.

(3) They let the impact of the snap sink in. The film is in no hurry at the start to correct the situation. The mood is suitably haunting, with glimpses of real-world impact and the Avengers given the time to express their despair. It’s 5 years before things start to move toward a proper plan.

(4) Confronting Thanos in the Garden. This whole sequence and the build-up to it gave chills: the confrontation we’ve all been waiting 12 months to see. Thanos was in exactly the state you’d expect and the logic of his actions was completely in keeping. The way he delivered the “temptation” line was killer. His death at that point, and pursuing him being such a dead end, was an unexpected curveball that threw the script into pleasingly unpredictable territory.

(5) Ant-Man. This was the Avengers film where Rudd really came into his own. Selling the anguish and nailing the comedy – flipping between those two is not easy.

(6) Hawkeye. They finally made him cool. Bogging Flint down with a cheesy-postcard family in Ultron didn’t help, but the fam served their purpose here. Ronin was an interesting turn. The new hairstyle was badass

(7) Professor Hulk. This iteration may not be to everyone’s taste but I appreciate how they manage to find a different take on Hulk for each movie, whether it’s World War Hulk in Ragnarok, or shamed Hulk leaving Banner to fend for himself in Infinity War, or here the fixed combination of the two. And the cgi was strong enough that you soon forget you’re watching a digital character.

(8) It is undeniably fun to go back through the Marvel films of the last 11 years and experience certain events from a new perspective. It’s also a great way to mark the end of the era. It was fascinatingly meta to have Russo Brothers-toned Avengers enter the world of the Joss Whedon Avengers (the comparison doesn’t stack up well for Whedon). Seeing old characters return carried a fascination and in the case of Thor’s mother, real poignancy.

(9) The pairings. As with Infinity War Marvel knows how to pair up their characters in intriguing and unexpected combinations to create fresh new dynamics, whether it’s War Machine with Nebula, Ant-Man with Iron Man, or Banner debating The Ancient One.

(10) Perfect send offs for Iron Man and Cap. Iron Man’s final line and use of the gauntlet were powerful and absolutely appropriate to his legacy. Cap’s exit was a genius way of righting his personal losses, and avoiding his death being a downer. The old age makeup on Cap, and Chris Evans’s performance as old Cap, were brilliant.