Captain America: Civil War Review
2016's second attempt at a major superhero crossover is among us, and with it comes the realization that Marvel is unstoppable. Captain America: Civil War is the newest installment in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and it is also the beginning of the third phase of comic book adaptations to hit the screen for the studio.
This unofficially marks a new era of unrest among the superhero community. Suddenly, the villains are not painted purple men (at least for right now) but instead the heroes themselves, gaining animosity for the unfortunate damage that follows anytime these Avengers "save the world." All of a sudden, civilians, and even the United Nations, start to question the lack of checks and balances in the superhero community, thus bringing about a government-mandated superhero act.
Captain America/Steve Rogers, played for the fifth time by Chris Evans, is disturbed but still unsettled by the idea that the government might be the ones to hold the helmets and capes of his friends and himself. Iron Man/Tony Stark, still being helmed by Robert Downey Jr., has a guilty conscience that can only be soothed by said government intervention that can insure the safety of innocent people.
Both sides have a strong argument for what is the right course of action, and their differing ideals quickly come to a clash before our eyes. Good ol' Cap'n Rogers is unwilling to submit to people with agendas (fighting Nazi's can do that to you) and is distressed by the fact that his old Brooklyn buddy Bucky Barnes, now known as the super-assassin Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), is the supposed source of recent unrest. Tony, on the other hand, fails to see that there might be truth in Steve's worry because of his guilt and the unnecessary fatalities increasing by the hour.
Throughout Civil War, the audience is constantly introduced to people, heroes and not, that have been forced to get involved with the situation. Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch returns as a new Avenger, struggling to control her catastrophic abilities. Scarlett Johansson and Paul Bettany are back as Black Widow and the Vision to further the weight of the moral dilemma for Iron Man's side of the team, and Anthony Mackie's Falcon is Captain America's right hand man for the duration of the film. There are also wonderful appearances from Jeremy Renner and Paul Rudd as Hawkeye and Ant-Man, who provide Marvel's signature comic relief as well as adding weight to each side.
In addition to the aforementioned slew of superhero stars, there are a couple new fellows added into the mix. Up first is Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, an ambassador/masked protector of the African nation Wakanda. Early on, he is struck by tragedy and sets out for some fierce feline vengeance. In other words, he has claws and a panther suit, but man does he look fearsome. His fight sequences are some of the best in the film and directors Joe and Anthony Russo do a fantastic job at introducing him before his solo film comes out in a few years.
Of course, I saved the best for last: Spider-Man. Now played by 19-year-old Tom Holland, Peter Parker has perhaps never been better. Holland perfectly portrays the geeky and innocent kid from Queens, while also bringing the quick-witted and swift arachnid out when needed. This Spidey is smart but naive, and still has a good sense of responsibility in between his goofy one-liners. The anticipation for his upcoming film Spider-Man: Homecoming could not be higher at this point, as it seems like he finally has indeed come home to Marvel Studios.
Some honorable mentions of Captain America: Civil War (aside from the above call-outs to the new guys) would be:
The Winter Soldier/Bucky - were his stunts and personality always this awesome? Seriously, more movies with him, please!
The stunt work - the team on this movie went above and beyond to create authentic action sequences that might be some of the best of all time. I found myself watching other movies this weekend and constantly wishing the choreography was as good as this.
The overall direction of the film - the Russo brothers are proving with every film that they are capable of handling any material, while providing amazing visuals. They are able to get an energy from the cast that makes the movie all the more enjoyable and excitable and it feels as if this is a movie made for comic book fans by comic book fans.
Captain America: Civil War is undoubtedly fantastic and up there with the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With literally a dozen main characters having equal time and development and an emotional plot that will leave anyone conflicted, this is a landmark in superhero film history, and is handled as carefully as it should be.
Rating: A+ for achievement in the superhero genre PLUS an excuse to cheer and cry for characters in CGI suits
Captain America: Civil War is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem and stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland and Daniel Brühl.
Image by Marvel Studios.
