Captain America: Civil War (2016) Review!!

Synopsis – Political interference in the Avengers’ activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.

My Take – A few years ago, some of the greatest characters in Marvel history opened a new world to us thanks to the creative and production team behind 2008’s Iron Man. Nobody thought the film would have the impact like it did. Now we are in 2016 and we have reached the thirteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and as everyone had guessed, it boasts the most characters in a Marvel film, is one of the best films in the entire Marvel franchise and also contains some of greatest action scenes in comic book film history! Now I absolutely loved Batman V Superman (I am sorry for bringing this film up, but it is an important point!), but one thing lacking in the film was the depth to establish the characters agendas. Here, we (speaking in terms of the general audience) understand why they are fighting each other and it makes sense. More importantly directors Russo Brothers handled the inclusion of many characters in the same film with different ideas effectively. This was a vital strong and one reason why I felt this film was so good. I think another special aspect of this film was that, despite my initial worries, it’s not an Avengers film. Yes it features most of the beloved characters minus Thor and Hulk, but it is a story about two friends in the face of adversary, caught up in a world they don’t belong in, but have inadvertently become so deeply involved in. The film is not mistakenly titled, because it still is, in all important aspects, a Captain America movie. It’s just that, he isn’t alone. The sheer size of this potential billion-dollar movie calls for an equally mammoth effort from sibling directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, who also both helmed Cap’s previous film, Winter Soldier.

Their deft maneuver results in a beautifully crafted cinematic piece, whose towering bravura, bestows the entire proceedings with striking depth and sentimentality, which may not be the first for the genre, but enough to make it Marvel‘s best film, to date. It really is a good idea to watch both Captain America films before and notice the detail put in to incorporate these stories. Captain America aka Steve Roger has been my favorite Avenger and seeing the character develop in all these three films is really amazing. This movie has a whole new flavor and that’s exactly what was needed from Marvel films and it looks like they have topped themselves again. Based on the comic book event of 2006-2007, following the events of Avengers: Age of Ulton (2015) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). The current team of Avengers consisting Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Captain America (Chris Evans) reach Lagos, Nigeria to stop Brock Rumlow / Crossbones (Frank Grillo) from stealing a bio weapon. The altercation leads to the death of several Wakandan relief workers, the result of which the international community responds with alarm and distrust of the Avengers. Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt, reprising his role from The Incredible Hulk) immediately ordered a conference to bring together to acclaimed heroes. After showing the dramatic and terrible consequences of their actions, it opens way for the culprit of this civil war – Sokovia Accords established by the United Nations. That treaty, aims to put each of the actions and missions of the Avengers in the hands of the United Nations taking into account that it will be them who decide if the heroes can act or not. While humbled by the guilt of his previous failures (from previous films), Tony Stark as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is in favor of the proposal. Rogers, ruffled by his intimate experience of governmental corruption (from previous films), is suspicious, but might have agreed to compromise if not for the involvement of his life-long friend turned former Soviet sleeper assassin, Winter Soldier aka Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). Barnes has been framed for a terrorist bombing in South Africa and Rogers is alone in defending his innocence. With the help of a mystery malefactor (Daniel Bruhl), the rift between heroes grows as the remaining heroes choose their sides leading into a civil war. This was exactly the perfect vehicle to deliver a film to advance the character of Captain America but also give Tony Stark a perfect finishing arc. What makes both Steve and Tony interesting aren’t their abilities or weapons but the men themselves. Steve’s moral code and “man out of time” elements are tested in this film but not in a way anyone saw coming. The viewer that normally would trust that Cap is doing what’s right can look at his actions in a different light. He is still coming to terms with a past that is long gone and he is still longing for a better more decent era.

Putting Bucky back in the mix clouds his judgment. Dealing with the shades of grey of the modern era and being part of any controlling organization after the events of the Winter Soldier movie has changed him. It’s exactly like all the epic events and decisions Tony Stark has made over five films has changed the character of Iron Man. The resulting conflict between the two is as epic as can be. The spy theme is pretty constant throughout the film, with for example a hunt for a terrorist through several countries. There is also focus on terror acts which feels both modern and disturbing considering today’s world situation. The other thing that the film does really well is balancing the characters. The film contains a lot of superheroes and it is at times hard to keep track on everyone. But with finesse and a prioritized focus, they choose which ones will run the story and which ones will figure as background characters. Very smart and thought-out. With most focus on Captain America and then Iron Man, they succeed much better than the previous Avenger films and most of all the latest Batman V Superman. The film also facilitates the solid introduction of Chadwick Boseman‘s Black Panther, whose stand-alone film is due in 2018. An heir to the throne full of hatred and pain, perfect for his own movie and with a fresh and innovative appearance. But perhaps, as most people who’ve seen it, will say, the entry of the amazing web-slinger is the film’s most anticipated highlight. Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man is a breath of fresh air, and it delivers some hope for the character’s looming third big screen incarnation, next year. His comic timing may have been at par with that of Paul Rudd‘s AntMan, who shares one of the most genuine fanboy moments in the movie. It also benefits from good twists, this time it’s not an alien force or robot invasion, but a real rift between the members, a more depth than previously done. Eventually they end up in small and large skirmishes alike. There’s ample choreography to enhance the fights, the ones who rely on their fists are treated with amazing intense scuffle, while the others are done with good deal of CG. The two elements work wonderfully together, shifting between them with ease and fluid transition. Each character has their own style, their signature which translates well into the humor, they trade punches and banters with equal measure.

The movie has reached the balanced between cracking jokes and presenting a riveting story. The real villain Zemo is the first villain in the MCU that is just some guy who has a plan to tear the avengers apart due to some personal vendetta not any world domination scenarios. For once, I think Marvel nailed it. Zemo is a great villain with clear, believable motivations whose convoluted plan is probably makes just as much sense as the Joker from The Dark Knight. Frank Grillo‘s Crossbones looked awesome and would have been a great villain, but he is sadly wasted in the film. The chemistry between Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr is phenomenal, and although they are both the stars of the film as it were, the best performances of the movie come from Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman and much to everybody’s delight, Tom Holland. When I first heard that Holland would be taking up the iconic role, I wasn’t sure. I had grown up with Tobey Maguire as Spiderman, followed by Andrew Garfield and I thought that he would be irreplaceable for the rest of time. But Tom Holland knocked it out of the park, and he truly made the role his own during his short time on screen. Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Scarlett Johansson, Martin Freeman, Emily VanCamp and William Hurt play their parts very well. I could go on forever about how good all of the performances were, honorable mentions must go to Daniel Bruhl and Paul Rudd. With a run time of 146 minutes, there was a lot to cram in but in the end as a Marvel film this one is the best by far. On the whole, ‘Captain America: Civil War’ isn’t just one of the best superhero films, it is an outstanding film outside of the genre. It is emotional, hilarious and most importantly awesome. I cannot recommend the film enough. Watch it twice!