Civil War is a odd duck for me. The biggest problem I had with the film upon first viewing, and one that still hits me now, not as strongly, but still there, is I have trouble buying the central conflict of the film. What would cause the Avengers to turn on each other with such force that Iron Man and Captain America would, not just fight, but be at one another’s throats? I think this film does a decent enough job setting up the conflict, but it has enough cracks in it that it’s still nothing more than a plot device, and, to me at least, causes the film to suffer as a result.
The film starts well enough. Like previous Marvel films, it introduces strong concepts that has us questioning the world in which a superhero operates. In this film, since secret identities are non-existent, the split comes from accountability. Who do the Avengers report to now that SHIELD is gone? What gives them the authority to operate? This is a great premise but it’s presented in such a way that the ideas being argued don’t really match up with the history.
Sides inevitably start to form. Cap believes that to submit to oversight takes away their ability to control their own destiny. To avoid being used as political pawns. This is a far cry from the good soldier who would never question an order back in The First Avenger. On the other side we have Tony. His guilt from the Ultron incident leads him to embrace someone else making the big decisions. Because of his arrogance and hubris, countless people were killed in Ultron. Because of his personal actions, he believes they ALL need oversight. But Cap is right, it’s ultimately just shifting the responsibility. Tony is seeking personal absolution but enforcing that desire on everyone. If the film were setting this up to be the case, I could buy the divide more. But I think this is more subtext than what the film was actually trying to convey. Especially given how quickly he abandons it later.
Full disclosure: I was always Team Cap. There was never a moment in this film where I thought, “No. Tony has it right”. And I think this is because the film does not do a good job of fleshing out Tony’s side. His motivations keep changing, from a guilt trip to his obsessive need to control to finally out and out rage. I get this is Cap’s film but if you want to create true conflict, you need to give both sides equal weight and motivation. By having the audience side with Cap from the outset, it muddies up Tony’s story and he’s just there to stand in for the opposing side. And at the end, I just can’t buy that Tony would be so filled with rage, he’d be willing to murder someone not in control of his actions, and even Cap just to make himself feel better.
Cap’s arc has a strong through-line from his first film to now. We see the evolution of that character as he dealt with the modern world and its shades of gray. Tony, on the other hand, seemingly has an arc but his essential character always remains the same. He’s motivated by ego and selfish desires. We need to do THIS because I believe it to be so. I will lock up anyone who goes against me and, by the end, will kill anyone getting in my way. Maybe that’s supposed to be the case. I don’t know. Maybe I don’t want to see Tony as little more than how he started in the first film. I want to believe he’s grown and maybe he hasn’t. Maybe my inability to see this as just how he is is what’s driving my trouble with the film.
Which brings me to Zemo, the film’s macguffin. His goal is to split the Avengers, get them to kill one another. But again, I don’t see how they are the point where that is possible. And the film quickly patches it over within minutes. Tony is already reconsidering his split with Cap before the credits role. And is there any doubt that they would not come together if they were needed? We wouldn’t be doing this rewatch if that were so. Zemo’s plan is also hugely contrived to an almost ridiculous degree (see the honest trailer). That doesn’t hit you in the film, so it’s not a total detriment to the story.
I will say the action and characterization are well done. The Russo’s manage to balance all their characters pretty handily. This gives me hope for Infinity War although our cast is going to almost double. Whereas Ultron felt overstuffed with too many subplots, this film felt brisk, moving along at a steady pace and never getting lost in the minutia. It helps when you can focus on a singular story and are not trying to set up multiple other films.
Ant-Man is more enjoyable here in twenty minutes than his entire two hour film. And I’m so glad this film brings us back to the bond between Cap and Widow. That was a strong element in Winter Soldier, was dropped for Ultron, and came back with a force here. I had trouble seeing how she would side against Cap, but, while agreeing with the Accords, her loyalty to Cap was never in doubt. Black Panther and Spider-Man are also given strong debuts that feel organic to to the overall story. And we get more development of characters barely sketched in Ultron. The relationship between Wanda and Vision feels real, if a little underdeveloped. But they do have chemistry and her anger at him in the scene where she escapes the compound is palpable along with his touching concern for her safety.
I’m going to give Civil War a 7/10. I think with a tighter script it could be better. The film never lags, the Russo’s know their action and seem to be able to balance a larger group of characters that overwhelmed the previous team-up film. Maybe upon another rewatch I will have a similar breakthrough where my issues with the plot will not feel as acute and I’ll move it up. I held Winter Soldier back originally because I was afraid my love for the film would artificially enhance my score. Maybe I’m holding Civil War back because I just don’t like the story being told. Time will tell. I’m only human.
Current Rankings (flipped Ultron and BP):
1) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2) Iron Man
3) The Avengers
4) Captain America: Civil War
5) Guardians of the Galaxy
6) The Incredible Hulk
7) Black Panther
8) Avengers: Age of Ultron
9) Iron Man 3
10) Captain America: The First Avenger
11) Ant-Man
12) Thor: The Dark World
13) Thor
14) Iron Man 2
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