Captain America: Civil War

At the start, the film finds Captain America yet again adjusting to working under the increasingly morally ambiguous ways of the new Avengers structure. The set up is masterfully done. This is the fifth time we've seen the character and it's remarkable how complex and how much depth has been layered on to developing this icon. The Avengers film touched a bit with his feelings of what it was like to be in the modern era, and Winter Soldier drove the point home. Following that classic sequel, Civil War is a wonderful character study to go along with a purely thrilling plot. This was exactly the perfect vehicle to deliver a film to advance the character of Captain America but also give Tony Stark a perfect finishing arc and more development himself. What makes BOTH Steve and Tony interesting aren't their abilities or weapons but the men themselves. Steve's moral code and "man out of time" elements are tested in this film but not in a way anyone saw coming. The viewer that normally would trust that Cap is doing what's right can look at his actions in a different light. He is still coming to terms with a past that is long gone and he is still longing for a better more decent era. Putting Bucky back in the mix clouds his judgment. Dealing with the shades of grey of the modern era and being part of any controlling organization after the events of the Winter Soldier movie has changed him. It's exactly like all the epic events and decisions Tony Stark has made over five films has changed the character of Iron Man. The resulting conflict between the two is as epic as can be.

Like in Steve's last solo movie, his past comes back and explodes all throughout his new life. Tracking down his old pal Bucky, who was once an amoral assassin and a mind controlled Russian thug, proves to be a catalyst to everything that happens. Everything happens and unfolds in a believable and an intelligent manner. Every single ultimately cool character gets a chance to shine including Bucky but also incredible new characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man. Each one is fleshed out wonderfully for their supporting roles. Again, beyond cool.

I really enjoyed both previous Captain America films but this movie is as dark and exciting as Winter Solder but also adds a degree of depth. This movie has a whole new flavor and that's exactly what was needed and what Marvel does so well. The 1940's romance and even the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" tone fit the first film quite nicely. The conspiracy thriller vibe of the second film was refreshing and so well done. Here, just like the Cap character, adaptation is a key. What they deliver with this Civil War feels fresh and is certainly amazing. Steve is still a patriot but he's continuing to question authority. His old-fashioned values pay off in many cases but here, are they leading him astray? Questioning what is wrong and questioning what is morally cloudy is a test of true character. Yet, being old school stubborn can result in missing key points and can result in bad consequences. That is exactly why the character of Steve Rogers is so interesting. He's so much more than a super soldier boy scout. There's depth, angst and pathos and we all can relate to him. He is out-of-place and he is old-fashioned but proud of that in a way. In a movie like this, pride comes before the fall. Tony Stark is ahead of him on that curve. Tony knows the price of arrogance and even the price of acting unilaterally with the best of intentions. He knows the road to hell is paved with those best of intentions. When these two philosophies and life lessons collide, that's as cool as the superhero brawl that accompanies it.

The story itself is an amazing action thriller with a ton of intrigue and psychological issues. Honestly, I didn't expect it to be this clever and this deep. I did expect it to be exciting and it certainly delivers on that. Each new character and each hold over Avenger character works in to the story perfectly. Everything about this movie is a joy to watch. The cast is perfect and everyone is used exceptionally well. This IS the best sequel the genre has ever seen and I know tat's saying a lot. It could be Marvel's best effort ever.

Captain America: Winter Soldier was everything I wanted from a superhero movie. It was well directed, written and acted, and I was very excited for the next Captain America movie. And this movie most definietly delivered in quality. Is it as good as its predecessor? No, definietly not. There are a few flaws, which I'll talk about later. With that being said, this movie gets 4 things right for every one thing it does wrong. The plot is engaging and for the most part easy to follow and the pacing is solid. The characters all feel very 3-dimentional and fleshed out, and none of them feel different from what we already know. The movie's biggest strength is the interactions between the characters, and the different arguments presented by both sides. I love that despite obviously wanting us to side with Cap's team, the movie doesn't really make one side the "correct" one. Both sides present reasonable and logical arguments, and there is no right answer to what the Avengers should do. The new characters such as Black Panther and Spiderman are both very interesting and compelling, and both feel like a natural inclusion to the character list. All this is of course helped by some excellent performances as usual. The direction and cinematography are also both really good, and the action scenes are almost just as good as in Winter Soldier, even though some feel a little meaningless. And, while it might not be a big deal, MAN was it good to see a truly great antagonist in Zemo. He's well written and very well played by Daniel Brühl, and he challenges the ideological perspectives of our hero in a way no other villain in the MCU has done before. With that being said, his plan is somewhat ridiculous, and felt a little too complicated. The movie also feels a little dumb sometimes. It feels like Cap and Stark could've solved the issue much sooner had they just communicated better. Those are my main complaints, and while there are a few other things I could nitpick, nothing really ruins the film by any means. It's a more mature take on the Marvel formula, and while it's the best movie in the franchise, it's still more than good enough for me to recommend it.

Captain America Civil War is a gripping, bold, smart and awesome superhero movie. It boasts of a talented cast, a great direction and awesome action sequences. Matching spectacular and epic moments with the smarts of a great, grown up thriller, Captain America Civil War is a fun, epic and emotional ride that you won't miss.

Rating: 8,8.

I'm going to be honest in saying that over the past few months, I've slowly become bored with the constant superhero releases, the current box office seems rife with them, not that that's a bad thing, it's just a tad repetitive. But then there's the Captain America series of the MCU films which seem to venture away from the typical action-packed, over-the-top aesthetics of other superhero films and instead focus more on the drama, the plot, the characters, and instead form a thriller in the style of 'The Manchurian Candidate' or the 'Bourne' films.

Personally I was a huge fan of 'The Winter Soldier', abandoning the action to instead create a political thriller was a fantastic idea, and it seems that the Russo's have yet again gone down a similar route in creating a more complex film (that does unfortunately contain plot holes here and there) that instead leaves the audience thinking rather than just presenting mindless action, however 'Civil War' is definitely more "actiony" than 'Winter Soldier' was, and unfortunately I dislike the overuse of CGI which this film does contain, but thankfully the interwoven smart plot allowed for some material that'll hopefully be an influence towards other superhero movies, to actually create clever content instead of dumbed-down footage. Definitely one of the stronger Marvel films!

When an incident involving Wanda Maximoff causes a deadly explosion in Lagos, the UN want to regulate the use of the Avengers.

'Captain America Civil War' is an enjoyable but slightly overlong MCU movie that has some fantastic spectacle and strong character moments.

The plot has an excellent premise with a plausible world reaction to the exploits of a group of people with superpowers and a good villain. Where it slightly falters as a stand-alone movie is the introduction of several new characters that somewhat bogs down the proceedings, but for the wider franchise narrative (and expansion) it is necessary. Several characters have emotional arcs to go through in this story and there is only so much time to do it all.

All that being said it has some of the best moments of the franchise, particularly during the scenes of internal conflict amongst the central characters. Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain America and the Winter Soldier are involved in some very compelling scenes, as are Wanda and Vision.

Some of the visuals are incredibly well done. The early Lagos action scenes hit like a sledgehammer and you can almost feel the impact of what is being shown. The airport showdown is excessive but so much fun you can imagine the writers planning a fanboy's ultimate fantasy. The final confrontation is well made from a spectacle and character perspective.

The first time I saw it was my first sight of the digital effect that makes actors appear younger. This is a very impressive use of CGI that feels like real movie magic.

All performances are strong especially Robert Downey Jr and Daniel Bruhl.

It's a 7.5/10 for me but I round upwards.