![]() ![]() Perhaps it’s because there are simply so many other characters, but it felt like there were a few that didn’t get a satisfying amount of on-screen attention (Hawkeye, in particular, seems superfluous and expendable to the story). The biggest disappointment for me is how little attention it gives to some of the characters beyond Captain America and Iron Man. There’s a lot to love about Civil War, but it’s not without flaws. It’s a very good standalone film, but an exceptional culmination of the stories and characters that have been developed in the films that preceded it. While The Avengers demonstrated the potential of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America: Civil War executes and delivers on that promise. The Avengers was the first film that really converged the characters’ separate stories, and it did gangbusters at the box office. As geekiness has gone mainstream, it would appear the general public concurs. This film–as with the other MCU entries–is more about storytelling than it is action.Īs someone with geeky propensities, I’ve really enjoyed how Marvel has built this universe, and used the films to engage in a sort of long-form storytelling. This lack of familiarity made me a bit apprehensive that the premise would be little more than a pretext for an undue super hero throw-down. I have no knowledge of the underlying conflict in the comics upon which Civil War is based. Point being, my familiarity with the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe extends only to the films in which the characters appear. Rather than reading super-hero comics and watching Lord of the Rings in high school, I was reading Calvin & Hobbes and collecting Criterion Collection DVDs (that’s probably dorky more than geeky, but we’re splitting hairs). While this “never-ending” comment could be construed as a jab, when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney and Marvel have done an excellent job structuring the MCU, creating action-packed films with heart and humor, and even different genres, all of which has helped prevent super hero “fatigue.” Civil War is no exception.ĭespite my undeniable geekiness, somehow, that never extended to some “typical” interests. ![]() Fortunately, the zinging screenplay, by Marvel regulars Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, hits home almost as frequently as the punches.This review takes a spoiler-free look at Captain America: Civil War, the latest film in what seems like a never-ending stream of super hero films. The scene is set for an internecine Avengers smackdown the plot – hooked on an undercooked vengeful grudge – is of secondary importance to the opportunity to watch them knock titanium alloy spots off each other. The freedom to deploy a spot of unilateral ass-kicking where needed is what makes the Captain, and by extension America, great. But Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, demurs. Guilt over collateral damage is what prompts some of them – Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff – to sign an accord ceding responsibility for their actions to the UN. And while memorising who is in which of the colour-coded, armour-plated exoskeletons (and who is punching who in the head) can be challenging, the sheer force of so much superpowered personality on screen makes for a blast of a movie.įollowing an explosive but raggedly edited opening sequence in Nigeria, the Avengers are forced to confront the human cost of their ambitious action set pieces. The Hulk-sized gap in the lineup is filled by an engagingly geeky Spider-Man (Tom Holland, a promising taster for the stand-alone Spider-Movie next year). ![]() Which is probably why, although this latest Avengers outing bears his name, the film-makers have press-ganged (almost) every spare ounce of Marvel muscle to back him up. With his propaganda-poster jawline and air of unimpeachable nobility, Captain America (Chris Evans) has always been one of the duller members of the Marvel universe. ![]()
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