Captain America: Civil War
Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr.
Directed by Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
They’ve done it again. Marvel has once more raised the bar to demonstrate what a superhero movie can and should be. Civil War combines the best parts of The Avengers – thrilling, big scale action with larger than life characters – with the political intrigue and spycraft of Captain America.
For the most part, our beloved heroes have squared off against evil warlords or nasty aliens hell-bent on universal control and worldwide destruction. But, we’ve never seen an internal struggle that has divided the group into two distinct factions until now. In what could be described as their worst rough patch yet, the Avengers are forced to take sides after Steve Rogers’ trusty comrade Bucky Barnes is blamed for a major attack. A huge rift forms after Cap remains loyal and Tony Stark becomes convinced the group needs some world policing.
There is so much to love about the film it’s hard to know where to start. The action, which occurs in numerous locations around the globe, is often breathless, mixing stunningly choreographed stunts with superior visual effects. The airport battle is one of the best sequences ever assembled in the MCU. The movie is also frequently hilarious. What makes the comedy so brilliant is how effortlessly it’s blended into the narrative as scenes shift seamlessly from harrowing drama to plain old comic relief. Also, watch for a scene-stealing Tom Holland as Spider-Man.
Some may decry the film as formulaic but it’s sheer blockbuster entertainment value and depth of characters is undeniable.
