Captain America: Civil War
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Frank Grillo, and Daniel Bruhl.
Backstory
We can’t look at superhero movies as being individual films anymore. Thanks to how Marvel has developed their cinematic universe over the past 8 years, the entire studio output has to be viewed as a single franchise. Which is why there is so much hype over Captain America: Civil War. This isn’t Captain America 3 as much as it’s Marvel 13. And with such a large cast of heroes…it just looked like the biggest superhero film ever. So the question is, does it live up to the hype?
Plot
After the all the collateral damage the Avengers have cause in their previous adventures, the UN passes a new set of regulations called the Sokovia Accords. Under these accords, the Avengers would become a task force held accountable to a UN committee. Iron Man is in favour of the accords, as he still feels guilt for those whose lives were lost, and this would give the Avengers a degree of accountability. Steve Rogers, however, is against it, fearing it could turn the Avengers into a tool of political agendas. Things get more complicated when Rogers’ old friend and sidekick Bucky is implicated in a terrorist attack. Going rogue from the Accords to find Bucky first, Captain America is branded a criminal, and Iron Man and those Avengers still loyal to him are sent to bring him in. Throw Black Panther into the mix — his father was killed in Bucky’s alleged attack so he’s out for revenge — and a shadowy villain manipulating both factions to his own ends, and you get one very big superhero adventure. Will Captain American and Iron Man ever trust each other again?
What I Liked
My problem with huge ensembles is when people get lost in the shuffle. But here? No one gets lost. Everyone has a job to do, a character arc, and a role in the battle. Easily the biggest and meatiest subplot is Black Panther, who makes a fine introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And speaking of fine introductions…Spider-Man! He’s not in it that much, but what little is in there is so pitch-perfect Spider-Man. We’ve finally got Spider-Man and the Avengers together on the big screen, and it is so good. But the heart is Captain America and Iron Man. They both make valid points, and at the end, when you see the villain’s endgame and Cap and Iron Man have their final battle, it is heartbreaking. It is so good.
What I Didn’t Like
Ya know what? I think a bit of franchise fatigue is starting to set in. Either that, or I just watched the trailer too many times, as there was an air of “been there, done that” over the proceedings.
Final Verdict
It was so good, you guys. A delightful time at the movies.