Captain America: Civil War Review

I have watched Captain America: Civil War twice now and I have to say it's in my top 5 Marvel movies of all time. It is an emotion filled roller coaster ride. Here's my review of it. 

After the Avengers' latest mission leads to yet more collateral damage, the governments of the world want to rein in the Avengers and install a system of accountability, which leads the Avengers to take sides. Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) believes that they themselves should be responsible and free to choose their own course of action while Tony Stark / Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) is in favour of being under the oversight of the United Nations (UN). Both sides make valid arguments and you really do not want to choose a side in this movie.

In the thick of it all is Bucky Barnes / the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) who is the spark that ignites the fuel, bringing things to a head. Steve naturally wants to protect his best friend while the rest of the world would like to see the former Hydra Operative dead. Including the Black Panther who is played superbly by Chadwick Boseman. In costume he is athletic, agile and fierce in combat. Outside of it he exudes a regal presence. A really great performance. 

Not to be outdone is Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-man who for me is the best on-screen Spider-man ever. They brought him back to his humble beginnings in this one. That is being a teen and being a bit of a handyman and a science whiz. The action he got was great and he gets a number of zingers in as you would expect. It is like he stepped right out of the comics. You will definitely enjoy his appearance. He is refreshing and is a stark contrast to, shall we say the older and more serious characters. I cannot wait to see him again in his own movie. 

There is a main villain in the show and that is Helmut Zemo who is played by Daniel Bruhl. He is intelligent and manipulative, and is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. He is not the main source of the conflict but he certainly contributes to it. He does enough to move the plot along. In my opinion he could have been used and handled better. 

Captain America: Civil War is another great instalment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though filled to the brim with superheroes each character gets a decent amount of screen time. There is a good mix of action and drama. The tone is serious but still has its fun moments. The first third of the film can be a little slow but that is so as to set the stage and build things up. It gets better once pass that. The action is good. The battle between the Avengers is the highlight. It is such a visual treat. The various powers and abilities are displayed fully. I cannot praise Directors Joe and Anthony Russo enough for that. Comic fans will be pleased to know that certain quotes and scenes from the comics are in this. Actions have consequences and this will shake things up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are two end credits scene so do stay in your seats for that.