Captain America: Civil War Review: Very Exciting, Hardly Memorable

Rating: 6/10 (22 May 2016)

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
"Captain America: Civil War" ushers in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with action and thrills galore, but it sacrifices a lot of the wit and does away with the strong adversaries that had made our favorite superheroes' battles all so exciting. Also, unlike "Winter Soldier", Directors Anthony and Joe Russo aren't able to strike a perfect equilibrium between action, drama, humor, CGI, and characterization this time around. However, where "Civil War" scores major points is in having the gumption to delve into thought- provoking themes.
After another incident involving The Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. With many people beginning to fear the actions of superheroes, the government decides to push for the Anti-Hero Registration Act, a law that limits the actions of these extraordinary individuals. The new directive fractures The Avengers, resulting in two camps – one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for The Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other by Tony Stark following his surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability. Eventually, things escalates into an all-out war between the superheroes while a new foe emerges from the shadows to take advantage of the volatile scenario.
At a time when superhero films dominate the summer movie calendar almost every year, "Civil War" aims to lodge itself in the upper echelons of the very best of this action-subgenre, but, somehow, manages to fall just short despite its best intentions and obvious efforts. The movie is very, very good, make no mistake about that, it's just not among the finest from the MCU (like their erstwhile sterling ventures such as "The Avengers", "Guardians of the Galaxy", and this one's own predecessors, "Captain America" and "Captain America: Winter Soldier"). You may love it while watching it, but it's more of a flirtatious kind of love that'll soon dissipate, unlike the profound connect one may have for the other aforementioned titles. Still, it succeeds in being another shining example of how Marvel transforms comic-book action figures into larger-than-life action heroes with real-life character traits and issues, which is one of the prime reasons that it has met with so much success while other superhero franchises have faded away.
"Captain America: Civil War" is certainly an enjoyable action- adventure that'll appeal to everyone from fan-boys to adrenaline- junkies, to entertainment-seekers to those looking for a well- crafted movie. It just falls a tad short in terms of plotting and believable conflicts in drama, which provide a few obstacles along the way – especially in the final act. So while "Civil War" may be an appealing movie, it does not end up being a memorable one.