“Captain America: Civil War” is the superhero movie that I’ve been waiting to come out for years. It’s a highly introspective piece that takes into account the past 12 Marvel Cinematic Universe films (“Iron Man” to “Ant-Man”) and displays the consequences the Avengers have had on the world and themselves.
Without revealing too many spoilers, the plot centers upon this tense relationship, particularly between the opposing views of Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Tony Stark (Iron Man). Loyalties are split when Rogers refuses to sign a global agreement that will place the Avengers under the direct control of the U.N in an effort to retain judgmental direction. Stark, however, sees the agreement as the only way to ensure their future as a united group. But when Bucky (The Winter Soldier) makes a sudden appearance, Captain America leads a fugitive superhero team to defend Bucky and unmask a greater plot, which forces Iron Man heads his own team to prevent Captain America from breaking apart the Avengers.
The greatest thing about “Civil War” is that it takes enough time to establish both perspectives of Rogers and Stark. Though we have the previous Marvel movies to build from, “Civil War” is very deliberate in showing pieces from the histories of Captain America and Iron Man so the audience can understand and sympathize with both sides. At the heart of the two superheroes’ conflict is the desire to do what is right. The problem is “right” has painted the world in one giant grayscale. The Avengers want to protect the world, but they also have to deal with the fact that they are responsible for such events as Sokovia. The issue is best summed up in Vision’s line from the movie: “Our very strength incites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict… breeds catastrophe.”
Even though the movie focuses on the tension between Captain America and Iron Man, there are at least 13 characters that necessitate valuable screen time, and “Civil War” does an excellent job at balancing the roles. The most exciting additions to the main Avengers are Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Ant-Man, who are all integrated relatively well. Black Panther is the most natural, Spider-Man is the most humorous, and Ant-Man is the most random (he literally appears out of a white van after Hawkeye “kidnaps” him.)
As far as the fight scenes, I would say this film is just average. There is a heightened awe factor, especially in the second half when the Avengers are fighting themselves, but there’s also a sense that the superheroes are slightly holding back because they don’t want to kill each other. Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Black Widow in the scene with the all-Avengers fight seem unwilling to put forth their best moves. Still, Spider-Man’s witty bantering in that sequence is more than enough entertainment I needed.
Overall, “Civil War” impressed me as a bridge for the Marvel film series, as the movie forces the Avengers more than ever to question what they were before and where they’re going now. If you want to watch the film, though, I would highly suggest (re)watching “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, because there is a lot of information in “Civil War” that becomes lost if you don’t remember what happened in the previous two films.
Rating: 3.5 Stars / A-
