CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Spoiler-Free Review; "Marvel Kicks Off Phase 3 With Their Best Movie Yet!"
Early word on Civil War has been overwhelmingly positive, but does it live up to the hype? Of course! Hit the jump for my take on everything from Black Panther to the brand new Spider-Man...
Is Captain America: Civil War really Marvel's best movie yet? I said so in the headline, so it must be true, right? Either way, it's right up there with The Avengers, Iron Man, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier in terms of sheer quality, so expect this first Phase 3 release to ultimately end up ranking somewhere in your top three when all is said and done. The fact is, the Russo Brothers have nailed it, outdoing their previous Marvel movie and pretty much guaranteeing greatness for the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War. Everything from the awe inspiring action scenes to the smaller character moments are handled wonderfully by these two, and the result is a movie which just works. That's not to say it's perfect of course; Zemo is a much better villain than previous Marvel baddies, but his plan doesn't quite play out as well as it should and relies on a few too many coincidences.
That's a nitpick though, while things like the fact that it lacks the same kind of massive scope as the comic book it shares a name with is likely to bother only a handful of fans and isn't ultimately something which will stop you from enjoying Captain America: Civil War for what it is (The Russos have succeeded in making this a much more personal tale). The score isn't particularly rousing and I'd be lying to say I wasn't disappointed at least somewhat by the ending and mid-credits scene, but that's not to say they were anywhere near bad, and these are ultimately very minor issues and not at all detrimental to the overall experience, especially if you're a fan and are going to this movie looking for a good time. Anyway, now that the obligatory complaints are out of the way, let's get to the good stuff!
Captain America: Civil War is a triumph, and there's just so much here for fans to love. The Russos get every member of The Avengers just right, and while I went in and left as #TeamCap, they deserve credit for making Iron Man's motiations every bit of relateable; this is a movie which will divide opinions, but for all the right reasons. After getting those two guys just right, the movie surprisingly does justice to the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes too, and while some of their stories are advanced more than others - an inevitability in an ensemble piece like this - fans of each character will come out of this movie feeling satisfied, especially as the movie finds some really cool things to do with them all (this is particularly the case with Scarlet Witch and The Vision). Of course, I'm betting the two heroes you're most curious about are Black Panther and Spider-Man, and yes, The Russos do each of them justice.
Black Panther was a character I was indifferent to before seeing this movie, but now his 2018 movie can't get here soon enough. T'Challa's arc is a fascinating and wholly enjoyable one, and Chadwick Boseman is superb in the role. He looks great too, and is responsible for some of the movie's best fight scenes. Spider-Man meanwhile is also awesome. While there's room for improvement when it comes to the CGI costume - it looks spectacular in action, but clearly appears to be CGI on occasion - this is the best take on the character yet, both in and out of the suit. Tom Holland's Peter Parker isn't a mopey sod like Tobey Maguire's or a hipster douche like Andrew Garfield's; he's massively likeable, instantly relateable, and absolutely hilarious. Plus, it's impossible not to get a kick out of seeing him interacting with the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, and...well, I won't spoil the rest! Once again though, all the characters are great - the interactions between Bucky and The Falcon are hilarious - but these two new additions definitely steal the show.
Featuring the best action-scenes in a Marvel movie to date (keep an eye out for big things from Ant-Man), a string of world class performances, and a satisfying story which perfectly sets the tone for Phase 3, Captain America: Civil War is downright awesome and an absolute must-see. This sets a new benchmark for every superhero movie moving forwards.
