On a grander scale than before, but still more Age of Ultron than Avenger's Assemble

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2016)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
Following a calamitous tragedy in Nigeria, the Avengers find themselves being hounded for regulation, and to become accountable for their actions. Tony Stark can see the reasoning in this, while Rogers believes the team should have the power to go about their affairs in total freedom. This builds to a climactic showdown between the two opposing sides, before an even deadlier enemy threatens to throw them all into total oblivion.
The serious cinema-goer has certainly, over the last few years, been forced to have a radical attitude re-adjustment to the concept of the superhero film, and its possibilities in the grand scheme of filmic merit. It's gone from being the sole preserve of an exclusive, distinctive flock of audience, to being accepted on a more grand, theatrical level. These child-minded figures, in their peculiar and fanciful costumes, have been heralded as almost Shakespearian in their Machiavellianism, and Captain America: Civil War is the logical conclusion to this thumping pomposity.
Strangely, with all this in mind, the film is ultimately still most impressive as an action spectacular, dazzling when brought to life in 3D, and taking you on a magical, mystical action packed journey that bursts into life at various points in its nearly three hour length. This is truly aiming to be the biblical comic book film, exploring relevant, human themes and placing the various iconic characters in respective roles. All of this, though, is its curse as well as its blessing.
As sensibly impressive as it is, ultimately most of it's problems can be started with the word over. It's overlong, overblown, overwrought, overbearing, overwhelming and presumably over-budget. All of this causes it to lose the fun factor a bit, and so Avenger's Assemble remains the best of the lot. ***