By Teresa Ugarte

Is it too bold to say that “Avengers: Endgame” is the greatest superhero movie of all time?

Maybe. But let me tell you, there is not a single other film that even came close to giving me the high I felt walking out of the theater that I got upon finishing “Endgame.” Sure, there are other stand-alone superhero movies that are probably better movies in general. But “Endgame” isn’t a standalone film. If the Marvel movies are the world’s longest season of TV, then this was the season finale to end all season finales.

I’ll be honest and say that while I like Marvel movies, I only really love one or two of them (the original “Avengers” and “Captain America: the Winter Soldier,” since no one asked). I love the characters and I love the world Marvel has built, but I’ve always felt like they’ve been holding back. They’ve spewed out a lot of cookie-cutter movies that are good, but ultimately not great. For me at least, it’s easy to see where Marvel (and probably Disney) is forcing the directors to toe the line and not go too off the rails. I always felt that Marvel was kind of a cash grab that would make any number of bland action movies for a profit, and maybe that’s still true.

But “Endgame” shows us that they are actually more than that. Obviously, “Endgame” was a money making endeavor; if it doesn’t smash every box office record on the books to bits I’ll eat my hat. But they were freed by the fact that they already knew everyone would show up: it gave them the opportunity to disregard their usual formula and make something completely and totally different.

There was absolutely no holding back. They could have given us a two hour search-and-rescue action flick ending with an overly long fight sequence in which the big-bad was inevitably defeated. But they didn’t. Instead, they pulled out every single stop to make the wildest, most balls-to-the-walls movie maybe anyone has ever made. I’ve never seen a movie like this before and I don’t think I ever will again.

This is a movie that must be seen in a crowded theater if at all possible. Nothing beats the experience of being in a packed theater of people deeply invested in the movie they’re seeing. It’s a rare collective experience; there probably won’t be another of this scale for the next decade at least.

All of this isn’t to say that everyone will love this movie as much as I do. People who didn’t collect comic books in high school or who only kind of care about one or two characters will probably think this movie is too long, too confusing and ultimately just kind of weird. But if you care about Marvel, if you care deeply about the characters and their journeys and the world that they have built, then get ready for the time of your life. This movie was made for you.

Featured Photo Credit: Courtesy of the “Avengers” Facebook page.

Teresa Ugarte is a freshman journalism and English major and can be reached at teugarte@terpmail.umd.edu.