Finally got around to Civil War.
For me, this is the best MCU movie and one of the five best superhero movies, alongside titles like Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, and Superman.
Pros:
+ The action. From the bone-crunching up-close-and-personal fights to the large-scale superhero showdowns, Civil War succeeds in delivering visually-coherent, masterfully-staged action sequences. Obviously, fans will flock toward the creative, fun, and funny airport skirmish, but the stairwell escape with Bucky and Cap is just as good -- just on a smaller scale and far more intimate.
+ The character development. Somehow, everyone gets something to do here (here's looking sideways at you Joss) and everyone fits into the overall script like a puzzle piece. Obviously Cap and Tony get the most meaty roles, but the sub-plots work well too -- particularly Wanda and Vision. Also, Black Panther has, arguably, more character development in his brief time on camera in Civil War than he does in his own movie. Back to Cap and Tony: their stuff is great, and through them the movie's central themes of loyalty and guilt shine through.
+ The humor. Don't expect to be laughing on the floor regularly like in Guardians or The Avengers, but do expect some great character humor. Whether it's Peter Parker being chatty during a fight, or Ant-Man cracking jokes, or Sam and Bucky proudly nodding their heads as Cap works up the courage to kiss Sharon -- there are a lot of laughs to be had.
+ The theming (is that a word?). This isn't just a brainless summer blockbuster. It's thoughtful about the real-world consequences of super-powered humans, and willing to explore the darker instincts and flaws of its heroes. Civil War is as much a story about moral and emotional conflict as it is physical conflict, and that's what allows it to transcend the genre.
Cons:
- The villain. Zemo is an effective villain, and his story adds more layers to the movie's central theme -- guilt -- but he's more of a plot device than a character.
- Two different climaxes. The airport scene, in any other movie, would be the high point, and the action would fall from there. In Civil War, we get a second climax in Siberia.
These are relatively minor flaws, as the combination of action, humor, and pathos on display in Civil War eclipses anything in the MCU so far.
9/10
Updated rankings:
OUTSTANDING
1) Captain America: Civil War
GREAT
2) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3) Iron Man
GOOD
4) Guardians of the Galaxy
5) The Avengers
6) Iron Man 3
DECENT
7) Black Panther
8) Captain America
9) The Incredible Hulk
10) Avengers: Age of Ultron
MEDIOCRE
11) Ant-Man
12) Iron Man 2
POOR
13) Thor
14) Thor: The Dark World