Avengers: Endgame Reviews Roundup -- Here's What The Critics Think

Marvel's hugely anticipated superhero film Avengers: Endgame is finally in theaters. The reviews are in and the consensus is building that this wildly ambitious mega-blockbuster delivers in a big way for fans who have stuck with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the last decade.

Endgame is a direct sequel to last year's Infinity War, which ended in dramatic fashion with the evil Thanos wiping out half of the galaxy's population with the snap of his fingers. Among the dead are a number of Avengers, so fans have been eagerly waiting to see what happens next--and how some heroes like Spider-Man or Black Panther, who already have sequels announced, will presumably make it back to the land of the living.

Some critics have suggested the long run time at just over three hours makes it a little overstuffed. If you're concerned about going so long without a bathroom break, we've come up with some suggestions on when you can pee during Endgame. We also have the scoop on Endgame's after-credits--which is to say, the fact that there are none, though there is something you potentially might want to stick around for anyway.

The movie is expected to make a lot of money during its opening weekend. In fact, some projections are saying the film will enjoy the best start in the history of cinema.

You can see a rundown of Avengers: Endgame review excerpts below, while more information on the film's critical reception can be found on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. In addition to GameSpot, the excerpts include those from our sister sites CNET and ComicBook.

Once you make it back from the movie, in case you need to make sense of it all, check out our roundup of who makes it out alive and the key moment that made it all possible.

Avengers: Endgame

• Directed By: Joe and Anthony Russo
• Written By: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
• Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Brie Larson, Scarlett Johansson, Karen Gillan, Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Tom Holland, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Olsen,, Dave Bautista, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle.
• Runtime: 181 minutes
• Release Date: April 26 (United States)

GameSpot

"Holy hell is it an emotional, fulfilling ride. I have no doubt we're going to spend the coming weeks picking and pulling it apart until we've over-analyzed every single aspect imaginable. But right now, in the aftermath, Avengers Endgame feels like a win. -- Michael Rougeau [Full review]

CNET

"Every single action sequence here deserves to be seen on the largest screen possible. In Infinity War, the Russos demonstrated their ability to take action from Earth to space and back, and each of Endgame's locations provides plenty of epic clashes and gorgeous vistas to relish. Even the more basic settings, like the Avengers' headquarters somewhere in upstate New York, get made over into expansive settings." -- Mike Sorrentino [Full review]

ComicBook

"The final movie in Marvel's Infinity Saga is a masterpiece. It's an absolute spectacle which needs to be watched on the biggest screen possible. It's a love letter to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, I'd argue that Avengers: Endgame is the film event of our lifetime and lives up to every bit of global hype it has garnered. It is setting a new standard and raising the bar for event films and likely will not be matched in this generation of filmmaking." -- Brandon Davis [Full review]

Slant Magazine

"Every serious narrative beat is ultimately undercut by pro-forma storytelling (the emotional beats never linger, as the characters are always race-race-racing to the next big plot point), or by faux-improvised humor, with ringmaster Tony 'Iron Man' Stark (Robert Downey Jr., so clearly ready to be done with this universe) leading the sardonic-tongued charge." -- Keith Uhlich [Full review]

The Globe And Mail

"Even if I could muster the strength to defy studio marching orders on plot details, there is no point. There is little in Endgame that is worth spoiling, given how its core is spoiled rotten to begin with." -- Barry Hertz [Full review]

Empire

"A victory lap that moonwalks through the best part of the MCU back catalogue and emphasises emotion as much as action, this is an intensely satisfying piece of blockbuster filmmaking." -- Helen O'Hara [Full review]

The Associated Press

"Generous in humor, spirit, and sentimentality, Anthony and Joe Russo's Endgame is a surprisingly full feast of blockbuster-making that, through some time-traveling magic, looks back nostalgically at Marvel’s decade of world domination. This is the Marvel machine working at high gear, in full control of its myth-making powers and uncovering more emotion in its fictional cosmos than ever before." -- Jake Coyle [Full review]

The Wrap

"Yes, there are some moments when the lengthy running time makes itself known, and yes, this is a corporate product even more so than most of the stand-alone MCU movies. But if you like what that product is about, the laughs and tears here feel genuine. The Marvel movies are by no means over, but Avengers: Endgame does offer rare moments of catharsis in an ongoing serialized saga." -- Alonso Duralde [Full review]

The New Yorker

"The one thing you do need to know about “Avengers: Endgame” is that it runs for a little over three hours, and that you can easily duck out during the middle hour, do some shopping, and slip back into your seat for the climax. You won’t have missed a thing." -- Anthony Lane [Full review]

NPR

"Just know that no matter how much homework you've done, what actually happens, the order in which it happens and the folks to whom it happens will still pack surprises - also tongue-in-cheekiness and quite a bit of lump-in-throatiness." -- Bob Mondello [Full review]