Movie Review | Captain America: Civil War

Director: Joe & Anthony Russo

Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Martin Freeman, Anthony Mackie

Synopsis: Political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability when the actions of the Avengers lead to collateral damage.The new status quo deeply divides members of the team.

Captain America (Chris Evans) believes superheroes should remain free to defend humanity without government interference. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) sharply disagrees and supports oversight.

As the debate escalates into an all-out feud, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) must pick a side.

Movie Review:

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures

It’s impossible to believe Marvel  can keep this juggernaut moving forward. It appeared a turning of the tide was on the horizon with Avengers: Age of Ultron. Alas, the ship was corrected with another smaller known character in Ant-Man, a film that was also nearly thrown into turmoil with the exit of it’s original director. Fans have to keep asking how and if Marvel can keep this party going.

In a wider realm, Marvel can just do no wrong with the massive project that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The success cannot be debated as film after film continues to up the ante even further. We’re still following the original cast of characters that got this monster moving, but Marvel is slowly starting to introduce others who will take the scepter and continue the face. By films end, Captain America: Civil War lays the groundwork for things to come while simultaneously closing the door on the Captain America trilogy.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures

Captain America: Civil War can best be described as a direct sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a 1A of the previous story. And it’s a glaringly good thing the creators chose to take that direction. Although audiences witness a massive ensemble cast, much like Age of Ultron, Civil War does a much better job at telling a more contained and direct story. It’s hard not to watch Civil War and compare it to the more recent additions. You notice almost instantly that the formula for Civil War works much better than it’s predecessor Avengers: Age of Ultron.

During Age of Ultron, the film cared more about adding the building blocks to future films, rather than telling the story of what was on screen at the present moment. The creators, or executives for that matter, realized this formula was flawed and decided to concentrate on completing the Captain America trilogy rather than focusing as strongly on the next film in the MCU.

Captain America: The Winter Solider is easily one of the best films in the whole catalog. Civil War is more of a story about the continuation of the Captain America / Winter Soldier saga than it is the actual Superhero Registration Act it’s dubbed to follow. It creates a conflict between Captain America and his search to find his best friend while debating the ethics of the Superhero Registration Act.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures

The story ultimately puts the main plot aside and focuses on the family dynamic of the Avengers and where they stand. Robert Downey Jr. is brilliant as always as Tony Stark / Iron Man. It’s enjoyable to see him and the rest of the Avengers make an appearance in the third act of the Captain America trilogy.

Surprise cameos and an excellent airport action scene stack the odds even higher than before while the sub-plots are what really carries the film forward. Civil War focuses on the story at hand, but it does leave a few breadcrumbs for the fan. +

Civil War undoubtedly gets the MCU back on track and makes up for the short comings of Age of Ultron. It shows that the superhero ensemble movie can work, regardless of how massive. By films end, it’s clear that the door for Phase 3 of the MCU is wide open while not beating us to death with the notion.

Captain America: Civil War hits theaters May 6, 2016!

One thought on “Movie Review | Captain America: Civil War”

  1. Is it me or did Captain America grow exponentialy stronger?
    Spiderman was totally disrespected.
    Spiderman’s “MO” , one of the best of all superheroes- With great power comes great responsibility was somehow forgotten.
    His 6th sense, completely missing.
    His strength, marvel strength scale, 20 tons,
    Beaten by Captain America’s marvel strength scale of 1200 pounds!
    Movie was awful. Why was spiderman even in it?
    The only good part was Black panther, although the mere human Natasha Romanoff neutralized him. Get real!
    The movie will make billions but I hated it.

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