'Captain America: Civil War' Review Thread - 90% RT/75 MC score - WW BO = $991.0M/DOM = $314.2M

[Runa216]

Shaking in Delight: A Civil War Story

This year has been one hell of a time at the movies. January we had Kung Fu Panda 3, which flew under the radar but was pretty good. In February we got Deadpool, which was a testament to taking risks and respecting source material that ended up the #1 R-Rated film of all time. In March we got Zootopia, which kind of blew everyone's mind with how good it was, by being mature and deep and poignant while also being more fun than most. Then in April we got The Jungle Book, which was true to its roots while also being its own thing and a show of how to do CG/Live Action movie blends properly.

I didn't mention Batman v Superman in that above paragraph because that movie was utter tripe. It made a tonne of money, but it was very very bad. Poor pacing, poor writing, poor decisions, poor direction, stupid dialogue, nonsensical plot contrivances, and too many stupid leaps of logic that didn't make sense even in the context of its own established world.

Seriously, GIVE WONDER WOMAN THE SPEAR! That is all.

Anyway, I only bring that turd blossom up because after that disaster of bio-medical waste dispersal went wrong, I honestly started to get tired of the superhero genre. It had no heart, no soul, very little humor, and was full of stupid nonsense like “SAVE MARTHA!” Seriously, who the fuck calls out their mother's name when they are about to die? Just be like “Dude, Lex has my mom, can we settle this shit later? We both want to minimize causalities, that's been the central point of this entire movie.” Gah, I need to stop ranting, but seriously, give Wonder Woman the spear. She was dancing circles around Doomsday, slicing him up and dismembering his one arm. She's not Kryptonian, she's not weak to the spear. If she used it on him the fight would be over in about twenty seconds. Done. But nope, Christ allegories, right?

I really need to stop ranting about how terrible that shit-spreader of a film was. I've not hated a movie this much since...uh, I dunno, FantFourStic? Okay, we've had some terrible superhero movies lately, but Civil War has rejuvenated my love for the genre. Not only has it ignited my passion for the genre, but it has reminded me why I went to film school, why I watch movies, why I like Television shows, and why I'm such an enthusiastic proponent of so many forms of entertainment. There's just so much fun to be had in cinemas, and Civil War is a nice reminder of that; even in the midst of a serious conflict of interest, the character still found time to make jokes and hang a few lampshades.

This is not a review of Civil War. I want to say that now. I don't want to goad people into thinking this is some deep dissemination of what was good and what wasn't. It's just my meandering thoughts on this wonderful, amazing movie.

Now, with that history in mind, I went into this movie with gradually increasing expectations. I was tired of superheroes, and after the last attempt at a hero vs hero narrative went belly-up, I knew that it would take a lot to bring me back. Early screenings came out, reviews started coming out, and the hype was growing quickly. This movie went from simply being anticipated to something I was eagerly awaiting as I counted down the days. Over 90% on RottenTomatoes (91% right now, with most of the notable detractors being hilariously missing the point and therefore negligible).

When the time came to watch Captain America: Civil War, my expectations and demands were through the roof. From the time I sat down and the scene of the inciting incident started playing, I was hooked. My heart was cool with adrenaline and hyperactive, my fingers gripped the arm rests, and I held in my pee even though I had like 3 liters of root beer in my system. (A&W before the show, one of the collectible Civil War cups filled with another liter during the show.)

From there, it was just one awesome scene after another. WE're slowly introduced to characters with just enough motivation to carry their actions and guide their personality, followed by some sort of interaction wherein they bounce off others and see how they react. We know these characters, so when Tony Stark is quiet in the corner, we know there's a reason for it. When Captain America resists the documents that would severely limit and restrict the acts of superheroes, we understand why. We know why each person goes the route they do, and despite the conflict of Captain America and Iron Man in the movie being contrary to their personalities, it makes sense in the world created for the movies.

This is how you do an adaptation right. You keep the spirit of the original while altering it enough to make the new work its own thing. This Civil War is not quite the massive 'war' in the comics, but a more personal journey as different ideologies clash and truth gets distorted just enough to let rage and emotion take over when logic would guide a person in another direction.

For this reason, I feel the two best characters in the movie were Black Panther and Spider Man. Black Panther's entire origin story was told here as a direct result of the Avengers' actions and circumstances that surround them. He comes across as being wholly justified in his actions, acting as what could be argued is the primary antagonist for the first two thirds of the movie. He's not a bad guy, he's not a villain, but he's the antagonist out for blood for a very good reason; this allows him to be the perfect example as to why this movie works and how you can realistically have heroes fighting heroes.

Spider-Man gets an equally stunning and heartfelt treatment, but his origins are a little less clear. He is and has been Spider-Man for 'about six months' when he's introduced about half way through the movie, but it's clear he hasn't really grown into his new role just yet. He's still a dumb teenager doing the best he can with what he has (which isn't much), which makes his reason for joining team Iron Man make perfect sense. His portrayal is perfect Spidey, cocky and smug but vulnerable. He's funny, he's witty, he's smart, he's quick, and he has true heart. He reveres these heroes – as he should – but he understands that with great power comes great responsibility.

Sorry, I had to.

At one point during the biggest action sequence, he even makes a joke to Captain America, jokingly asking if his shield actually obeys the laws of physics. Uproarious laughter. Almost every line Tom Holland speaks as Peter Parker or Spider-Man got cheers from my crowd. This will be a star-making turn for the young actor, and the dialogue he got with every single friend and foe was utterly perfect for him, allowing him to make a splash without yet making waves. Both he and Black Panther were organically introduced, and I peed a little every second either of them were on screen.

I think the greatest strength of this film was not its action, but it's emotional core and its ability to juggle so many characters so well. There are more heroes in this film than either Avengers movie, and not since those two have I seen so many storylines and sub-plots and witty banter handled with such finesse. Every single hero got their time in the spotlight. We see the subtle blossoming relationship between Scarlet Witch and Vision amidst the turmoil of the conflict arising around them and, in some ways, because of them. We see the glorious and organically integrated introductions of returning favorites like Ant-Man and Hawkeye. We see more about Bucky's past, his vulnerability and the danger he can be. We unlock more about Captain America and Stark Sr's history. So many plots juggled all at once, and all focused on the main conflict.

I just cannot overstate how good this movie is. It's emotional where it needs to be. It's political in a time when global politics need to be addressed. It's got heart and soul and humour laced throughout every plot. One of my favorite lines – one I laughed at but nobody else seemed to catch when I saw it was a little back-and-forth between Black Widow and Hawkeye. In the middle of a violent and intimate fistfight, one asks “Are we still friends?” To which the other responds “It depends on how hard you hit me.” Followed up by another hero getting involved, informing both they were pulling their punches.

That subtle interaction, as well as the later fight scenes that were more personal and less catastrophic or world-changing, show how important this movie is to the characters and the audience that has grown to like them. We like Tony Stark. I feel we're supposed to be rooting for Captain America, but both are right. Both are wrong, and both have valid points. For the first time in this series, the stakes are personal, not global. Sure, the inciting incidents that set hero against hero are all in relation to the collateral damage their heroics cause, but they're fighting for personal reasons.

Another of the most poignant scenes in the movie comes at the beginning of the huge team vs team fight in the airport, when Team Captain America is about to square off against Team Iron Man. Both have their reasons for being where they are, and they actually do try to talk it out, like Batman and Superman should have. Captain America explains why he's doing what he's doing, and Iron Man Listens, but given the circumstances, neither can really back down. When it becomes evident that neither can concede to the other and both failed to beg the other to just 'give up' in the interest of friendship, Tony Stark gets visibly angry, knowing what he has to do. That anger, that emotion, is what has driven the entire plot, and further drives home how important it is to both that they follow their own morals and emotional compass.

Now, For the six hours it took me to really sit back and think about the movie, I am just now kinda finding some kinks in the armor. There were a few plot contrivances near the end that seemed to be unneeded just to get another title fight for the action junkies and that kind of made me scratch my head, which was a shame. The final fight could have been avoided, had Iron Man not allowed his emotions to get the better of him. I want to give the film a solid pass on this since that has been the running theme throughout the film, but at that point the huge reveals had been explained, the veil lifted from the mastermind that was pulling the strings. The manipulation at hand should have been obvious enough to allow such a smart hero to have not allowed himself to be dictated by his emotions, but at the same time the heartbreaking brutality of the reveal would be hard for anyone to reconcile. As I wrote this paragraph, I then kinda doubled back and now I'm torn again about whether this plot contrivance should be forgiven or not. I'll reserve judgment until I've seen it again.

Overall, I absolutely adored it. The characters were spot on, it was a story about emotion and interpersonal relationships, every character's motivations were clear and mostly rational, the action sequences were divine (Seriously, the Winter Soldier freeway chase and the airport scene were two of the best action scenes ever put forth in any action movie, superhero or otherwise), and it had a perfect balance of laughs, sentimentality, and heart. I honestly can't recommend this one any more. I won't give it a score, but I will give you a list of my ranked Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and leave you with a caveat: The MCU is easily one of my all-time favorite cinematic endeavors, alongside Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter. So yeah! By that logic, Civil War will likely go down as one of my all-time favorite movies.

After the conclusion of the film, I started grabbing up the collectible cups that other patrons had left in their seats, enlisting each of my friends to go to the kiosk and get each of the five different character toppers. I bought one with Captain America, got my buddy to buy one with Black Panther, and after the film grabbed three more to get Winter Soldier, Iron Man, and Black Widow. I regret nothing, even if I did look and act like a vulture. I collected them all for 20% of the price! I rule!

Without further adieu, here is my list of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, from 'worst' to best.

13 – The Incredible Hulk.
Score – 7.1/10

Honestly, I enjoyed this film. It had a lot of action, a pretty sweet villain in Emil Blonsky/Abomination, and a decent emotional core. Problem was, it's kind of forgettable and the change in casting from Norton to Ruffalo in Avengers kind of makes it a bad MCU film. Without the Tony Stark cameo and the presense of Thunderbolt Ross, it could be omitted from the MCU and nobody would miss it.

12 – Iron Man 2
Score – 7.8

Honestly, I don't know why people dislike this movie. It did suffer from 'middle movie' syndrome, in that it didn't really introduce many noteworthy elements and didn't finish anything, but I thought it was an enjoyable flick. Tony Stark and Iron Man were about as fun as they've ever been, the action was pretty good, it had a lot of heart, pomp, and circumstance, but suffered from a weak villain and a lack of any real progression. Not really needed, but still good.

11 – Thor
Score – 8.0

Who would have thought a norse mythological character brought to screen by a director who was used to working with Shakespearean source material would be this fun? Thor was hilarious, his inability to understand or comprehend our culture was entertaining, and Loki was fantastic. His arch from spoiled brat to God of Thunder was a little generic, but it was enjoyable and punctuated by great performances and perfect casting; plus, what did you expect from a Shakespearean Director?

10 – Thor: The Dark Wold
Score – 8.1

I liked this one a lot more than most did. Thor remains a very fun character to be around, I enjoyed the comedy, I thought the action was superb – especially the siege on asgard – and who doesn't need more Loki in their lives? I can certainly understand the complaints about Malekeith being a subpar villain, but I enjoyed his presence and I did feel that its contributions to the ongoing storyline were significant. Oh, and that final fight scene was a creative master-work.

09 – Ant-Man
Score – 8.3

Never knew much about the character going into this one, only tangentially followed its troubled production, and didn't really think Paul Rudd would be a serviceable super hero, but this movie was a lot of fun. Superhero heist movie with personal stakes existing on the fringe of the Avengers world. It had more heart than most, it was more creative than I expected with the shrinking mechanic, and easily the funniest marvel movie to date.

08 – Iron Man
Score – 8.4

The one that started it all. Iron Man gave us the snarkiest, wittiest of all the superheroes, made a second rate Avenger a megastar, and showed us that a superhero movie can touch on poignant topics without bludgeoning their message on your head. Though I feel its effect has diminished by its poor villain and nostalgia interference, it still had one of the most important messages and character arcs in the series. Plus, that first stinger, man. Chills up the spine thinking about it.

07 – Captain America: The First Avenger
Score – 8.5

I, like many others, didn't really feel the love for this one when it came out. Captain America in World War II sounds way too patriotic for me. Problem was, I was wrong. This movie is a love letter to classic film-making styles with old-fashioned values and a traditional hero that somehow manages to get away with being as goody two-shoes as he is. The sincerity and love in this movie is stirring, and I can't help but love it.

06 – Iron Man 3
Score – 8.7

To my surprise, this was the movie that really solidified the MCU for me. While Phase 1 was pretty good and The Avengers was amazing, this movie was what made me realize what they could do with the stories. See, this is how to do adaptation. It shows that you can make a movie that maintains the spirit of the source material while doing its own thing. Case in point: The Mandarin. Most hated what they did to that character, and I though that, given the world built in the MCU to this point and the story presented in this film actually made that alteration the right choice. That allowed me to truly enjoy the PTSD and Terror related plots more thoroughly. A modern adaptation of what was an oriental caricature was what I felt was best.

05 – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Score – 8.9

What a wonderful movie. Take an old-fashioned hero, put him in the modern world, and craft a 70's style spy thriller out of the resulting, glorious mess. Expertly directed with amazing action, great humor, outstanding writing, and some of the most important MCU-changing events and you have a winner from every angle. Captain America is apparently a badass, and this movie showed that in more ways than one would expect. Intrigue, action, and a great villain in the Winter Soldier came together on this one. Feel free to be shocked at this one's 'low' placement, but that just shows how much I loved the remaining four movies.

04 – Guardians of the Galaxy
Score – 9.1

Marvel's answer to Star Wars. It's an intergalactic romp with great characters, witty dialogue, great writing, creative visual effects, and some of the best humor in a big budget action movie. I loved the art direction, I loved Groot and Rocket and Drax, I loved the way the intergalactic menace Thanos was more thoroughly woven into the narrative, I loved all the MCU Continuity drops and easter eggs, and above all else I just loved how fun this movie is. I take back my statement about Ant-Man being the funniest movie in the MCU, the crown goes to Guardians of the Galaxy. Proof that Marvel is so drunk on its own power that it can give us a movie based on unknown, C-level heroes and we'll fucking love it. I feel this did for the Guardians what Iron Man did for Tony stark, except better. Top class.

03 – Avengers: Age of Ultron
Score – 9.3

A lot of people bag on this movie for its surplus of unresolved plot threads, apparent plot holes, and its dedication to laying groundwork for Phase 3. I honestly don't find these things to be problems, since the shared universe continuity allows plot threads to be woven into one movie that aren't going to be solved for a few years. That's what we're here for. I thought the character interactions were top notch, I thought the humor and comedy were well integrated, I felt that it was admirable what they did to make us care for Hawkeye, and I liked the gradual but natural progression of the Maximoff twins. Few directors handle ensemble casts as well as Joss Whedon, and I think this is a wonderful film. Oh, and despite not being that scary, Ultron had a silken menace to him that tickles me just right, easily one of the best villains in the MCU thus far. What most felt was the film's biggest flaws (continuity drops and world building) I felt elevated the film, much like how Iron Man 3's Mandarin change made the movie better for me.

02 – Captain America: Civil War
Score – 9.4

See Above. Movie was just so amazing; great grounded character work, solid emotional core, clear motivations, and personal drive all accented by just the right amount of heart, humor, and levity. The introduction of new characters and their integration with the established roster was nothing short of a revelation, and the action was some of the best yet seen in the MCU.

01 – The Avengers
Score – 9.5

This was the first time we really saw how this world building exercise would pan out. Basically a 140 minute climax to 5 films worth of plot and character building. The villain was the best in the series, the action was widespread and important to the plot, and I think the film's emotional core was its ability to show how great hero interaction can be, for better or for worse. Seeing Iron Man and Captain America's conflicting personalities was fun to watch, but not as fun as seeing the budding buddy comedy of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. This movie took everything we loved about the preceding five films and laid the groundwork for the entire second phase, every plot and character juggled by the hand of a veritable master of his craft. Hero vs Hero, Hero vs Villain, action, comedy, and awe all on the grandest stage of them all. Though this is my favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film to date, I do fear its foothold on the #1 spot might be in jeopardy as I allow time to give me the same perspective on Civil War. Only time will tell, but this one will always have a place in my heart.