The Marvel Cinematic Universe Sticks the Landing in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (Review)

The idea of pitting Iron Man and Captain America against each other is distressing. This was especially true back in October 2014, when the movie was announced. As characters both familiar and new were being announced for the project, the film was looking harder and harder to pull off. Expectations were high after the stellar Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but the (unfairly) lukewarm response to Avengers: Age of Ultron made Captain America: Civil War seem like a large gamble. I am happy to report that I really enjoyed the third Captain America movie. And the film very much feels like a grand finale to a long-standing movie series.

Captain America: Civil War stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Tom Holland, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Bruhl, and William Hurt. The film reunites directors Joe and Anthony Russo with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, cinematographer Trent Opaloch, and composer Henry Jackman who all worked on The Winter Soldier. Longtime MCU editors Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt also worked on the film.

In Lagos, Nigeria, Captain America (Evans) works with Falcon (Mackie), Scarlet Witch (Olsen), and Black Widow (Johansson) to stop Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo) from stealing a biological weapon. During the fight, a building gets blown up with humanitarians from the country Wakanda killed. This leads the UN into forming the Sokovia Accords, and US Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (Hurt) telling the Avengers that they have to sign it so that the Avengers can be kept in check. Iron Man (Downey Jr.) agrees to do it, remembering the wreckage and casualties from the last few battles. Captain America is hesitant to give control, after SHIELD was infiltrated by HYDRA. This leads to the division within the Avengers, each member taking a side--often reluctantly. Meanwhile, Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) is hot on the trail of the Winter Soldier aka Cap's friend Bucky Barnes (Stan), attempting to retrigger Barnes into the killing machine.

You know how some people complained that the MCU's last few movies seemed like buildup to a future movie? Captain America: Civil War is that movie. This film ties together plot threads from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Iron Man 3. This latest movie is the culmination of the entire 12 movies before it, and it is one satisfying entry into the universe. It's thrilling to see past events having long-lasting effects into the story, like ripples in a pond. Everything matters, and it all comes together. I don't know how Joe and Anthony Russo, not to forget their screenwriters, pulled it off but Captain America: Civil War is a top-tier superhero movie.

The characters are heart and soul of this movie. Every move these characters make, every step they take, is rooted by their view of the world and their experiences. The division between Iron Man and Captain America, and the members on their respective sides, is effective and clearly delineated by all their previous experiences. What I love about Civil War is that Iron Man and Captain America are on the opposite side of the conflict than what you would imagine. Iron Man is the "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," while Cap is expected to understand the value of authority. However, it is easy to track how they switched ideologies throughout the past events of the previous films. Their character development over the last eight years shows just how each man landed on his side of the issue. That's the beauty of the MCU's commitment to long-form storytelling.

The best trick this movie plays: both Cap and Iron Man are right. They make great points, as do their teammates. They are both torn between sense of responsibility towards "the greater good" and their friendship with each other. This movie is like watching your two dads fight; it's scary and upsetting--but it makes for great movie watching. And the richness of character extends to pretty much every single cast member, from main star to one-scene cameo. Captain America: Civil War boasts of an impeccable ensemble from top to bottom. The cast benefits from a sharply written screenplay, and the film benefits from brilliant actors in all the roles.

The screenplay by Markus and McFreely is something to behold. The film balances all of its characters quite well. I was afraid that Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) would get the short end of the stick, thanks to Spider-Man (Tom Holland) making his MCU debut and fan favorite Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) coming back. But Black Panther ends up being a major highlight, a perfect introduction of a commanding, regal character. Spider-Man and Ant-Man offer terrific comic relief, and their inclusion feels organic and necessary.

The emotional core for this movie Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier. His friendship with Captain America provides the central conflict for this movie. That's why this is a "Captain America" movie, not Avengers 2.5. Captain America has to reconcile his feelings of loyalty with the pressures of being leader of the Avengers. Captain America's arc is unsettling, because he acts a little selfish and reckless.

The main thing people are going to be talking about is the mid-movie airport battle scene, where Iron Man's faction fights against Captain America's. The action choreography is intense, defying physics with creativity. The action is clear and imaginative. Every character has his or her own fighting style, and the sequence uses both comedy and drama. The climax of the film, relatively smaller in scale than the airport scene, is extremely effective due to the more personal nature of the conflict. Because we have spent the last twelve movies setting up this conflict, the stakes both emotional and dramatic are high.

On a technical level, the score is good but not memorable. The cinematography is not really flashy, but does offer some good compositions. I found the editing to be too choppy in the opening, but gets much clearer as the movie goes on. I know this is a weird thing to criticize a superhero movie, but I found the layperson costumes to be really bland. A major misstep for the movie is the half-baked romance between Captain America and Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp). The actors have a nice chemistry, and Carter's return from The Winter Soldier is very welcome, but there's a kiss that comes out of nowhere.

Daniel Bruhl's Zemo is an interesting villain, since he isn't some supersized mega-villain. He's a chess player, correctly predicting everyone's actions, and working behind the scenes. It's an interesting solution to the MCU's infamous "villain problem." Because th heroes are well-cast and well-performed, the villains always come lacking. I liked Zemo a lot, and found him really compelling on screen.

As I said above, the entire cast is bonkers great. Chris Evans does incredible work in his 5th appearance as the Man Out of Time. Robert Downey Jr. is affecting and raw as Iron Man. Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, and Paul Bettany offer strong support, each finding a way to carve out a whole character through a few scenes. Alfre Woodard, Martin Sheen, and William Hurt provide the film with some surprising turns. Anthony Mackie and Jeremy Renner round out the cast, with some much needed levity and ground-level humanity. This is a strong cast, and they work seamlessly as a unit.

With Captain America: Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo raise the stakes for the MCU and for comic book movies to come. It's a grand epic, with riveting character work, spellbinding action, and an important narrative. I admit I teared up a little, but that just indicate how much work and affection went into crafting the interconnected franchises. I highly recommend Captain America: Civil War, because it unquestionably delivers on the promises of the 12 movies before it.

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