When Bucky is framed for a terrorist act , Captain America helps him
escape custody, causing the Avengers to splinter and fight each other. ACTION/SCI-FI
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Captain America: Civil War (2016)Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Paul Rudd, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei, William Hurt, Frank Grillo, Martin Freeman Sequel to 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron Based on characters from Marvel Comics |
My expectations for a Marvel movie are raised every time I see another one. Why was I surprised when they were raised yet again after I watched Captain America: Civil War? This film is the beginning of Marvel's Phase Three, leading up to the inevitable fight against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. The Russo brothers are currently slated to direct that film and its sequel, which is boasting well over 60 different characters. I guess Civil War could be seen as the Russos' trial run, which they pulled off phenomenally well. Every character is given their time to shine and the new additions blend into the main cast perfectly. One could say that Civil War is the Marvel masterpiece we've all been waiting for.
The plot is loosely adapted from the Civil War comic series, which saw Captain America and Iron Man pitted against one another in an ideological struggle for world peace. In this comic, Iron Man was clearly the villain. In the film, it's a lot less defined, mostly because Robert Downey Jr. is the face of the Marvel franchise and you can't corrupt your main cash cow. I thought that this lack of commitment would weaken the story, but it actually enhanced it. It's no longer a battle between good and evil. It's a fight between friends that hurts everybody it touches. Speaking of fights, the airport battle halfway through is one of Marvel's best fight scenes. You've got heroes fighting other heroes, including Black Panther (played to perfection by Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (played equally great by Tom Holland) helping Tony Stark. On Cap's side, we finally get to see Giant Man, the enhanced version of Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). This was such a cool way to showcase everyone's abilities and it set the bar for future fight scenes. The real villain of the film is Helmut Zemo, who is portrayed decently by Daniel Brühl. In the comics, Zemo is a HYDRA agent with a vendetta against Captain America. In the movie, he's a vengeful Sokovian soldier with much more simple motivations. I won't spoil it, but it is unfortunately nothing like the Baron Zemo I remember. Still, I have hope that one day, he will return as the purple-hooded menace. Regardless, I thought this film was incredible and it will no doubt become the film to beat for the summer. I know I say this every time, but Marvel has once again outdone themselves. They are the only ones who can do justice to their own characters and this film proves it yet again. |