Revenge

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2016)

I suspect that very few in the audience going into the cinema are under the delusion that this is an Captain America personal showcase. The reason why it is not titled "The Avengers: Civil War" escapes me, but hardly matters.
I chose "revenge" for my summary line. The added title "civil war" would also do. Ditto the title of a different, entirely unrelated movie: collateral damage. I like mine best though for it is most relevant to the plot. Revenge is the motivation. Revenge is also the tool. After a few red herrings, the final twist comes out: the chief villain, Russian scientist Zemo, reveals bitterly how he lost everything he had as collateral damage (hence my alternative summary line) during an Avengers' action. Recognizing his own limitations in any attempt to kill the Avengers, he patiently hatches a sinister plot to get them to kill each other, also driven by desire to revenge.
What started the rift in the Avengers, however, is not revenge, but collateral damage. The government wants to bring the Avengers under control after considerable collateral damage results from more and more of their assignments. This will be done by having members sign a treaty which would limit their autonomy in action. The stand taken by the two leaders is unexpected. You would have thought that Captain America would be pro-establishment and therefore willingly sign, while Iron Man the free spirit will refuse. Guess again! It is the exact opposite. Joining Captain America to make a firm stand to resist any control are the regulars Falcon, Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye (coming out of retirement, so soon). Standing by him is also old boyhood friend Winter Soldier (coming out of deep freeze) and new recruit Ant-Man. In the opposing camp, with Iron Man are regulars War Machine, Black Widow and Vision. Black Panther's alliance is incidental as he believes that Winter Soldier at the other side killed his father (one of the red herrings as mentioned). Recruited to complete a matching number of six is Spider-Man who is really Spider-boy in personality. The power, however, is anything but boyish.
I have already seen the movie twice. The narrative, a couple of minor twists notwithstanding, is not difficult to follow. But one scene towards (but not quite at) the end is worth watching again and again. This is the thirty-minute-plus all-out head-to-head combat between the two camps, involving all 12 superheroes. Things move so fast that you have to watch at least twice to appreciate how cleverly the whole thing has been crafted.
Here are just a few examples among the numerous clever designs. Initially, it is one-on-one matching such as the obvious pitching of Captain America against Iron Man and Black Panther against Winter Soldier. But that is just the beginning.
In the melee where Hawkeye has Black Widow under him, she quips "we are still friends, right?". At the sign of Hawkeye relenting, Scarlet Witch hurls her fireball their way together with a chiding to Hawkeye "You are pulling your punches".
When shifting of opponents brings Hawkeye and Black Panther face-to-face, the former gentlemanly introduces himself "We haven't met. I'm Clint", only to be met by a dismissing "I don't care" by the latter.
When Ant-Man transforms himself into a giant and is then brought down by Spider-Man by tripping him with spider threads, the latter pays tribute to the original Star Wars trilogy where ostrich-like agile artillery machines are brought down by attacking the lowest point of their center of gravity.
When Captain America finally get upper hand over juvenile Spider-Man by trapping him under some heavy fallen structure, he asks "You are not a bad guy. Where are you from?" "Queens", replies Spider-Man. Captain America flashes a genuinely friendly smile, "Brooklyn", he offers. Good neighbors, even 70 years apart.
I can go on and on, but one line says all: this exquisite sequence should be watched again, again and again.
Just a quick summary of the status of each of the 12 characters, in preparation for watching the next one. Captain America rescued from the state prison Hawkeye, Falcon, Ant Man and Scarlet Witch, regrouping the core team for the next action. In a reflective mood are Iron Man, Vision and Black Widow contemplating the perpetual question of right-and-wrong. Each of the team leaders' closest friends is out of action: War Machine virtually in disability and Winter Soldier back to hibernation. Black Panther and Spider Man (boy) each goes back to his own life, for the time being.