It's hard to think of a film in recent years that has had more hype or build-up than Avengers: Endgame.
The film broke records for presale purchases, with many cinemas selling out of tickets days in advance.
Creating the culmination of a 21-film arc is truly an incredible feat and directors Anthony and Joe Russo have managed to accomplish the task with aplomb.
To get something out of the way early, it is incredibly difficult to delve into Endgame without giving away spoilers.
Discussing nearly anything that happens after the opening 15-20 minutes falls into spoiler territory.
The film picks up shortly after the end of Avengers: Infinity War, where big purple bad guy Thanos (Josh Brolin) literally halved the universe's population, turning beloved characters to dust.
Our heroes have never been so utterly defeated, so devoid of hope.
The likes of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) particularly get to stretch their emotional range as they deal with the loss of their friends and loved ones.
The crew is desperate to bring back everyone they've lost and must figure out how to make the impossible possible.
What this film has in spades is emotional pay-offs for the fans.
Storylines and gags that were first brought up in some of the earliest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are brought back and resolved to great effect. In fact, Endgame revels in the nostalgia and love the die-hard fans have for their favourite characters.
This is a film made 100 per cent for the fans -- the filmmakers understand that viewers have invested a lot of time and interest into their multi-film universe and have rewarded that loyalty.
Endgame's scale is second to none, the action is engrossing and grief feels real. Expect more than a few tear-jerking moments and plenty of snappy one-liners as well.
Even Endgame's three-hour run-time feels like it flies by, the pacing of the story is just so well done. It is a supremely satisfying way to spend 181 minutes.
This is one you'll want to watch several times over.
