"Captain America: Civil War" Film Review

"Captain America: Civil War" Film Review

Rating: 5/5

By: Nathaniel Simpson

    If you ask someone who their favorite Avenger is, most would say either Captain America or Iron Man. They are the two major leaders of the Avengers, and basically serve as the glue that keeps the team together. Therefore, for the third entry into the "Captain America" series, Marvel did something bold by forcing the fan base to divide themselves, with each fan deciding which hero they choose to support over the other. However, the filmmakers do an excellent job of creating a brilliant storyline to pit our two heroes against each other in this amazing, action-packed film. 

    One thing is clear when the Avengers try to stop evil forces from destroying the planet - they make a mess of everything. We see this in both Avengers movies, destroying most of New York and totally destroying Sokovia. Due to this, the nations of the world have all signed a treaty known as "The Sokovia Accords", preventing the team of superheroes to go out and stop anything they see as a threat. 

    Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is all for this plan. He has the guilt on him for causing innocent civilians to lose their lives. However, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) doesn't think it's a good idea. His philosophy is to protect the world from any threat that comes to it, no matter the cost. It was civil at first, but then Cap's old friend, Bucky (Sebastian Stan), gets in the mix. As revealed in "The Winter Soldier", Bucky has been turned into a super solider by Hydra, forced to do their bidding. So, when he gets involved and is forced to cause mayhem against the world, as well as the Avengers, things now turn hostile as both sides have such different perspectives on the events that have taken place. 

    This movie wouldn't have worked if the filmmakers favored one side over the other. Both sides are relatable and have good reason for the things they do and choose. However, it's up to the fans to decide which side they want to take. This is a brilliant strategy on Marvel's part. In most cases, whenever there is a protagonist vs protagonist film, they always band together to fight a common foe. Look at "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" for example. This film thankfully doesn't do that. Steve and Tony fight each other until the credits roll, and there isn't a real resolution to their problems at the end. This leaves the fans wanting more, to bring closure to the fight that is going on between the two major heroes. 

    At the same time, this is basically a turning point for the franchise. The Avengers are broken up, and many of them are mad at one another. Instead of following the path of releasing Avengers movies one after another, it shows the filmmakers actually want to make their franchise interesting, and change it up in a way that many film franchises didn't do before. 

    The action sequences in this movie are incredibly shot and a whole lot of fun. The main fight takes place at an airport, and it is perhaps the best fight so far in the MCU. We watch as our favorite heroes fight each other, as well as cracking jokes and apologizing to one another as the fighting commences. It's just a lot of fun, and brilliantly directed by the Russo Brothers.

    We are also introduced to new heroes, including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Spider-Man is perhaps one of the most well-known and liked superheroes of all time, so it's great to now see him in this amazing franchise of films. They also hit the jackpot casting Holland as everyone's favorite web-slinger as I think he provides a fresh, new take on this classic hero.

    Overall, this is the most important film we have received in the MCU so far. It does so many things right, and helps set up the tone and the events that will take place from here on out. I would go as far as to say this is one of Marvel's best movies of all time, and I'm excited to see where they take the franchise next.