Captain
America: Civil War, inspired by the Marvel comic book arc,
spins it into a darker, complex, character study of bromance and loyalty. It is the deepest, most thoughtful super hero
film since The Dark Knight, the most
entertaining since The Avengers, and
is a worthy followup to the excellent The
Winter Soldier. There has never been
a multi-starring super hero film so well balanced while showcasing every major
cast member. (Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of
Justice should take notes on how to do this kind of mashup.)
Due to past battles by the Avengers that resulted in
massive, human loss, there are international laws to control the super heroes
which brings brothers in arms, Captain America and Iron Man (Chris Evans and
Robert Downey Jr are great), on opposite sides, each with legitimate, compelling
viewpoints. To complicate things further, the Winter Soldier is apparently
implicated in a series of devastating attacks that test loyalties and
friendships. The well written screenplay, which shifts among many locations, culminates
in a couple of outstanding battles amongst our heroes against one another
including an all-out, multi-hero faceoff at an airport (worth the price of admission),
and a brutal, climactic beat down loaded with emotional angst. All the while a
mysterious figure is orchestrating events as our heroic group is disassembled.
There are tantalizing introductions of The Black
Panther and Spiderman who have substantial roles. Part of the fun is watching
various matchups and combinations of the heroes displaying their super
abilities; the fight choreography is outstanding. The film surprisingly works
on an intimate level-it never forgets the thread of Cap and his best buddy,
Bucky (the Winter Soldier). While the average viewer may simply finds this a
well-orchestrated piece of fantasy entertainment, the film works best for Marvel
fans in terms of continuity and canon; It
does function as Avengers 2.5, but at its heart, it is the grandest Captain
America film to date. Well directed by
the Russo brothers. (There are also two significant post credit scenes and a
Stan Lee cameo to savor.)
**** of **** stars (for Marvel fans)
