Captain America: Civil War

I always get worried after some films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are released and they fall a little short of my expectations. "Ant-Man" wasn't all that special for me but I had faith that the film was designed to introduce another hero that would be more entertaining in a later movie when he is part of team. My faith was rewarded with "Captain America: Civil War". In hindsight, I should have included the Iron Man films in my movie marathon leading up to this new installment (I only watched the two Captain America and two Avenger films as well as "Ant-Man"). "Civil War" in many ways is "Avengers 2.5" because what happens in the movie affects every member of the team either directly or indirectly. The reason why this is not an Avenger film is because of the sense of realism and the absence of Thor and the Hulk. This feud between my two favorite Avengers has been building ever since the first Avengers and it now comes to a head with a battle that sees every member of the team torn between the opposite sides of an issue. "Civil War" showcases a great balance between drama, action and fun. The reason why I think it is better than "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is because "Civil War" has a lighter tone.

In case anyone is wondering, I am on Team Iron Man. Like some characters in this movie however, I wasn't sure with my choice preceding the release of this movie. I couldn't make an informed decision because I hadn't yet seen the movie. At the midway point of seeing "Civil War" for the first time, even though I was still on Iron Man's side, I also couldn't blame Captain America for the decisions he was making. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark have each done a 180-degree turn on their individual outlooks as superheroes. They both still want to protect the world and keep the Avengers together but the events of the previous films have had a significant impact. In Phase One of the MCU, Iron Man was a solo act and "Iron Man 2" portrayed this the best as Tony fights the government on whether to share his tech with them. It appears as though the events of "Iron Man 3" and "Age of Ultron" have given him a sense of guilt so heart wrenching that he is finally willing to be regulated. Captain America, back in World War II, followed orders and/or did his duty. However, after "The Winter Soldier", he realizes that the world is no longer divided simply into good versus bad. He can only trust himself and his team. Suddenly, Iron Man is the one willing to submit to authority whereas Cap longs to be self-governing. Their rift is almost mended until Tony lets it slip that he has been keeping Wanda detained. I am convinced though that the major reason why Cap is not willing to accept the Accords is because of Bucky. I love how towards the end of the film, the relationship between Rogers and Barns is back to almost normal at long last. I was hoping that the MCU would portray the passing of Agent Carter at some point but what I was really happy for was the revelation concerning Agent 13. That is something Cap deserved and the looks on the faces of Bucky and Sam are priceless: the best joke in the whole film. I didn't expect the fight at the airport to be as funny as it was but it was my favorite scene in the film. Black Widow has an interesting role in this film because she thinks Iron Man's viewpoint makes sense but she feels for Cap at the same time, more than any other member on Iron Man's side. I like how the sacrifice of Quicksilver influenced which side Barton chose in this movie. Both Cap and Iron Man enlist a wild card to tip the scales in their favor. As I was hoping for, Ant-Man fit well enough into the mix of Marvel superheroes. He seemed a little out of place though during the first viewing but I am sure that more MCU movies featuring Lang will help dispel this even more. Falcon also felt out of place at first in this franchise but after three movies, the issue has been resolved. Another character that also needs to find his place in the MCU is our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. What really excited me was that I could sense the potential of this new incarnation of the character! It brought a lot of relief to so many fans preceding "Homecoming". The amount of scenes and moments featuring Spider-Man are just perfect to satisfy the audience and that warrants a big applause for the filmmakers. Black Panther also showed promise and, in the eyes of most, surpassed expectations with his solo film later in the franchise. T'Challa is on Team Iron Man mostly because he is out for revenge against a member of Team Cap. Once the plot twist happens, he does his own thing. Before I get ahead of myself, I want further explain the absence of the Hulk and Thor in "Civil War". First of all, Thor can't be regulated by any earthly government. Also, the presence of either character would have tipped the scales too much. For example, once the Hulk chooses a side, it's over. Finally, the Hulk has no self-control and a battle like the one at the airport was full of restraint. Once the plot twist happens, all restraint seems to be tossed aside. I nearly thought Cap was going for the "deCAPitation" (that came out wrong). After the scene with Zola in "The Winter Soldier", I think we all subconsciously knew the plot twist of "Civil War" but to have it spelled out so clearly and looking at it through Stark's eyes made us realize the full tragedy of it. We also see how this changes so much in the franchise. The pain in Tony's face throughout the movie is palpable. He never wanted this fracture in the team to happen. After the plot twist, the pain then becomes personal and the musical score was so important here. Unlike "The Winter Soldier" or "Thor: The Dark World", "Civil War" has great resolution. We appear to be heading towards a period of reconstruction because Tony did not destroy the cell phone from Cap and he puts Ross on hold as well. Bucky's decision in the mid-credit sequence adds to this resolution. The focus of this movie was a conflict between friends but a character was needed to bring about this conflict. Some villains are not equal to their respective heroes such as the Yellowjacket or Malekith. While Zemo is no physical match for any member of the Avengers, that fact alone makes his treachery all the more terrible. He is a human terrorist who effectively manipulates everyone from behind the curtain, becoming a formidable opponent. Both Zemo and the Black Panther want revenge but that is where the similarity between these two characters stops. First of all, T'Challa is mistakenly after the wrong man. Because T'Challa is a good person, he can see this comparison between himself and Zemo once Zemo is revealed. The Black Panther comes to realize that if he takes revenge, he will become just like the villain responsible for his anguish. The actions of Zemo in this movie make you think. If one mortal military man is capable of cutting the emotional ties that bond the Avengers together and the audience accepts this as a plausible, fictional storyline, is it so inconceivable in real life that just one ex-marine sniper in Dealey Plaza could change the course of history with just a few shots or that 19 terrorists could bring a world to its knees by hijacking four planes? I can hear you say: "'Civil War' is fiction. JFK and 9/11 really happened." To me, the conspiractors want to divide us just like Zemo.

The best actor in this movie is Mr. Robert Downey Jr. because of the aforementioned dramatic scenes. I also have to mention his first few scenes in "Civil War" where his character's guilt is apparent. As with "The Avengers", Downey was pushing for Stark to have a larger role. Unlike with "The Avengers" where Downey put aside his desires for the betterment of the story, Marvel this time listened and I think Downey was right on this one. It made for better conflict to have Stark featured more than was initially planned. I was so grateful for the chemistry between Robert Downy Jr. and Tom Holland. It alone assured me that Spider-Man would work in the MCU. As a side note, Holland and other candidates were screen tested with Downey and Chris Evans. A few years after "Civil War" was released, I was watching "Only You" with my wife and I suddenly realized that Downey and Marisa Tomei did a whole movie together long before "Civil War". That was cool to realize. All the actors in this film did their jobs very well. I first saw Chadwick Boseman in "42" and he is much better as the Black Panther. It was cool to see Martin Freeman but I just can't get Bilbo Baggins out of my head. Once again, hurray for Stan Lee! Tony "Stank" is something I won't be dropping for a while either. This has become one of my favourite cameos of his. Composer Henry Jackman is becoming a known name in superhero movies. I think the only MCU composer that I favor more than him is Alan Silvestri.

Those disappointed by "Dawn of Justice" no longer had anything to be upset about because this film filled their desire for a battle royale of heroes that may not have been satisfied a little over a month prior to the release of "Civil War". On another note, if anyone thinks that R-rated superhero movies are the path of the future because of the success of "Deadpool" then see "Captain America: Civil War" and think again. The entertainment value is high because of a wonderful balance between humor and heart, between pleasure and drama. Comic book movies sometimes fail for a variety of reasons such as supporting characters that don't contribute to the story, bad casting or too many jokes. This sequel, as my favourite film from 2016, was able to avoid such blemishes thankfully. Something else that I am happy about is that this movie is fun every time you watch it. Thus begins Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I have heard fans guess that Steve Rogers is done as Captain America. Those who believe that should look at what happened to America herself following the US Civil War. Thanks to this movie, we all got excited for "Homecoming", "Black Panther" and especially "Infinity War".

4.5 Stars out of 5