Avengers: Endgame, the end of a 22-movie-era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is the perfect way to say farewell to your favorite characters. But of course, like all movies, there are ups and downs. Moments that make you laugh, cry, cheer, and cringe. There are even a few that will make you wonder what the directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, were thinking.

Throughout the film, I was met with moments of satisfaction when they managed to bring back an iconic moment or idea from a prior film. Although these moments were usually satisfactory, there were definitely some scenes that needed to stay as memories only. Of course to sum up 22 movies you need a quick flashback, but these were often interrupted with forgotten or senseless moments of the past that characters had already moved on from. These unsatisfactory memories led to wasting the characterization of characters built over the course of the cinematic universe.

One common trait of Marvel movies is introducing ideas or spot-on characterization that leaves me thinking for days after seeing the film. The most fulfilling part of a journey is the end, and the way the writers managed to write the journey and the ending of two major characters in the film is sure to leave anyone speechless and wanting more.

While most of the characters endings were enjoyable, there were a few endings that didn’t sit well with me. These were mostly due to many open ended questions left unanswered and many plot holes left to fill. It would’ve been great to have more time go into each of the endings, especially with a three hour time frame.

Lately, I’ve heard many people expressing that the film is “too confusing” or “has too many references to the past movies.” The common theme within these reviews doesn’t add up. To make a film that wraps up the stories of many major characters that have been there from the beginning, you need flashbacks. When reading a book, you do not open up to the 22nd chapter and get mad when you simply don’t understand anything.

With the help of necessary flashbacks, great characterization, and unforgettable scenes, Avengers: Endgame manages to wrap up the journeys of iconic characters while getting the audience excited for what’s to come in the cinematic universe.