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.

This movie has a fantastic plot and brings all these characters perfectly on screen. The conflict between Steve and Tony is written so well. Zemo is also a good side villain in this movie. The action scenes were well-made.

What impresses me about this movie is how much good was done in a short amount of time for each character. There are really clever time-saving 'tricks' like Tony using the broom to bust open the hatch that caused the Spidey costume to come dangling down. That saved them minutes of precious dialogue; it just cut straight to the point. And during that whole scene in Peter's place, almost every line of dialogue counted toward something important, with just enough 'fluff' to make it sound like a real conversation instead of 'movie dialogue' (the funny asides like 'please move your leg' and 'your ridiculously hot aunt'), etc.

The same is true about the scene near the beginning with Tony's holographic 'flashback' . That scene served so many purposes at once - first, it got me caught up in the background story; then, it gave me an insight into Tony's attitudes and regrets concerning his parents; then, when it was shown that it was a therapy technique, it showed me that Tony still has unresolved emotional issues concerning his parents, which then set up the stage for a reveal that causes Tony's later actions.

These two previously mentioned scenes took about four or five minutes tops, and many other scenes in the film managed to squeeze in a half-hour's worth of material (per scene) into 5-minute snippets by accomplishing a lot of stuff simultaneously (story-building AND character-building AND plot development) , and making it feel natural and not rushed or forced.

This film serves as a great example for others to study when it comes to screenwriting effectiveness. Something really remarkable was done here. And it was very refreshing after seeing so many big-budget blockbusters with horrible screenwriting.

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!