Time for another movie review, this time going to marvel´s Civil war, it came a little late but let´s go:
The Marvel Cinematic Universe consists of roughly two types of films: most are standalone adventures based around one of the MCU’s central heroes, while every year or two comes an event picture (usually with Avengers in the title) that brings multiple heroes together in a story that ends up (in theory anyway) changing the shape of the MCU and having ramifications that echo through all succeeding films.
The Captain America movies, by virtue of the fact that Steve Rogers is the cornerstone of the Marvel universe both in the comics and on screen, have been a combination of the two. Captain America: Civil War continues that tradition and, frankly, almost perfects it: more than any other Marvel film to date, Civil War juggles a number of different storytelling and character responsibilities successfully, resulting in an epic tale that feels incredibly intimate and puts the loyalties and ethics of the Avengers and others of their ilk to the test. Like many previous Marvel movies, Civil War is only loosely based on the comic book arc of the same name, but it captures the intent and tone of the central struggle while adapting it to the ongoing canon of Marvel’s screen counterparts.
With its death-defying action sequences, charismatic additional superheroes, and emotional character development, this Captain America threequel is both intense and entertaining. The Russo Brothers certainly know what they're doing. They once again prove that it's Captain America who's the Avengers' emotional core, with his immovable sense of loyalty and responsibility. It's unnecessary to choose sides, because, as reasonable as Tony might seem when he goes on about the need of government oversight and accountability -- this is obviously Cap's movie, and therefore his is the more compelling argument. Evans goes through the entire emotional range as he deals with his complicated feelings for former-best-friend-turned-robotic-killer Bucky, as well as the knowledge that Tony believes he's betraying him and the grief of an unexpected but unsurprising death.
As for the new additions, Boseman and Holland are fabulous as the Black Panther (the closest thing the Marvel universe has to Batman) and Spider-Man respectively. Peter Parker is for once played by an actual teen -- funny, nerdy, and in awe of his much more experienced fellow superheroes. In the big "civil war" fight scene, Peter prattles on, asking questions about everyone's suits and shield and abilities in a hilarious way. Meanwhile, Boseman is cool and fierce, believably a prince and a protector at the same time. There are small touches that reveal the deep bonds between this crew, like when Vision sweetly tells Wanda that he wants the world to see her as he does, not as a threat, or when Natasha asks Clint "we're still friends right?" We all know, no matter what side they might take in a particular argument, they're clearly still besties. Marvel might be churning these movies out at an incredible pace, but the quality and the depth in the Captain America movies in particular shows what's best about this superhero saga.
As for the new members, Boseman is a knockout as T’Challa and seems completely comfortable and confident in both the character and the (excellent) suit. You can’t take your eyes off him whenever he’s onscreen. And then there’s Spider-Man: Holland is the youngest iteration yet, finally giving the character the teen charm that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield through no fault of their own could not provide, and his arrival here bodes well for the character’s future. His webwork slinging and swinging – is also perhaps the best it’s ever looked on screen, with Marvel taking extra care to get it right.
Speaking of which, that final battle scene is a comic fan’s dream come true, a battle royale lifted right out of 50-plus years of Marvel comics that is truly a jaw-dropping high point for the MCU and its creative teams. The action that comes before it doesn’t slouch either: the opening Crossbones sequence is a stunner, as is the highway underpass chase involving the Panther, Bucky, Cap and others. The Russos still occasionally shake the camera too much, but their style of action and violence continues to hit hard and feels both real and bruising, adding another level of pain to the film’s central conflict.
That’s really what makes Captain America: Civil War and so many of the MCU films so powerful: we feel the pain of these characters even as we watch them perform extraordinary feats. This is no band of morose, gloomy, reluctant good guys, by the way – there’s plenty of humor in the movie as well – but that doesn’t mean they don’t have doubts or get hurt even as they perform their duties without question or hesitation. These are real characters, not empty action figures, and they’re the reason the MCU has gone from success to success while other superhero franchises have stumbled or stalled. There are some large-scale changes and challenges coming to the MCU, but it’s always been personal for these people, and it will hopefully continue to be.
This year is good for action movies, and there´s a lot more to come.
Stay Cool!
