“Avengers: Endgame” is nothing like anything that has ever come before it. Never before has there been a longer-running, more popular, blockbuster cinematic universe like the one Marvel has carefully constructed over the last 11 years, and “Endgame” is the perfect send-off for a saga of such proportion.

The movie picks up where “Avengers: Infinity War” left off. Thanos succeeded in wiping out half of all life in the universe and the Avengers are left trying to pick up the pieces. Not much else can be said about the plot of the movie without immediately spoiling parts of it because one of “Endgame’s” greatest attributes is just how unpredictable it can be at times.

The more invested you are in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the more you are going to get out of “Endgame.” The merits of this movie should not be reviewed in isolation because the film is a capstone for the greatest cinematic undertaking in the history of filmmaking. It delights itself in fanservice and callbacks, but this works so well because it is all a reward for the fans who have been along for the ride for all this time. “Endgame” is the payoff we have been waiting for.

Despite a runtime of more than three hours, “Endgame” never felt slow. In fact, it almost felt rushed at times, especially in its first act. There is a lot of ground to cover in this movie, but every scene had its purpose and the movie masterfully weaves together grand moments of incredible scale with intimate moments oozing with emotion. But what makes “Endgame” stand out amongst its cohort of other Marvel films is the finality of all of it. Every other film in the MCU seems to be setting itself up for the next movie to release, but “Endgame” instead goes back and reflects on all the moments and loose ends from the last decade of Marvel. It’s a movie that spends time looking to the past, rather than the future and it hugely benefits from doing so.

“Endgame’s” biggest surprise for me was how many of the core heroes that we’ve followed for the last decade had some of their greatest emotional and vulnerable moments in this movie. The stars portraying these characters deliver their strongest performances in these roles yet, elevating these moments to new heights.

If you are even a casual Marvel fan and just saw “Avengers: Infinity War” last year, “Avengers: Endgame” is an absolute must see. The release of this movie is history in the making and it marks the end of a cinematic experience the world may never see topped. Bring friends, maybe bring a box of tissues and get ready for the bittersweet finale of a lifetime.

The Parkway West Pathfinder gives “Avengers: Endgame” a 10/10.