Thus far, Tony Stark/Iron Man has been the star of the MCU. In what I would argue was the single best piece of casting in the history of film, Robert Downey Jr., who was such a risk at the time that he was cast as Tony Stark that he was literally uninsureable due to his long and troubled history of criminal behavior and drug addition has become the highest paid actor on the planet largely on the back of his charm, charisma and wit in turning Iron Man into one of the most bankable characters on the planet. However, through two Captain America films and two Avengers films, Chris Evans' Captain America has become its heart and soul. Inspiring and fundamentally good, decent and kind, through Captain America we're given a glimpse into what makes superheroes popular in the first place. They are myths for our time and cultural touchstones in an age where little ties large segments of our population together the way that religion and culture did a century ago. Through the MCU thus far Cap (who always had a rebellious streak if it meant doing what was right) has transformed from the loyal soldier to someone who will fight anyone and anything that stands in the way of what a less cynical person might call Truth, Justice and The American Way.
Enter: Civil War. Following the events of the second Avengers film, where the Avengers' battle against Ultron resulted in a city falling from the sky, the original lineup has been scattered. A new lineup of Avengers, funded by Tony Stark is protecting the planet from threats great and small, but there is growing concern over the collateral damage from their battles.
The Good: Chris Evans has turned himself into just maybe the best part of the MCU and a bona fide star. He simply IS Captain America at this point and his decency, charm and resolute sense of wrong and right makes it easy to see why people would follow him through the fires of hell at this point. The rest of the cast is just as good. Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark has an edge of mournful humanity to him that hasn't always been there, and given the tragedy that he's endured through 5 films, it's easy to see why. Other MCU veterans like Scarlett Johannson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Don Cheadle and Paul Bettany are getting better as they grow more confident in their roles, making the most of their opportunities to flesh out supporting characters. There is a TON going on in this movie, with the location bouncing from Nigeria to the United States to London to Berlin and back again, when, coupled with the sheer number of characters, could have easily sunk this picture under the weight of all it was trying to accomplish. The fact that it services so many existing characters (Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine, Hawkeye, Ant Man, Winter Soldier and Scarlet Witch all return from at least one previous Marvel film appearance) while simultaneously introducing new characters and hitting so many locales with a dense plot is a testament to the skill of the filmmakers involved. The Russo bros. cut their teeth on TV comedies, having worked on shows like Community and Arrested Development, and their experience there surely guides their ability to service a massive ensemble cast so deftly. Marvel's films have always excelled at fan service, and Civil War is no exception, giving the many Marvel nerds in the audience plenty to cheer about at numerous points in the film. Every single character is given at least one moment to shine, with two newcomers given several. NOT ONLY does Civil War manage to service nearly the entirety of the existing MCU, it also introduces Black Panther and Spider-Man (!!!) who is finally a part of the MCU. Both of these characters are done so damn well that I'm not sure how they could be improved upon, and the only reason they don't each steal the whole movie is that there is so much good stuff going on everywhere else. Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman, is amazing. He has his own self contained storyline within the larger plot, and every aspect of the character is knocked out of the park. He's going to be a lot of fun within his own film and within the larger MCU moving forward. Spider-Man is Marvel's premiere hero and has existed within his own separate movies up to this point. He's had some pretty darn good movies on his own.... but there's never been a Spider-Man that felt this TRUE and honest to what the character is and means to so many people until now. Every aspect of this Spider-Man is pitch perfect and every single moment he's on screen is an absolute blast. Marvel's action sequences keep getting better too, as they keep managing to top themselves by mixing huge effects and spectacle with good character work and plenty of fun fan service. The largest set piece in this film is just maybe the best superhero set piece we've seen yet, and there are at least 3 separate set pieces in this film that are simply as good as anything that's ever been in a superhero movie. The climatic fight sequence is harrowing but EARNED, which is something Snyder/DC never figured out. What makes action scenes great isn't the spectacle alone, that's what video games are for, it's the personal stakes. Marvel keeps raising the bar and I can't wait to see what happens next. Finally, decent villains have been a problem for the MCU. The films ultimately service the characters so the villains tend to be one-off throwaway rivals with the exception of Loki of course. The villain here is comparatively solid, with Daniel Bruhl (of Inglorious Basterds fame) playing an embittered, calculating Zemo, quietly pulling the strings. Ultimately, this is a movie about superheroes and friends fighting, and to pull that off you risk making everyone involved looking stupid and/or unreasonable. The fact that Marvel largely avoids that with the stakes escalating in a germane and believable way is a testament to what they've built and the quality of the actors, writers, and filmmakers involved. Thumbs up, guys.
The TL;DR version of the good: Chris Evans' Cap is amazing. Spider-Man & Black Panther are perfect. The action is great. An absolute joy.
The Bad: the first third of the film is a little bit of a mess. The action is jumping from location to location very quickly and sometimes abruptly, and there are a few points where the whole thing risks falling off the rails completely. It doesn't, but it's close, and there's definitely a little bit of location fatigue while all the film's pieces are being assembled. There are some head-scratching character moments as well, but to be honest that's going to be necessary to get heroes to fight each other.
Ultimately, this is one of the top 2 or 3 Marvel movies yet, and considering how many legitimately great Marvel films already exist, that's quite the compliment. Cap 2 changed the MCU fundamentally, and Cap 3 does so again, with several new characters to play with. Once you reach the halfway point, there is nothing NOT great about this film.
8.5/10.
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