This film provides the breath of fresh air I needed

Rating: 8/10 (29 April 2016)

Captain America: The Winter Solider pitted the titular protagonist against an organisation bigger then himself, all whilst battling his own demons, particularly his best friend-turned assassin, Bucky. Civil War at its core follows this narrative, exploring the relationship between these two characters even further. After numerous, wide-scaled and deadly incidents, the US Government, and now Secretary of State, 'Thunderbolt' Ross introduces the Sokovia Accord-which aims to prevent the heroes from acing freely but rather work in accordance to rules and regulations of the Untied Nations. In this regard, Civil War retains the political driven narrative and themes of The Winter Solider, but makes it more personal. The characters have different viewpoints and conflicting ideologies, causing them to split apart and form their own sides. Tony Stark for example feels guilty after a confrontation with a mother leads to him realising the cost of his actions; helping him realise that he shouldn't be allowed to act on his free will. Steve Rodgers believes "that the safest hands are still our own" and refuses to sign his name and adhere to the Sokovia Accords. The film perfectly sets up their conflicting beliefs, providing depth to the reasons they fight. We know these characters and their relationships with one another, both of which combine to make an interesting plot.
Now I have to address about one big talking point, the introduction of a new (yes a third!) Spiderman. And boy was it an introduction and a half! 19 year old Tom Holland perfectly portrays the characteristics of Spiderman we love; he is witty, inexperienced and most importantly, young. He is a breath of fresh air to this older team but also the character itself. The Amazing Spiderman trilogy nailed the chemistry between Peter and Gwen, but there was nothing special about those films that really stood out to me. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit hesitant at the casting of a younger Spiderman as well as the recent announcement of the title of the official film, 'Spiderman Homecoming', but seeing the way he was presented just got me so damn excited. There is no origin story for the character, but that's partly because its safe to assume that at this point, almost everyone knows his tragic upbringing and the way he gained his powers. He is a character who is fascinated by characters like Tony Stark and idealises him, we, the audience share his excitement. He seems identifiable, something Spiderman needs to be.
Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther is a straight-faced hero but a pure bad-ass. I really enjoyed his cat-like agility and ninja-esque fighting style. His agenda was clear too and he is a likable character, but more character development is needed, especially in terms of establishing the vastly different country, known as Wakanda, he comes from.
One issue I did have was the pacing. Now the film certainly makes the most of its two hours and seventeen minute run-time but I personally found the opening quarter to slow. Yes, it is broken up by sudden bursts of action, but for the most part it just felt too slow. I do have to stress that this was a personal opinion however.
Daniel Brühl's antagonist, Zemo, is nothing spectacular, but fits in with the theme of responsibility and vengeance. Civil War does a good job of blurring the line between good and bad, right and wrong. You can argue that Steve Rodgers is wrong, but that Tony Stark is right and vice versa-but one thing is abundantly clear, this film did not necessarily need Zeemo in any way.
I did enjoy the choice of locales, particularly with Germany featuring heavily, although perhaps slightly excessive and repetitively. The action was massive in scale and most definitely well choreographed. Speaking of which, the 15-minute IMAX fight was brilliant. It looked extremely cheesy as the two opposing sides sprinted (or flew) to each other in the trailer, but boy do the characters get their chance to shine. It just works, with the fight (the only exceptions being Hawkeye and Black Widow) being balanced. Spiderman just makes the scene however. This was hands down the best thing about the film for me.
Now I absolutely loved Batman V Superman (I am sorry for bringing this film up, but it is an important point!), but one thing lacking in the film was the depth to establish the characters agendas. In Civil War, we (speaking in terms of the general audience) understand why they are fighting each other and it makes sense. Sure, it does feel slightly rushed and forced, but the Russo Brothers have used this idea effectively. This was a vital strong and one reason why I felt this film was good. I think another special aspect of this film was that, despite my initial worries, it's not an Avengers film. Yes it features these beloved characters, but it is a story about two friends in the face of adversary, caught up in a world they don't belong in, but have inadvertently become so deeply involved in.