This is how to do it, DC!

Rating: 10/10 (29 April 2016)

If you see someone with a sad face coming out of Captain America: Civil War (2016; 147 mins), sidle over and whisper, "Are you a Warner Bros/DC executive?" If they answer 'yes' just be kind. I'd rather bathe in stinging nettles and marmots than have that feeling. Marvel, Joe & Anthony Russo, and to some extent Robert Downey Jnr and Chris Evans, have pitted against each other two lesser characters (objectively speaking) than Zach Snyder's wasted gold dust and there isn't even a competition about which is the better film. Because yes, Civil War is as good as you may have heard. No, actually, it's even better than that. Where the recent DC films have struggled with consequences of actions, this is a film all about them. Some examples: if you open with a virtuoso action sequence that thrills and entertains without flaw then you're going to have to escalate throughout the film. Check. If you have too many heroes on your hands then you're going to have to write a brilliant script that introduces/involves/evolves them all in a significant way, so that the audience doesn't wonder why they're there. Done. And if you've done all this successfully before then you're going to have to do better. Mission accomplished. What Marvel have been especially good at is finding the right balance between humour and action, between levity and high stakes. In Civil War they have reached the apotheosis of this alchemy. The moments of tragedy and pathos that come from conflict between friends, not to mention other developments, mingle effortlessly with those of genuine hilarity, from all comers. It makes for a ridiculously entertaining mix. Similarly, the balance between action and dialogue scenes is pretty much perfect. When they come, the energy and sheer inventiveness of the former makes for a spectacle that never, ever gets boring. Each set piece utilises a completely different style and the ideas just never stop, with one particular motorcycle trick inducing gasps and cheers from the audience. The latter, the story, the personal conflicts, are superbly scripted and played out, and they ground the movie in something real. Civil War is fun, pretty much non-stop, but it is a long way from silly. There are serious matters afoot and the 'bits in between' are as gripping as the action because so much attention has been paid to each word, each glance. The cast, as usual, are exemplary, and we get bigger and better turns from Paul Bettany (The Vision) and Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), while the introduction of Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther and a certain web-crawler brings even more to the party, and without diluting the mix. Special mentions, though, to Chris Evans (Cap) and Ben Barnes (Winter Soldier) who do a lot of heavy dramatic lifting; another one to Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) because, well, I don't need a reason (she's excellent, though); but the big bucks do go to Downey Jnr, who is the best he has ever been as ol' Shellhead. In short, I loved this film. Even the two credit stings are ace, so do stick around