A Thrilling and Thought Provoking Action-Adventure

Rating: 9/10 (25 August 2019)

"Captain America: Civil War" is a thrilling and thought provoking comic book movie with an engaging story, complex characters, and fantastic action sequences that are among the best in the MCU. After having hinted at the rivalry between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark in the previous "Avengers" films, "Civil War" brings their conflict to fruition in a movie that makes both sides sympathetic by showing the best and worst of both heroes. The set-up is brilliant: in the aftermath of "Age of Ultron" the world believes that the Avengers need oversight and Tony Stark leads the charge in favor of the new Sokovia Accords. Steve Rogers and his allies, suspicious of government oversight, defy the new agreement and therefore international law - setting up a clash between two of America's most popular icons.
The dynamic between Stark and Rogers is the highlight of the movie: it's the egocentric billionaire who defies expectations and becomes the vanguard of the "collective good," while the righteous war hero emerges as the enemy of greater government control and even - in this case - the popular will. As always, Robert Downey Jr. shines as Iron Man - to the extent that his personality overshadows Captain America, whose name is in the title. Additionally, Chadwick Boseman gives a stand-out performance as Black Panther, who steals the show in many of his scenes.
It goes without saying that the now-famous action sequences in "Civil War" are fantastic: from the initial confrontation in Lagos to the clash at the Berlin airport the fight scenes are wonderfully choreographed and endlessly entertaining. But at heart, what makes these scenes work is the rich characters who are at both times flawed and immensely likable. Much as the movie itself is as a matter of fact: like many Marvel movies the main villain is weak and far less essential to the story than the protagonists. We didn't need the mysterious Zemo and his messy scheme to split up the Avengers - that was the whole point of the Sokovia Accords. His story adds little to the film and instead drags out the running time to an excessive 2 hours and 27 minutes.
There's also a sense of contrivance that hurts the integrity of the story: why couldn't Rogers at least try to sit down with Stark to come to some sort of compromise? To be so stubborn seems out of character for Rogers, who in previous films had played the role of a team leader and mediator. And why, after all the death and destruction that Barnes had wrought, couldn't Rogers demonstrate at least some empathy for his victims - one of whom was his friend Howard Stark? It's one thing to see the good in people, it's another to totally overlook their failings at the expense of your teammates. You get the sense that these choices weren't made because it was best for Rogers' development as a character, and instead they were made because the filmmakers used whatever excuse they could to get Captain America and Iron Man to fight each other.
"Captain America: Civil War" isn't a perfect movie. But nonetheless it's a powerful action adventure with stunning visuals, top notch performances, and an engrossing story that continues to be as gripping as ever even with multiple viewings. 9/10.