Captain America: Civil War Movie Review

What can you say about this one? Marvel has beaten all odds by this point. Most franchises die after the fourth movie, but Marvel has made thirteen movies without failing once, in box office, critical reception, or even fan reception. Now, we have a long line-up of characters that we would love to see in the ultimate showdown, and that's what Marvel ends up delivering on. The strange thing, though, is that even if you didn't follow these characters and you weren't concerned about them brawling, Captain America: Civil War would still be a gripping story with well-developed, fleshed-out, relatable characters that marks the high point in the Marvel legacy (yes, even better than The Avengers).

The film picks up where the last Captain America film, Winter Soldier, left off. Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, receives word that his friend, Bucky Barnes, is out to kill him. However, things get complicated when the United Nations decides to pass the Sokovia Accords, which will allow them to supervise and better control the Avengers. Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., gives his consent to this, feeling guilty for a lot of the havoc (as well as death) that occurred in the events of Age of Ultron. Because of this, Steve feels that the government won't give Bucky the trial that he deserves, so he decides to detain him himself and help him get his head straight and remember who he is. Stark, simply trying to follow the law, takes action against Steve's rebellious actions, resulting in the Avengers splitting apart into two separate teams and going to war against each other in one of the biggest clashes in comic book history.

What sets this apart from being a basic clash of superheroes that we could have seen in a Youtube parody is the compelling drama in place. You know there's a disagreement going on, you know there's no contrast, and yet you agree with both sides. Conflicting ideals and high-stake drama like this make the action that much more gripping, something Snyder missed with Batman v Superman a month ago.

But while we're on the matter, let's talk about the superhero roster here. The old characters from the previous movies are well-handled and stick to their previous personalities, but the new characters are surprisingly given just enough development time as well. Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther delivers a well-developed origin story that fans most likely didn't expect to get until his stand-alone movie, and while Tom Holland's role as Spider-Man is brief, it's well-served and believable. I was even pleasantly surprised by the appearance of Paul Rudd as Ant-Man.

I would say that I recommend you check this out, but let's be honest, you probably already did. What, you didn't? WELL, GO SEE IT THEN!

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