A League to Disown

Rating: 8/10 (7 May 2016)

(RATING: ☆☆☆☆ out of 5)
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: More of the same, but there is some skill and care by the filmmakers to develop characters between all the standard action stuff.
GRADE: B
SYNOPSIS: The superheroes are called to task about the repercussions of their questionable actions which leads to a splintering of the league.
JIM'S REVIEW: Today, many moviegoers above the age of forty, like myself, can easily develop a condition known as PTSHD (Post Traumatic Super Hero Disorder), a malady that weakens many seriously-minded cinephiles who are continually force-fed the barrage of comic book blockbusters playing at our local movie theaters. Side effects include: vertigo (caused by multiple hyper-kinetic CGI battles), nausea (due to shaky hand-held camera-work), a lack of stamina and general listless yearning for sophisticated dialog (instead of snide puns and comic one-liners) and a feeling of isolation and abandonment (as one feels adrift from today's younger generation of moviegoers).
If I am at all honest in my review, after seeing so many superhero blockbusters of late, in this era of pop entertainment instant gratification, I must admit that I have indeed reached my saturation point. The formula for success is repeated with successful variations on a theme: A rowdy band of misfits is assembled to become their own weapon of mass destruction, destroying cities in one fell swoop. Endless repartee is bantered between our crusaders. Actors fit into their tight-fitted spandex to fight the forces of evil with the straightest of faces and sexual identities to match. Granted, I am not the target audience that the filmmakers have in mind. But here I am, ready to plunk down my well-earned dollars to see another epic sampling of comic book justice.
This time around, the group resembles one big unhappy family dealing with sibling rivalry issues and minor dysfunction. Captain America: Civil War is entertaining, if somewhat over-indulgent in its messy strained relationship between Captain America (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark a.k.a. Ironman (Robert Downey, Jr.). Their animosity causes a ripple effect with the other superheroes taking sides...and gee-whiz, is there an over abundance of muscle, power, and ego! Fanboys, behold the testosterone level on display: Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), and Vision (Paul Bettany). Women and diversity are well represented in this Marvel universe: Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and War Machine (Don Cheadle), Newcomers to this action figure franchise include: Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) for the millennial set. Batteries not included.
The plot borrows a similar scenario from the DC comic book universe's recent movie entry, Batman v Superman, the premise being the high collateral damage inflicted upon the town-folks by their so-called protectors. Many lives have been destroyed as they battle evil forces. So there is now a public outcry and revenge against the Avengers. It's governmental and political control over our vigilante crime fighters, some of which accept the terms of a UN mandate while others want to secede from that union. Their decision to either conform with this global request or go rogue causes the friction and tension that finally dissolves their alliance.
￼Credit screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for spending considerable time to build the interrelationships and inner angst, even if there are far too many Avengers to do full justice to their individual back-stories. Most characters seem to be fighting for equal screen time than actually fighting a cause. At times, the film feels a bit desperate and overstuffed. It is always on maximum overload, which has both positive and negative results. One just wishes less superheroes were called to duty so the film could be more focused. ￼ The fight sequences themselves are uneven. The opening battle is poorly edited and filmed in harsh close-ups that obliterates the action. But the film improves greatly from there. In fact, the main combat between the divided team of superheroes, which takes place at a deserted airport, is a brilliantly staged and extensively well choreographed scene that is worth the wait (even if it takes over an hour to get there). There is also a strong climactic smack-down between a few of the Avengers that delivers, even if the build and final twist misses some fine opportunities to unite the splintered crew for one final memorable free-for-all.
Both Evans and Downey as the opposing leaders bring their A-game to the A-Team. They have a nice chemistry that makes their rift involving. The rest of the cast play their parts well. However, Daniel Bruhl is miscast as the villain, Helmut Zemo, who never establishes any real presence or menace. He remains an enigma right to the end.
￼Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, with enough whiz-bang expertise to make the film diverting and satisfying, Captain America: Civil War proves to be a film that would rather debate the deeper issue of friendship and family than settle for being just another simple slam-bang blockbuster. That factor helps elevate this action fantasy and takes it a rise above the standard genre. The playing field may be overcrowded as everyone dukes it out, but it is still enough of a crowd-pleaser, even for this older and slightly worn-out reviewer.
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