Like its predecessor, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame feature an almost overwhelming number of characters familiar to fans of both the Marvel movies and the comics that inspired them. And while it’s a bit of a bummer the same can’t be said for the extras on Avengers: Endgame 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/Digital combo pack, the Blu-ray/Digital combo pack, and, especially, the DVD, they are still a good way to watch this rather spectacular end to this epic saga.
For those who missed Avengers: Endgame in theaters,
you can read a longer assessment of the film’s strengths and weaknesses here. But suffice it to say, it has all the action and adventure of the best Marvel movies, as well as the smart humor and spot-on casting.It’s also the most satisfying conclusion to a cinematic saga since Return Of The Jedi ended the original Star Wars trilogy — one that ties together disparate elements from all of the movies in a smart and natural way — while simultaneously having the epic qualities of The Lord Of The Rings and other huge movies.
Of course, anyone interested in buying Avengers: Endgame on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD isn’t just in it for the movie; they want the extras as well. And it’s here that Avengers: Endgame also shines…if you have a high-def TV, that is.
For those who buy Avengers: Endgame on 4K and Blu-ray, the extras begin with an informative running commentary by directors Anthony and Joe Russo, and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Though not as entertaining as some commentaries we’ve heard — i.e., ones with actors in them, who always keep these things from being too film school-ish — it is still insightful discussion into the process of making this movie.
The Avengers: Endgame 4K and Blu-ray also has an optional intro video by the Russo brothers, one that doesn’t add much, but is worth watching at least once.
Next, the Avengers: Endgame 4K and Blu-ray has six deleted scenes. While they’re all kind of short, and most wouldn’t have added much to the movie — save for the poignant (though also potentially pseudo-controversial) “Avengers Take A Knee” — they are all rather entertaining. And goes double for the two in which Rocket is a temp CGI character that looks like a reject from a PlayStation 2 game. It’s just too bad they didn’t also include a montage of the jokes Rhodey makes about what’s coursing through Thor’s veins, or something to indicate where they were cut from (though it’s usually obvious) or why they were cut.
The Avengers: Endgame 4K and Blu-ray also has the requisite entertaining gag reel.
Next, the Avengers: Endgame 4K and Blu-ray also has four character-specific featurettes: “Bro Thor,” “Black Widow: Whatever It Takes,” “A Man Out Of Time: Creating Captain America,” and “Setting The Tone: Casting Robert Downey, Jr.” While the former is specifically about the way Thor appears in the second half of Avengers: Endgame, the other three are longer looks at the progressions made by both the characters through these movies and the actors who play them.
There’s also “The Women Of The MCU,”
a self-explanatory look at those characters and their chill-inducing scene together, while the directors also get their due in “The Russo Brothers: Journey To Endgame.”
As is usually the case with such things, all of the featurettes on the Avengers: Endgame 4K and Blu-ray are entertaining and informative, and make good use of both interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
Last, but certainly not least, the Avengers: Endgame 4K and Blu-ray has “Remembering Stan Lee,” in which he talks about his cameos. It also includes some fun, behind-the-scenes footage of his shooting these scenes.
Sadly, none of these extras appear on the Avengers: Endgame DVD, which just has the movie.
What’s even sadder than the DVD being so bare bones is that the Avengers: Endgame 4K or Blu-ray are also missing extras. Specifically, “Steve And Peggy: One Last Dance,” a digital-only featurette on the connection between Captain America and Agent Carter. Granted, it is included in the digital version you get a code for in the 4K and Blu-ray editions, but it’s not the same as having it on the disc itself (especially in light of recent instances of digital content disappearing after a while).
And then there’s the extras missing from every version of Avengers: Endgame. For starters, this really needs a second commentary with some of the actors. It also doesn’t have any of the original trailers, or one for Spider-man: Far From Home, which serves as an aftermath to this film and saga. It doesn’t even have the requisite trailers for the tie-in video games when you pop in the discs.
But what the Avengers: Endgame 4K and Blu-ray — and DVD for that matter — needs even more is making-of documentaries. Not just one about the filming of this specific movie, but a second about what went into making this entire saga, one that shows how things were planned well in advance and then all came together in this film.
As short…
as the Avengers: Endgame 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD may have come up where the extras are concerned, they do remain the best way to watch this movie. And what a movie it is. While it may not be the end of the Marvel movies, it does end this chapter of them in grand style, one that’s worth repeat viewing from the pleasure of your own couch.
SCORE: 8.0/10
